USDA announced producers in the Prairie Pothole states can now sign up for the Soil Health and Income Protection Program or SHIPP. USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says farmers can enroll in 3 to 5-year contracts on their less productive land and plant cover crops to improve soil health while protecting farm income.

USDA has made some changes in the second year of the pilot program. He says one is that rental rates will get boosted with a new calculation method.

Ducheneaux says another change is producers can self-certify the acres they want to offer. Plus, they can also use field boundaries and straight lines to delineate offers.

In a time of high grain prices, he says it focuses on working land conservation practices to attract enrollment.

Signup began at FSA offices May 10 and runs through July 16.