Cover Crop Program
Cover Crop Program supports Maryland farmers with cost-share grants for fall cover crop planting to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and protect local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
Funder: Maryland Department of Agriculture
Due Dates: November 5, 2026 (Cereal grain planting) | November 12, 2026 (Planting certification) | December 1, 2026 (Fall documentation) | March 1, 2027 (Termination begins) | June 1, 2027 (Spring reporting and termination certification) | July 1, 2027 (Spring payment processing)
Funding Amounts: $35/acre base payment, up to $65/acre with incentives; $25/acre for eligible fall non-poultry manure acres
Summary: Cost-share grants help Maryland farmers plant fall cover crops that improve soil health and protect local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
Key Information: Applicants must plant at least 10 acres, with enrolled acreage not exceeding their Nutrient Management Plan acreage.
Description
Maryland’s Cover Crop Program supports fall planting of cereal grains and approved grain–brassica or grain–legume mixes. Administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), it helps farmers recycle unused nutrients, add soil organic matter, control weeds and pests, and reduce erosion and compaction. Cover crops also protect fields against excessive or insufficient rain and can improve spring cash crops while lowering input costs.
The program offers per-acre cost-share payments, with incentives for early incorporated planting and for rye, triticale, or multi-species cover crops. Approved planting methods include no-till, conventional drilling, broadcast with tillage, aerial seeding, broadcast/stalk chopping, and broadcast/cultipacker. Funding comes from the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.
