The Sussex Conservation District announces a new multi-million-dollar investment in conservation cost-share programs.
The group is sending nearly $6.5 million dollars to two different programs: just over $5 million for a cover crop program and the rest for a tax ditch program.
But David Baird, District Coordinator for the Sussex Conservation District, notes these dollars do not cover the full cost of managing cover crops for the winter months.
“This is not just a free money type of approach where it pays for everything. The farmers have a lot of skin in the game” he told DPM.
These programs involve a collaboration to share the cost of waterway and farmland upkeep; The SCD says producers still pay between 50 and 60 dollars per acre on average for cover crops.
Baird says programs like this help best practices that are crucial for soil health benefits, “By reducing erosion and reducing any excess nutrients, it keeps a healthy soil there for farmers to work in and have productive land to work with.” he said.
The cover crop program received 293 applicants this year, which the SCD says entails around 193,000 total acres enrolled, marking an increase in about 2 percent from last year.
This year's investment total was decided in August, weeks after the state lifted its drought watch after around 10 months of continued drought conditions.
Baird says those enrolled in the program will see their reimbursements paid out once the cover crops are terminated this spring.
