2022 Fall Farm Outlook

Page 26 2022 Fall Farm Outlook Lincoln Daily News Oct 2022 practices, meets sustainability goals and improves farmer profitability.” They work with these groups to help farmers “in implementing and maintaining cover crops through farmer outreach, education, and communication, financial assistance [and] cost-share opportunities for farmers, technical assistance for farmers, identifying and addressing barriers to participation, and [finding] financial incentives.” Overall, the grant will fund cost sharing programs and technical assistance for cover crops to “8,000- 10,000 farmers on 1.44 million acres of corn and soybeans.” Cover crops can help suppress soil diseases and pests, or work like a mulch. Cover crops can also provide material for grazing livestock or haying and can provide food and habitat for wildlife, beneficial insects, and pollinators. Rye and winter wheat are common examples of cover crops. It can take time to learn how to best utilize cover crops. FSH hopes to help farmers understand the learning curve, and will use the grant money to work with farmers for the next three years to help them transition to utilizing cover crops, as well as to facilitate the marketing of sustainably produced corn and soybeans. The second of these grants, for $70 million, was awarded to Field to Market. This organization works with farmers and other key partners throughout the supply chain to develop sustainable business practices. They work with agribusinesses; food, beverage, restaurant and retail; conservation groups; universities; and various other public sector partners. According to the organization’s press release announcing the grant award, “a portion of the awarded funds will specifically support Black and Native producers, assisting historically under-served producers in adopting climate- smart practices. Other major project partners include PepsiCo, Farmers Business Network, EDF, Archer Daniels Midland, the Illinois Corn Growers Association, Precision Conservation Management, Nutrien Ag CONTINUED --