Deadline: 28-Mar-22
In partnership with ADM and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is undertaking a new initiative to support large-scale, voluntary adoption of cover crops across the Midwest.
NFWF will award grants to organizations that will increase acres of cover crops in corn, soybean and wheat systems by providing farmers with technical and financial support. This initiative aims to enhance soil health, reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases, and improve water resources while providing economic benefits to participating farmers and maximizing benefits to wildlife.
Objectives
Grantees will:
- provide farmers with technical assistance on planting cover crops and enrolling in applicable federal, state and local government financial assistance programs;
- develop multi-year contracts with farmers who elect to receive payments from ADM for cover crop plantings that will occur in 2022 and continue on an annual basis through the contract term;
- coordinate ADM payments to participating farmers at an annual rate of $10 per acre; and
- monitor and report environmental and economic outcomes.
Funding Information
- NFWF anticipates awarding up to $2.5 million in grant funding under this funding opportunity. This amount reflects the funding available to support grantee activities as outlined in the scope of work. ADM will make the annual $10/acre payments to participating farmers with other funding separate from the available grant funding.
- Applicants are encouraged to propose the maximum number of acres they can deliver in 2022, and application budgets should reflect the funding needed for cost-effective delivery of those acres. Typical grant awards will range from $200,000 to $600,0000.
- The recommended period of performance to specify in the application is June 1, 2022 to March 31, 2026.
Geographic Focus
Grant funding will support cover crop work on lands in active corn, soybean and/or wheat systems in the following states:
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Missouri
- North Dakota
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, tribal governments and organizations, and educational institutions. To be competitive, applicant organizations must demonstrate capacity and experience commensurate with the scale of the project being proposed and the funding being requested.
- Individuals, federal government agencies, and for-profit entities and not eligible to apply for grant funding.
For more information, visit NFWF.
For more information, visit https://www.nfwf.org/programs/midwest-cover-crop-initiative/midwest-cover-crop-initiative-2022-request-proposals