Maryland Department of Agriculture

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Cover Crop Program

​​​Image of cover crop field with 3grey silos in the rear and blue sky with puffy white clouds, copyright Edwin Remsberg
Maryland's 2026-2027 Cover Crop Sign-​Up Opens
June 22, 2026
Please check back for details.​​
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WHY COVER CROPS?
Cover crops are important to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the productivity of Maryland’s farmland...
  • We offer cost-share grants to help farmers plant cold-hardy cereal
    grains, legumes, and other fall cover crops following the harvest of spring/summer crops.
  • As cover crops grow, they recycle unused plant nutrients, prevent erosion, and improve the soil for spring crops. Cover crops also help remove carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas—from the air and protect farm fields from extreme weather events.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Our cost-share grants help pay for seed and planting costs for many types of fall cover crops.
  • You can apply for our grants at your local soil conservation district during the annual enrollment window. This usually takes place in late June and early July.
  • Cost-share rates vary from year to year—please check the current year's program details.​
ELIGIBLE COVER CROP SPECIES​​
  • Cereal Grains: Wheat/spelt, rye, barley, triticale, oats, and ryegrass
  • Brassicas:​ Forage radish and canola (must be planted with a cereal grain as part of a mix.)
  • Legumes: ​Clover, Austrian winter peas, and hairy vetch  (must be planted with a cereal grain as part of a mix)​
HELPFUL GUIDELINES​
  • ​Plant cover crops after corn, soybeans, sorghum, tobacco, vegetables, hemp, sunflowers, sod, or millet.
  • You can use the following planting methods: no-till, conventional till, broadcast/light tillage, broadcast/stalk chopping and aerial seeding.
  • Follow Maryland Seed Law and Regulations if you plan to use homegrown seed.
  • There are no acreage caps, but there is a 10-acre minimum. ​
  • Cost-share is available for seed testing. 
  • You must be in good standing with the Conservation Grants and Nutrient Management programs.
  • Additional conditions may apply.
PLANTING DEADLINES AND INCENTIVES
  • ​You’ll need to get your cover crop planted by early November to qualify for payment and ensure success. 
  • Additional incentives are available if you plant your cover crop by October 10​th or use rye, triticale, or a multi-species cover crop.
FALL MANAGEMENT OPTIONS 
Cover crops may be grazed or chopped for on-farm livestock forage after becoming​ well established. 
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​CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT
You'll need to certify planted acres with your local soil conservation district within one week of planting and after kill down or suppression.
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FIND A CONTRACTOR TO PLANT YOUR COVER CROP
Get a list of cont​ractors who can plant cover crops in your fields this fall. 

APPLY IN PERSON
Please contact your local soil conser​vation district to apply for our grants​ during the signup window.  Bring your completed Nutrient Management Plan Certification and IRS Form W-9.

Maryland's Cover Crop Program is funded by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.
Contact your local soil conservation district for more information.​​​​​​​​​​
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Contact Information

Jason D. Keppler
​Program Manager
Phone: 410-841-5864
[email protected]​

Office Address
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, MD 21401​​​ ​​

Farmer standing in front of dairy barn and cover crop field - Links to YouTube Video on cover crops ​

​ ​Image of farmer with link to YouTube video​

Learn how cover crops can improve your operation and make a difference for local waterways.

Cover Crop Forms and Resources

Field of cover crops with question: Do You Plant Cover Crops on Leased Acres?​​

More Info and PDFs​

Maryland Department of Agriculture
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-841-5700 or Dial 7-1-1 for Maryland Relay