BISMARCK – The North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) announces the Soil Health Cover Crop Grant Program, a newly added program made possible through funding provided by the 67th Legislative Assembly. NDDA will provide cost-share assistance to producers via a lottery system.
“As a conservation program, the primary goal of the program is to protect and enhance soil health statewide,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “In particular, the program targets cropland areas impacted with saline or alkaline soils.”
Cover crops must be planted by Aug. 31, 2021, and the online application must be completed by Oct. 1, 2021. There is a cost-share payment of $15 per acre for new applicants and a future cost-share payment of $10 per acre for repeat applicants. There is a 50-acre cap per applicant per year.
“I encourage producers with alkaline, sodic or saline soils to consider the program to help mitigate non-productive areas,” Goehring said.
Complete details are available at https://www.nd.gov/ndda/program/soil-health-cover-crop-grant-program or by contacting Jason Wirtz at 701-220-1628 or jwirtz@nd.gov.
NDDA will be opening applications by Sept. 1, 2021 and closing them October 1, 2021 for the 2021 season. Applications will reopen again next year for the next growing season.