BEEF + FORAGE PROGRAM
Grass is Greener
With cattle premiums and incentive payments for cover crops, forage plantings, and range plantings, The Grass is Greener Program rewards producers for the environmental benefits of grazing cattle and sustainable forage production. Sign up for our producer network to get started with this program.
Technical Assistance
Our Technical Advisory Team provides customized guidance to improve operational resiliency through sustainable management.
Incentive Payment Rates
The program provides cost-share opportunities for seedings for cover crop establishment, forage plantings, or range plantings.
Per-Head Premiums
Additional premiums are available for beef cattle sold into the beef market during the year of the seeding.
Currently Enrolling
We are currently enrolling cattle producers in South Dakota and surrounding states for The Grass is Greener program.
Eligibility
Participating producers will enroll their grazing and feed production acres into the program to be monitored. Producers can pick one of three different types of regenerative seedings, with cost share provided by the program. Cost share is not available for seedings that are already receiving cost share from another USDA source (EQIP, CSP, and others) or incentives from carbon programs.
Program Requirements
AgSpire’s Advisory Team will provide individualized technical assistance to select and implement practices. Our team will then verify and measure outcomes in order to distribute incentive payments. Producer requirements include:
- Implement a prescribed grazing management plan that includes 6 months of grazing for the cow-calf portion of the operation.
- Implement at least one recommended cover crop, forage, and/or range planting. Perennial seedings are required to be maintained by the program participant for a period of 5 years.
- Allow GPS mapping of the operation to verify environmental outcomes.
- Allow monitoring and measurement during participation period, including soil sampling up to twice per year.
Data Privacy
No individual data will be shared outside of the project. AgSpire will own aggregated data to protect individual privacy.
