Crop Insurance Rebates for Planting Cover Crops Frequently Asked Questions:

DATCP must provide information on eligible acres to the USDA-RMA in a form that is recognizable to their process. Collecting information consistent with their forms will streamline the process and make it easier to process the premium rebate timely and accurately.

Contact your local FSA office​ to complete or obtain a copy of the FSA-578 for your farm. ​

During the data validation process questions come up that are most easily reconciled by reviewing the form directly. Applicants may be asked to provide​ it to facilitate eligibility determination. 

Contact your local FSA office​ to complete or obtain a copy of the FSA-578 for your farm. ​

DATCP strongly encourages producers to report cover crops to USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).  If there is a discrepancy with the Common Land Unit information (CLU) in your application, it is more likely to be resolved in a timely manner if the acres were reported to FSA. If USDA is unable to validate acreage, no rebate can be awarded. 

The USDA-RMA has agreements in place with individual Approved Insurance Providers (AIP) who have opted in to participate in this program. Any eligible applicant that utilizes the services of AIPs that have opted to offer this program will be considered eligible for the DATCP crop insurance rebate for planting cover crops program. Applicants that use AIPs that have not elected to participate, will not be eligible for this program. 

For 2026 the Approved Insurance Providers in Wisconsin are: ​

  • ACE American Insurance Company (Rain and Hail)
  • American Agri-Business Insurance Company (AgriSompo North America)
  • American Agricultural Insurance Company (American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, Inc.) 
  • Clear Blue Insurance Company (Precision Risk Management (PRM), LLC) 
  • Country Mutual Insurance Company
  • Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co of IA
  • Great American
  • Hudson Insurance Company 
  • NAU Country
  • Palomar Specialty Insurance Company (Advanced AgProtection LLC)
  • Producers Agricultural Insurance Company 
  • Rural Community Insurance Services
Source: USDA Risk Management Agency 
(https://public-rma.fpac.usda.gov/AipListing/InsuranceProviders)​
​

Applicants should be certain of which fields are seeded to cover crops before applying. The application should be submitted after seeding, but before sign-up closes, to prevent a change in fields enrolled. ​

This program is designed to incentivize additional acres of cover crops beyond those supported by DATCP and/or USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

DATCP will verify applications and cross-reference with other state and federal programs to avoid overlapping acres. However, this program would allow acres in addition to cost-shared acres. For example, if a farmer has 160 acres enrolled in a state program and decides to install 320 acres of cover crops, the additional 160 acres will be eligible for the crop insurance rebate program. ​​​

Fields with shares or co-owners should only be entered/applied for one time for the total field acreage. Any shareholder/owner can enter and only one producer needs to be entered per field planted in cover crops eligible for a rebate. The rebate is issued to verified eligible fields. The credit will be applied as insurance is issued to the field in the spring. Insurance Agents may need to adjust the rebate amounts as they issue insurance according to the amount of premiums charged to account for the percentages owned by individual producers. ​​

Yes, this program and federal crop insurance programs allow for managed haying and grazing of cover crops if this management does not jeopardize the intended function of the cover crop and that termination guidelines developed by USDA-RMA and USDA-NRCS are followed.​​

No, the harvest of grain from cover crops is not the intended use of cover crops and would run contrary to federal crop insurance termination deadlines and insurable crop determinations.​

Co, Gz, Fg, Gm, and Ls are all acceptable uses on the USDA Form FSA-578 for the Premium Rebate for Planting Cover Crops Program. ​​

The premium rebate is applied in 2026 to cover crops planted in 2025 and subsequently planted to an insurable crop the following growing season. Applications for cover crops planted in 2025 will be available in December 2025.  ​ ​​​

This program is only for those with coverage through the federal crop insurance program and only eligible for those that are assessed a premium for the coverage. In instances where no premium liability is due or absent enrollment in the federal crop insurance program, the farmer/landowner would not be eligible for this program. There may be other state or federal programs available for these producers.​​

The crop insurance rebate for planting cover crops program will not impose caps on eligible acres (absent state/federal program acres) for individual applications. Currently, the only limits imposed would be the $5/acre incentive and the total funding available by DATCP for this program. ​

DATCP will accept applications on a first come first serve basis pending verification of meeting program rules.

If USDA-RMA offers a nationwide Pandemic Cover Crop Program (or similar), the USDA-RMA program would be an additional rebate. Participation in both programs would not affect producer eligibility for the WI crop insurance rebate program.

No, this program is set up independent from traditional state or federal programs administered through the USDA-NRCS or USDA-FSA offices. If you need assistance in applying for this program, please contact datcpcc@wisconsin.gov.​

DATCP will use a combination of tools to verify acres in cover crops applied for through this program. Applications will be reviewed for overlap in enrollment of other federal and state programs. DATCP will then employ a variety of tools at their discretion. Applicants may be asked to provide further documentation (e.g., seed bills, seeding method, and timing of planting) to confirm applied fields were seeded to cover crops. ​​​​


Additional Resources

​Program Overview

Program Rules​​

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