Dubuque Batch and Build Drone Cover Crops
Drone-seeding is a new approach to increase cover crop adoption in regions with shortened cropping seasons and limited windows of opportunity for planting and establishment. Through a recent NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program award, Sand County Foundation and Dubuque County Watersheds are delivering a "batch and build" style cover crop incentive in Dubuque County, Iowa. Each farmer chooses one of four seed mixes, and Sand County Foundation purchases seed and hires drone operators to serve all farmers through a single contract. This approach streamlines coordination and increases cost-effectiveness while eliminating farmer hassle.
Engagement Targets
Notes: (1) Minor fluctuations in the number of retained growers is expected from year to year. These fluctuations may be due to year-over-year crop rotation effects or other factors beyond the control of the project. Enrolled acres represent the total number of acres on an individual farm in a specific year. The ability to report enrolled acres is based on the Fieldprint Project Standard requirement that individual growers enrolled in projects enter at least 10% of the acres managed for a specific crop. (2) Entered acres represent the actual number of enrolled acres for which data is entered in the Fieldprint Platform for analysis.
Objectives
In 2024, 26 of 75 growers had not tried cover crops before.
In 2025, 44 of 125 growers were trying cover crops for the first time.
In 2024, 41 of 49 growers who had planted cover crops before upgraded the diversity of the planted cover crops to a mixture.
In 2025, 39 of 81 growers who had planted cover crops before upgraded the diversity of the planted cover crops to a mixture.
In 2024, we promoted connections among drone operators, cover crop seed dealers, and farmers to ensure that a future cover crop program could operate independently of our facilitation.
In 2025, we continued to promote connections among local drone operators, local cover crop seed dealers, and farmers to ensure that a future cover crop program could operate independently of our facilitation. The cover crop seed dealers and drone operators are now regular attendees to social events for the farmer group.