Grants Available For Farmers To Plant Cover Crops

More than $540,000 will be available for the planting of cover crops in the Delaware Bay and Inland Bays watersheds of Sussex County over the next two years.

The USDA protection project focuses on improving water quality by improving the health of the soil and is locally coordinated by the Sussex Conservation District.

“We are proud to work with numerous partners and provide funding for farmers to plant cover crops,” SCD Director of Agricultural Programs Debbie Absher said. “Cover crops improve soil health and water quality because of their ability to scavenge excess nutrients in the soil and increase organic matter.”

Applications are being accepted and considered for funding in spring of 2022.

The Sussex Conservation District provided more information below:

With a project goal of implementing cover crops on 10,400 acres, in 2021 SCD wrote contracts obligating over $253,500 to plant cover crops on 4,042 acres in the targeted watersheds.

For more information on eligibility or to complete an application, call the Sussex County USDA Service Center at 302-856-3990, ext. 3.

RCPP promotes coordination between the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its partners to address resource concerns on privately-owned agricultural and forest lands. To learn more about Delaware NRCS, visit www.de.nrcs.usda.gov. To learn more about SCD, visit www.sussexconservation.org.