Sustainability Cover Crop Initiative
Peoples Company has partnered with Stine Seed, the largest independent corn and soybean seed company, and one of the most-recognized seed brands, to offer landowners a paid-in-full, managed cover crops program. A program designed to simultaneously protect the environment, maximize yields, and improve overall return on investment.
How it Works
The program is available for new land management clients of Peoples Company. Peoples Company’s Land Management team is focused on managing farmland with an emphasis on long-term appreciation, sustainability, and conservation. Its model maximizes the productive acres of a farm while protecting the environmentally sensitive acres.
In order to qualify for the cover crop program, landowners must agree to have their land professionally managed by Peoples Company during a three-year term and commit to planting Stine Seed.
The cost of cover crop application will be covered up to $30/acre, with a minimum of 120 acres and a maximum of 500 acres planted per client. Cover crop seed and application decisions will be made by land management professionals. Termination of the cover crops is not a covered expense.
The program will be available up to a maximum of 25,000 acres. Originally launched in 2018, the program has been expanded and is now available to landowners in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
Peoples Company land managers will inspect each property annually to ensure cover crops were utilized and Stine seed was planted. It will document these practices in the annual land management report for each farm.
“Peoples Company is committed to helping landowners effectively manage their property to maximize productivity, but also to reduce environmental impact,” said Peoples Company President Steve Bruere. “I’ve always believed that since a significant amount of land is rented, an effective strategy to reduce environmental impact and maximize yields should be targeted at landowners. Our program will show landowners it’s possible to reduce environmental impact while increasing productivity.”
Steve Bruere, Peoples Company President
Benefits of Cover Crops
Cover crops are typically a hardy winter small grain crop that is seeded into a standing crop or seeded after harvest to provide vegetative cover over the winter months. Cover crops also uptake and hold excess nitrogen further preventing them from exiting the soil and entering a body of water. The benefits of cover crops include reduced erosion, increased organic matter, and reduced nitrates/excess nutrients from exiting the soil. Cover crops increase soil tilth with their extensive root systems that move throughout the soil, creating pores for water and carbon dioxide to move freely. Common cover crops include oats, wheat, barley, and tillage radishes. Cover crops that aren't killed by the cold will be planted into and then sprayed in the spring, blanketing the soil and increasing water retention.
Sustainability Cover Crop Initiative Application
The Small Print
By signing a Peoples Company management agreement and enrolling in the Sustainability Cover Crop Initiative, clients and operators understand this program is offered exclusively through a collaboration of resources between Peoples Company and Stine Seed Company to receive paid-in-full cover crops for a three-year term.
Client is not eligible for the Sustainability Cover Crop Initiative if participating in government cover crop assistance programs. Accepting government cover crop assistance on acres enrolled in the Sustainability Cover Crop Initiative is a violation of the program.
Please fill out the short application and a member of the Peoples Company Land Management team will contact you with additional information.
