Maryland Department of Agriculture Announces Record Cover Crop Sign-up

ANNAPOLIS, MD—The Maryland Department of Agriculture today announced another record-breaking sign-up by Maryland farmers for its highly touted Cover Crop Program. During the program’s three week sign-up period held earlier this summer, 1,853 farmers visited the state’s network of local soil conservation district offices to apply for grants to plant 691,743 acres of protective cover crops on their fields this fall. Cover crops have been shown to reduce nutrient runoff, control soil erosion and protect water quality in streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

“Maryland’s cover crop program has the potential to do more for the Bay than ever before,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “We commend and thank all farmers who continue to voluntarily take strong conservation actions on their farms, diversify their operations and use new technologies as they become available.”

Maryland farmers have exceeded every Chesapeake Bay milestone goal for cover crops since the Environmental Protection Agency established nutrient and sediment limits for the Bay in 2010 known as the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). Based on the newly released 2016-2017 Cover Crop Program sign-up figures, farmers are on track to exceed the next two-year milestone commitment to be completed by June 2017. In addition, cover crops are considered one of the most cost-effective means of helping to restore the Chesapeake Bay. The State has allocated $22.5 million for the 2016/2017 Cover Crop Program.

“Year after year, our farmers demonstrate their commitment to clean water and healthy natural resources by planting cover crops on their fields,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder.  “The 2016-2017 sign-up represents an increase of 35,000 acres over last year, which is remarkable when you stop to consider that the signup last year was the largest in our state’s history.”

The environmental and agronomic benefits of planting cover crops are well documented. As they grow, cover crops protect water quality by recycling unused plant nutrients remaining in the soil from the preceding summer crop. Once established, cold-hardy cover crops work all winter to shield fields from erosion caused by wind, rain, snow and ice.  Cover crops improve soil health by increasing organic matter in the soil, reducing weeds and pests, and providing habitat for beneficial insects.

Maryland’s Cover Crop Program provides farmers with grants to plant small grains such as wheat, rye, or barley and certain other crops on their fields immediately following the summer crop harvest of corn, soybeans and vegetables. Grants help offset seed, labor and equipment costs associated with planting cover crops. Farmers may sign up to plant traditional cover crops, which are not eligible for harvest, or commodity cover crops, which may be harvested. Incentives are available for planting cover crops early; however, all cover crops must be planted by November 5, 2016 and certified with the soil conservation district by November 14, 2016 to qualify for payment. Other conditions and restrictions apply.

Top counties ranked by highest acreage of cover crop signup:

1. Queen Anne’s (76,369)
2. Kent (71,520)
3. Talbot (66,318)
4. Caroline (58,703)
5. Frederick (56,613)
6. Dorchester (56,434)
7. Worcester (45,950)
8. Carroll (40,646)
9. Wicomico (34,217)
10. Harford (25,550)

For a chart showing cover crop acres and applications, 2009 to 2016:
http://www.mda.maryland.gov/resource_conservation/Documents/CC_2016_Poster.pdf

For enrollment statistics by county, visit:
www.mda.maryland.gov/resource_conservation/Documents/cc_by_county16.17.pdf

###

Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Twitter @MdAgDept