A coalition of environmental and agricultural groups are encouraging state lawmakers to expand the Illinois Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program (FCSS).

Eliot Clay, land use programs director with the Illinois Environmental Council, tells Brownfield…

“We’re really interested in this as an environmental organization because of where we’re at with nutrient loss reduction in the state.”  He says, “In a lot of ways we’re going the wrong direction, and this has been a unique opportunity for us because I think everybody is seeing the mutual benefit.” 

Farmers who are accepted into the program receive a $5-an-acre subsidy on their next year’s crop insurance for every acre of cover crops they plant.  Clay says the groups want to see 3-million dollars allocated to cover 500-thousand acres in the next state budget.

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