New Funding Opportunity for Planting Cover Crops in Pennsylvania

Farmers for Soil Health is a new incentive program providing financial assistance to Pennsylvania producers for planting cover crops and improving soil health.

Interested in planting cover crops this fall or expanding your current cover crop acreage? Have you considered grazing cover crops to extend your grazing season? If so, the Farmers for Soil Health program offers financial incentives to producers in Pennsylvania and 19 other states. The program is funded through soybean, pork, and corn grower checkoff dollars and provides payments to eligible producers who plant qualifying cover crops. Producers can apply through the program’s online enrollment portal.

Program Eligibility

Producers of all experience levels are encouraged to apply—whether you are planting cover crops for the first time or have years of experience. Participants may receive $35 per acre for planting eligible cover crops on up to 2,000 acres annually.

As part of the enrollment process, each participant is assigned a technical advisor. In Pennsylvania, technical assistance is provided through Sustainable Chesapeake. Advisors can assist with cover crop species selection, program eligibility, enrollment requirements, reporting, and overall program navigation. The Cover Crop Selector Tool also a useful resource to help compare cover crop options based on planting date, intended use, and management goals. For more information about how to use the tool visit Northwest Cover Crop Council’s Cover Crop Selection Tool.

Please note that acres enrolled in Farmers for Soil Health cannot receive NRCS cover crop incentive payments for the same practice. However, Farmers for Soil Health payments may be combined with other eligible private or state-funded programs.

Required Documentation

To complete the verification and enrollment process, producers should be prepared to provide:

• Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• USDA farm identifiers, including Farm Number, Tract Number, and Field Number
• Farm Service Agency (FSA) maps and field boundary information
• A completed W-9
• FSA Subsidiary Print
• FSA-156EZ
• CPA-52

Producers are encouraged to work with their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to obtain the required documentation before beginning the application process.

Because funding is limited, producers are encouraged to apply early and gather the necessary documentation before beginning the enrollment process.

Enrollment Deadline

The application window for the 2026 enrollment period closes August 31, 2026.