Record cover crop sign-ups north of Des Moines

October 22, 2026 | Rebekah Jones

When it comes to trying cover crops, sometimes having the right program to support the cost can make all the difference. That was apparent in this year’s results for state cost-share signups in the Greater Des Moines Watershed area.

Triple sign-ups

Farmers received cost-share payments for 300,000 acres of cover crops in the 22 counties north of Des Moines in 2026, nearly triple the acres enrolled in 2025, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. This is important progress toward reaching the state’s water quality goals since cover crops hold nutrients and soil in place. The payments are meant to support the cost and initial risk of trying something new.

*These acres are “obligated,” meaning they haven’t all been planted or verified yet since the cover crop planting season is not over.

At least some of the increase can be attributed to program changes.

Change creates change

The 22 counties north of Des Moines area were part of a pilot to test improvements to state cost-share. Historically, farmers could only enroll up to 160 acres. The pilot allowed up to 500 acres. That small change yielded big results.

“Increasing the cap made a difference for many farmers I work with,” says Alex Slagle, conservation agronomist for the Iowa Soybean Association, who works with farmers in that area.

“It’s great to see farmers in those counties that haven’t had consistent funding in the past be able to have the support to plant more cover crops,” Slagle added, noting that Carroll County in particular had many farmers who went from planting only 160 acres in cover crops to 500.

“The Greater Des Moines Watershed Program shows what we can accomplish when we have dedicated resources and intentionally focus on fields in parts of the state that can have a significant impact on water quality,” said Secretary Mike Naig in a press release.

IDALS also expanded access to livestock-related conservation dollars in this area through the Iowa Working Lands program. This incentivizes farmers to convert land to pasture or hay. It was so popular that farmers filled the $500,000 program in only 10 days. Since then, they’ve made a total of $2.87 million available for working lands.

Sec. Naig said they will ask the Iowa legislature for additional funding for working lands during the 2027 legislative session.

All of this funding is part of the state Water Quality Initiative program, which has seen substantial success since it began in 2013.

Programs for you

If you are interested in cost-share payments for cover crops, ISA’s partner, Iowa Ag Water Alliance, has a tool to explore all available funding programs in your county or watershed. You can find it at TheCompass.Ag.

If you need help with agronomic expertise or navigating cost-share, you can reach out to an ISA conservation agronomist.

Written by Rebekah Jones.

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