Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Department of Agriculture have announced a new initiative to support climate-smart agriculture practices. The program, backed by $67 million in funding, will provide financial incentives to producers and landowners who adopt no-till or strip-till farming methods starting in fall 2025.

Applications for the program open on October 27, 2025, with pre-enrollment available from October 15. Interested applicants can find more information and apply through the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s website at https://agr.illinois.gov/resources/landwater/cprg-program.html.

According to Jerry Costello II, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, “No-till and strip till practices improve soil health, reduce erosion and runoff, and lower long-term input costs. We appreciate the state and federal partnerships that bring grant funding to encourage conservation of Illinois’ fertile farmland.”

The payment rate is set at $35 per acre for each year over a three-year period, applied to the same fields each year. Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis within each county. The initial application per county will be prioritized up to a 3,000-acre cap per application, pending qualification and verification. If funds remain after processing first applications in each county, subsequent applications will be considered under similar conditions.

To participate, applicants must not currently be enrolled in other programs supporting no-till or strip-till methods and must have control of the land for the duration of the program. Required documentation includes proof of land control or relevant USDA reports if selected.

Local Soil and Water Conservation District staff will assist with eligibility checks under USDA Farm Bill requirements, conservation planning, practice verification, and processing payment documents. The program’s continuation depends on ongoing federal funding.

This effort is part of Illinois’ broader Climate Pollution Reduction Grant plan funded by a grant exceeding $430 million. The plan targets five main areas: clean building adoption, clean transportation and freight deployment, industry decarbonization initiatives, expansion of climate-smart agriculture practices like those supported by this new program, and efforts to maintain progress toward clean power goals. These projects are expected to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 57 million tons over 25 years.

For further details about eligibility or application procedures for the Climate Smart Agriculture Program, individuals can contact IDOA via email at agr.cprg@illinois.gov or call (217) 782-6297.