American Farmland Trust and ADM are launching the next season of a program that supports Illinois’s farmers and the environment. The Illinois re:generations program encourages farmers to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into their operations while offering financial incentives. The program is an expanded version of the 2022 Illinois Cover Crop Initiative and offers flexible contracts to farmers willing to adopt cover crops and/or provide data to calculate carbon intensity scores.
The program provides payments to farmers who enroll in the program, and carbon assets generated from participation are being claimed by ADM. Farmers can enroll acres where practices have previously been used and choose from one to four year contracts. In 2023, farmers throughout the state can enroll for the cover crop incentive, and farmers delivering corn and beans to an ADM elevator can qualify for emissions-scoring payments. Enrollment for the 2023 program launches in June.