Stronger Together: FLASH Groups Streamline Cover Crop Adoption with Batch & Grow

In 2025, American Farmland Trust (AFT) launched the Batch & Grow Cover Crop Program. This unique funding model, available to Farmer-Led Advances in Soil Health (FLASH) group members, puts farmers at the forefront of decision-making. By joining together to share knowledge of conservation practices, farmers shape this program into one that best suits local needs.

Through a Natural Resources Conservation Service Regional Conservation Partnership Program (NRCS-RCPP) led by the Sand County Foundation, all costs of seed and application are covered for participants. By removing these financial barriers, farmers are encouraged to try a new approach to cover crops without taking on added risk if things don’t work out. Because custom seeding is coordinated by AFT with support from local organizations, time and labor constraints are also reduced for participants. In a recent survey, 86% of farmers stated that Batch & Grow removed barriers to the adoption of cover crops for them.

As one Jo Daviess County farmer stated, “Implementation is often the hardest part when it comes to considering a new practice. This program removes some of that concern.”

Over the past year, I built connections with FLASH groups across Illinois to help more farmers benefit from this program. This fall, Batch & Grow participants are planting over 14,000 acres of cover crops, up from 8,000 last year. A total of 87 farmers are participating across seven groups, an increase from 62 farmers across five groups in 2025.

Through the growth of this program, the FLASH groups have gotten the chance to try something new:

• Farmers chose to try out different cover crop species, like kale, forage collard, and vetch, to see what benefits they bring. Some groups selected crop mixes well-suited for grazing or wildlife.

• Some have expanded beyond the custom drone and/or drill seeding offered last year: one group is trying out aerial seeding with planes, and several groups are giving farmers the opportunity to drill their own seed. This level of experimentation can be difficult to justify when farmers are footing the bill, but Batch & Grow provides more flexibility by removing the financial burden.

One Clinton County farmer shared, “This program allows me to try new seed mixes and application [methods] without added costs.”

Beyond cover crop mix and application method selections, FLASH groups also have the chance to select the contractors they work with. Overall, the groups prefer to work with local seed dealers and custom applicators. They understand the needs of the farmers and fields in the areas in which they live and work. The FLASH groups elected to support businesses in their local communities, which helps participating farmers build connections to service providers who can support their conservation journeys.

One of those contractors is Nick Dunaway, a drone operator based in Central Illinois. Last year, Nick worked with the Lake Mattoon/Lake Paradise Watershed FLASH group of Coles County and built a positive reputation by working closely with farmers to apply cover crops in an optimal timeframe. As a result, Coles County farmers chose to work with him again this year. He was also selected by the Glenn Shoals/Hillsboro Lakes Watershed FLASH group in Montgomery County.

Nick started drone-seeding cover crops in 2023, covering about 1,500 acres. Since then, his business has grown steadily, with more than 7,000 acres seeded in 2026. Nearly half of those acres are enrolled in the Batch & Grow Program.

As a farmer himself, Nick enjoys the drone business because it keeps him busy during slower months and provides a more predictable source of income when farm profits are uncertain. When I met with him in the field last year, his setup involved manually bucketing seed into a 100-pound capacity drone. This year, after his bid was selected by two FLASH groups, he upgraded to a seed tender and a 220-pound-capacity drone, allowing him to work more efficiently and cover acres more quickly. 

Nick also expanded his operation by bringing on three young farmers who were looking for an opportunity to make a steady income on the side. By choosing to work with a local drone operator, FLASH groups have helped create a positive ripple effect in their communities, supporting the growth of conservation-minded businesses while creating new economic opportunities.

Collaboration is Key

As cover crop seeding wraps up and harvest begins, I’m looking forward to meeting up with the FLASH groups this winter. Over the past year, I’ve participated in conversations where farmers shared experiences with cover crops, pest management, grazing, crop diversification, and more. Through these groups, farmers are sharing advice, equipment, labor, and stories.

The value of that collaboration is clear. In our farmer survey, 93% of respondents said they had learned from or shared information with other participants, and 79% said that it feels less risky to adopt cover crops as a group rather than on their own. There is strength in numbers, and farmers are more confident implementing conservation practices when they know they have the support of their peers.

Interested in connecting with other farmers to advance your conservation journey? Visit farmland.org/FLASH to see if there’s a FLASH group near you. If not, and you’d like to get one started, fill out our interest form HERE.