Fox Lake Soil Health Program

We would like to provide financial incentives for your farm to incorporate cropping practices that are known to improve soil health and reduce nutrient losses from cropland. The sources of nutrients delivered to Fox Lake come from our homes, lawns, farmsteads, fields and natural areas. In short, everything touching water flowing into the lake is a potential nutrient source. In this light we would like to work with you to implement a suite of practices that improve soil health and reduce nutrient loss to surface waters on cropland within watersheds contributing to Fox Lake.

This program is simple. If you plant cover crops within watersheds of Fox Lake, we will make a base payment of $15/acre. If the fields are within the high priority zones the payment increases to $30/acre. If you plant a cover crop you then qualify for enhancement payments as follows:

  • No Till or Strip Till planting:                 + $10/acre
  • Planting Green:                                       + $5/acre
  • Show a current NMP                             + $5/acre
  • First Time Participants:                         + $5/acre

You must plant the cover crop to qualify for any of the enhancement payments. The total payment per acre can be up to $55/acre in the priority zones and up to $40/acre in other areas of the watershed. We will gladly accept acres that are enrolled in other programs providing financial incentives for similar practices.

Payments will be made after the cover crop is established and the receipts or record of implementation is provided. We will target payments around July 1st 2020, December 31st 2020 and June 1st , 2021 to accommodate the variations in your cropping plans.

Your success in farming is critical in making this project successful. We have retained the services of an independent crop consultant to assist you in addressing your questions and agronomic concerns. Please reach out to Bill Stangel with Soil Solutions Consulting LLC at 608-575-8056 with questions.