IDOA launches ‘I-Cover’ program
•April 1, 2026•
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is relaunching the Infield Conservation for Operationalizing Vital Ecosystem Resilience (I-COVER) Program to promote the early establishment of cover crops using new techniques and/or technology. IDOA secured a $7 million USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant to launch the program, which offers cost-share/financial incentives to producers and landowners who are new adopters of cover crops or who utilize new techniques for earlier establishment of cover crops. I-COVER is a three-year program for cover crops planted in 2026, 2027, and 2028.