BELLEFONTE –The Centre County Conservation District is excited to announce the Cover Crop Incentive Program for the 2025-2026 crop year opened Sept. 15.

Farmers who plant a winter cover crop are eligible for the program.

Farms using minimum tillage will be paid $20 per acre, farms using no-till will be paid $30 per acre and farms using no-till with a multi-species (at least three) cover crop will be paid $40 per acre. Multispecies cover crop applicants must include at least 15 percent broad leaf species in their seed mix.

Funding for the program comes from our Countywide Action Plan (CAP).

The deadline to apply for the Centre County Conservation District Cover Crop Incentive Program is Dec. 1, 2025.

Because there is limited funding available, the amount of acreage cost shared for each farm will be dependent upon overall interest in the program. A percentage of the total acres will be funded for each farm if interest exceeds funding capabilities. Farmers may apply for up to 200 acres per operation/farm.

Cover crops will be verified in the Spring of 2025, and participating farms will be inspected by the Centre County Conservation District for compliance with the Chapter 91 Manure Management Plan and Chapter 102 Agricultural Erosion and Sediment Control Plan.

For more information or to apply, please contact Devyn McPheeters at 814-355-6817 or ddmcpheeters@centrecountypa.gov. Applications are also available on the Conservation District website at https://centrecountypa.gov/200/Conservation-District.