SPECIALTY GRAINS + OILSEEDS

Covering America from Coast to Coast

Through this project, we will work with farmers to utilize management practices that promote soil health to produce oats, rye, flax, buckwheat, and camelina. To learn more about this program and see if it is a fit for your operation, fill out the form below to get started.

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Producer Benefits

Technical Assistance

AgSpire advisors assist farmers with a customized implementation plan to select the best cover crop mixes and practices for the operation. Select producers will have the opportunity to try biochar as a soil amendment.

Incentive Payment

In addition to growing the specialty grains and oilseeds, participating farmers will receive cost-share payments for planting equal acreage of a multi-species cover crop or forage planting.

Commodity Premiums

A 10-20% premium payment for verified grains and oilseeds will be offered for commodities that are purchased through the program.

A Focus on Soil Health

In this video, hear from two South Dakota farmers about their experiences in the Covering America program and how practices like cover crops, no-till, and diverse crop rotations are benefiting their land - and their bottom line.

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Program Details

The Covering America Program is designed to support farmers in South Dakota and surrounding states as they implement practices that enhance soil health, protect water resources, and improve long-term productivity.

How It Works

When you join Covering America, our Advisory Team will work alongside you to integrate holistic management practices that fit your farm’s unique needs. Through GPS mapping and soil sampling (up to twice per year), we’ll measure progress and verify practices, ensuring you receive the full benefits of incentive and premium payments.

What’s Expected?

Participating farms commit to planting an equal acreage of multi-species cover crops or forage alongside their specialty oilseeds or grains. In addition, they must adopt two of the following practices:

Reduced tillage or no-till – Preserve soil structure and enhance water retention.
Reduced nitrogen usage – Implement a Nutrient Management Plan to optimize inputs.
Diverse crop rotation – Maintain a minimum of a three-crop rotation for soil health.

Your Data, Your Privacy

We value transparency and farmer trust. No individual data will be shared outside of the project. AgSpire will retain only aggregated data to protect your privacy while ensuring the program’s success.

Meet the Program Team

Senior Conservation Agronomist

Senior Conservation Agronomist

Derek Ver Helst

Derek is passionate about conservation and natural ecosystems – a passion he uses to guide his work as Senior Conservation Agronomist at AgSpire. He has a deep respect for mother nature and the symbiosis organisms have with one another in the environment. In his work, Derek seeks to harness these natural relationships for crop production so that environmental impacts can be mitigated while still producing high quality commodities for the growing world’s population.

Prior to joining AgSpire, Derek spent more than 15 years working with landowners and corporations to design, manage, and validate research trials, maximizing short- and long-term crop outputs. Always eager to learn, he is continuously expanding his knowledge of soil health, chemistry, biology, technical advancements in crop production and integrated pest management (IPM).

Derek holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from South Dakota State University and a master’s degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University. He is a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), Technical Service Provider (TSP) for the NRCS, and is also a small business owner.

In his spare time, Derek enjoys the outdoors, coaching youth sports, and spending time with his family.

Producer Advisor

Enrollment Specialist, Producer Programs

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Name(Required)

How do you prefer to be contacted?(Required)

Select all that apply.

Phone

Phone Number(Required)

Email(Required)

Location

State

Current Crops

To help match you with the best programs, please select all commodities you've grown in the last five years.

Livestock Types

To help match you with the best programs, please select all types of livestock you've raised in the last five years.

Acreage Range

Please approximate total acreage owned and/or leased to the best of your knowledge, including acres out of production or in conservation.

Livestock Range

Please estimate your average herd size over the last five years.

Current Practices

What, if any, sustainable or regenerative practices have you utilized in the last five years?

Future Practices

What sustainable or regenerative practices are you interested in trying or expanding in the next five years?

Specific Program Interest

Do you have interest in a specific program managed by AgSpire? May select more then one.

Incentive Program Experience

Have you participated in a government, NGO, or private-market cost-share, incentive, or carbon credit program?

Historically Underserved

To help match you with program opportunities, please select any of the following that apply, or select unsure:

Historically Underserved, includes:

Limited Resource Farmer or Rancher: With direct or indirect gross farm sales not more than the current indexed value in each of the previous two years and who has a total household income at or below the national poverty level for a family or four, or less than 50 percent of county median household income in each of the previous two years.
Socially Disadvantaged Farmer of Rancher: Individual or entity who is a member of a group whose members have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities, which may include: American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Asians, Blacks or African Americans, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, Hispanics. For an entity, at least 50 percent ownership must be held by socially disadvantaged individuals
Beginning Farmer or Rancher: Has not operated a farm or ranch, or who has operated a farm or ranch for no more than 10 consecutive years and who will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm or ranch.
Female Farmer or Rancher: at least 50% female ownership
Veteran Farmer or Rancher: Served in the United Sates Military and was released from service under conditions other than dishonorable and has not operated a farm or ranch, or has operated a farm or ranch for no more than 10 years
Small Producers: Generally those with less than $350,00 in annual gross cash farm income