Survey Shows Incentives Promote Cover Crop Adoption in Northeast

A survey of 328 farmers in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Vermont showed the impact of financial incentives in increasing cover crop adoption, reports the Cornell Chronicle. Scientists from Cornell University conducted the survey and published their results in the journal Agricultural and Environmental Letters. They found that, on average, farmers who engaged in incentive programs doubled the amount of land they devoted to cover crops after starting the program. In addition, even after incentive payments ended, cover crop use remained on average 37% greater than before the farmer enrolled in the incentive program.