The 2026 Batch and Grow Cover Crop Program is an Illinois farmer-led cover crop initiative offering FREE COVER CROP SEED and FREE CUSTOM APPLICATION. The program is hosted by local FLASH groups (Farmer-Led Advancements in Soil Health). FLASH groups are farmer-led networks that work together to improve water quality and enhance soil health by expanding conservation practices in their communities.

Using a “Batch and Grow” model, each FLASH group has selected 2–5 proven cover crop mixes tailored to their local area that participating farmers can choose from. This makes it easier to get started, with trusted support from experienced cover crop users and conservation partners in their community.

Cover crops will be aerial seeded or custom applied to participating fields in mid-August through December 2026, depending on the cover crop chosen — FREE OF CHARGE.

See the next tab for eligibility, participating locations, and how to apply.

Illinois row crop farmers who are located within or near the areas served by one of the five active FLASH groups are eligible to apply (see map above).

General eligibility requirements:

• This program is funded through USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). To participate, applicants must meet the following USDA NRCS criteria:

  • Have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $900,000 or less.

  • Ensure enrolled fields are not receiving financial support from other federal or state-funded programs for cover crops during the 2026 season (e.g., Fall Covers for Spring Savings (FCSS), NRCS EQIP, CSP, Soil and Water Outcomes Fund).

• Provide accurate FSA farm, tract, and field numbers for all enrolled acres.

• Allow NRCS and program partners (American Farmland Trust and Sand County Foundation) to access farm-identifiable information to verify eligibility.

Applicants will be asked to review and agree to a full eligibility checklist as part of the application process.

In addition, all participants are asked to submit STAR (Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources) field forms for each field listed in their cover crop application. STAR is a free tool available at startool.ag that helps document field-level management practices and track conservation progress over time. Each STAR form takes less than 5 minutes to complete per field. Applications will not be considered complete until all listed fields also appear in the STAR portal. Information entered in STAR may be accessed by trained American Farmland Trust STAR Navigators to support eligibility review.

FLASH Group–Specific Requirements:
Each FLASH group will prioritize applications based on its own local goals and decision-making process. When applying, you’ll select the group you want to participate through — this will determine your cover crop options and any additional requirements that apply.

For example, some groups may give preference to first-time cover crop users, limit the number of acres per participant, or prioritize farms located in or near priority watersheds such as the Shoals, Apple Plum, Embarras, Upper Vermilion, or Little Wabash.

While program eligibility is not strictly limited by watershed or county boundaries, the information you provide in this application may be used by your selected FLASH group to assess how well your participation aligns with its local priorities.

Be sure to review your group’s specific eligibility criteria before applying.

If you’re unsure which group to select or whether your farm qualifies, contact Morgan Cauble at [email protected] for help.

The 2026 Batch and Grow Cover Crop Program is open to farmers located near one of five active FLASH groups in Illinois. While eligibility isn’t limited by county or watershed boundaries, each group is working within a 2,500-acre cap and will prioritize applications based on local goals and geographic focus areas.

Priority watersheds within the areas served by FLASH groups include the Shoals, Apple Plum, Embarras, Upper Vermilion, and Little Wabash watersheds. If you farm near one of these areas or in a nearby community where a FLASH group is active, we particularly encourage you to apply.

March 1 through April 10, 2026

• The application is simple and can be completed online in approximately 30 minutes.

• We recommend using a computer (rather than a phone) and ensuring you have a reliable internet connection.

Each FLASH group has its own eligibility criteria, approved seed mix options, and prioritization guidelines. Your FLASH group selection will determine what cover crop choices are available and how your application is evaluated.

See below for each group’s eligibility details, cover crop options, and contact information. Please reach out to the listed group leader if you have questions or need more information.

Jo Daviess Soil & Water Health Coalition
Contact: Beth Baranski – [email protected], (563) 580-6192

Eligibility: Please contact Beth Baranski to complete your application for Jo Daviess County. Farms must be located in Jo Daviess County. First-time AND previous cover crop users welcome. Priority will be given to past Batch & Grow participants and farmers who attend FLASH events and meetings.

Cover crop options (lbs/acre):
• Triticale (20) + Crimson Clover (3) + Tillage Radish (1) + Turnip (1) – recommended before corn (aerial seeded)
• Cereal Rye (30) + Tillage Radish (1) + Rapeseed (2) – recommended before soybeans (aerial seeded)
• Cereal Rye (40) – recommended before soybeans (drill seeded, custom contracted or DIY - farmer plants own seed)
• Oat (40) + Radish (4) - recommended for forage/grazing after chopped corn/silage or winter wheat (DIY – farmer plants own seed)

Seeding details: Triticale and cereal rye mixes will be aerial-seeded between mid-August and late September. Straight cereal rye will be drill seeded between mid-August and mid-December, and farmers can choose between using a contractor or planting their own fields. Oat and radish will be drill seeded by applicants between late July and mid-September. All planting is dependent on local field conditions.

Vermilion Headwaters Watershed Partnership
Contact: Danny Harms – [email protected] or Joe Stuckel - [email protected], (309)287-3490

Eligibility: Farms located near the Vermilion Headwaters (Livingston, Ford, and surrounding area). All farmers may apply. Priority will be given to those who are either first-time cover crop users or planting cover crops ahead of corn on the same field for the first time (e.g., cover crops were planted ahead of soybeans last year, and now ahead of corn this year). Past Batch & Grow participants and farmers who attend 2+ FLASH events/meetings annually will also be given priority.

Cover crop options (lbs/acre):
• Spring Barley (32) + Radish (2) – recommended before corn (aerial seeded)
• Cereal Rye (32) + Radish (2) – recommended before soybeans (aerial seeded)
• Cereal Rye (40) – recommended before soybeans (aerial seeded)
•Spring Barley (16) + Winter Barley (16) + Radish (2) - recommended before corn (aerial seeded) 

Seeding details: Cover crop mixes will be aerial seeded between mid-August and late September (straight cereal rye until mid-December), depending on species. All seed planting is dependent on local field conditions.

Black Slough Watershed – Champaign County
Contact: Dan Schaefer – [email protected], (217) 202-5173

Eligibility: Farms located in the Black Slough Watershed of Champaign County. Fields that have previously had cover crops and/or have participated in NREC programs ARE eligible.

Cover crop options (lbs/acre):
• Triticale (45) – recommended before corn (drill seeded)
• Cereal Rye (45) – recommended before soybeans (drill seeded)

Seeding details: Triticale will be drill seeded early September through late October. Cereal Rye will be drill seeded from mid-August through mid-December. All seed planting is dependent on local field conditions.

Lake Paradise / Lake Mattoon Watershed – Coles County
Contact: Malina Przygoda – [email protected], (217) 345-3901 ext. 3

Eligibility: Farms located in Coles County. Priority will be given to farmers in the Lake Mattoon/Lake Paradise Watersheds. First-time AND previous cover crop users welcome.

Cover crop options (lbs/acre):
• Oat (50) + Radish (2) – recommended before corn (aerial seeded)
• Winter Barley (25) + Crimson Clover (3.5) + Balansa Clover (3.5) - recommended before corn (aerial seeded) 
•Cereal Rye (45) - recommended before soybeans (aerial seeded) 
•Cereal Rye (32) + Crimson Clover (3.5) + Balansa Clover (3.5) - recommended before soybeans (aerial seeded) 
•Oat (25) + Turnip (1) + Buckwheat (10) + Kale (1) - recommended before corn OR soybeans (aerial seeded) 

Seeding details: Cover crop mixes will be aerial seeded between mid-August and late September depending on species; straight cereal rye can be seeded until mid-December. All seed planting is dependent on local field conditions.

Hillsboro Lakes Watershed – Montgomery County
Contact: Lora Scott – [email protected] , (217) 532-3361 ext. 3

Eligibility: Farms located in the Hillsboro Lake/Glenn Shoals Lake Watersheds of Montgomery County. Priority will be given to past Batch and Grow participants and those who are either first-time cover crop users or planting cover crops ahead of corn on the same field for the first time (e.g., cover crops were planted ahead of soybeans last year, and now ahead of corn this year).

Cover crop options (lbs/acre):
• Oat (25) + Forage Collard (1.5) + Buckwheat (10) – recommended before corn (aerial seeded)
• Oat (32) + Forage Collard (1.5) – recommended before corn OR soybeans (aerial seeded)
• Cereal Rye (22.5) + Oat (12.5) + Forage Collard(1.5) – recommended before soybeans (aerial seeded)
• Cereal Rye (40) – recommended before soybeans (aerial seeded)

Seeding details: Cover crops will be aerial seeded from mid-August to late September depending on species and local field conditions.

For each field you plan to apply for with the cover crop program, gather your:

• Farm,

• Tract, and

• Field numbers.

To complete your application, this information is required for each field you plan to enroll. As part of the standard application process, farm-identifiable data will be shared with NRCS and program partners (American Farmland Trust and Sand County Foundation) to verify eligibility and confirm that fields are not receiving financial support from other federal or state-funded cover crop programs.

The application process has two parts:

1. Complete a STAR (Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources) field form for each field you wish to apply for cover crops through the FLASH program. You can fill out STAR forms online at startool.ag or complete paper forms, then upload and email them to [email protected].

2. Apply to the 2026 Batch and Grow Cover Crop Program at: https://arcg.is/1Cfe9u2.

Need help? Your FLASH group contact is available to assist, or you can contact Morgan Cauble [email protected] at American Farmland Trust for additional support.

FLASH group farmer advisors will review applications and American Farmland Trust will notify applicants of their selection status by April 24. If selected to participate, the project team will connect with you from May - June to confirm your cover crop selections, and will coordinate with a third party to apply cover crop seed on your field(s) later this year.

Please note your application does not guarantee selection; enrollment depends on available funding and eligibility review.

Important: Your application will not be considered complete until STAR field forms have been submitted for all fields listed in your cover crop application. If you haven’t already completed your STAR forms, please do so now at www.startool.ag. Once we have received both your FLASH Cover Crop Program application and your STAR forms, American Farmland Trust will send you a confirmation email. At that point, your local FLASH group will begin its selection process based on its established criteria. If you need help completing STAR or your cover crop application, contact Morgan Cauble [email protected] at American Farmland Trust for additional support.