Using biofuels production to enhance Chesapeake Bay water quality through expanded cover crop planting by offering an incentive to farmers to grow hulless barley as a commodity cover crop and harvesting it as the feedstock for ethanol production

Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board, Inc. will use biofuel production to enhance Chesapeake Bay water quality by expanding cover crop planting. A cost-share incentive bonus of$15 per acre in year one ($ 12/ac year two and $101 ac year three) will be provided to farmers to grow hulless barley rather than other small grains eligible for cost share under the Maryland Agricultural Cost Share (MACS) commodity cover crop program within the Maryland Department of Agriculture. MGPUB will work cooperatively with MASCD, MOP A and MDA to provide information to farmers about the bonus incentive program and the University of Maryland will provide technical information on the production and harvesting practices of hulless barley. The program will be administered through the Maryland Department of Agriculture through the local soil conservation districts as part of a new Commodity Cover Crop Program which restricts the application of fertilizer in the fall but allows the harvesting of the grain for a reduced incentive payment.