COVER Act of 2023

The COVER Act of 2023 establishes the "Good Steward Cover Crop Program," which provides farmers with an additional $5 per acre in premium subsidies for planting qualifying cover crops (like grasses, legumes, or brassicas) on land where they also grow cash crops and maintain crop insurance. This directly affects farmers enrolled in federal crop insurance programs, particularly underserved producers, by reducing their insurance costs when adopting conservation practices. The program requires annual reporting of acreage and allocates $60 million for fiscal year 2024, increasing annually to $84 million by 2028, with a portion reserved for outreach and technical support. A separate soil health pilot program also allows farmers using innovative soil practices to access additional premium subsidies through reinsurance arrangements.