Contract Features and Example Enrollment Questions

Appendix A: Contract Features and Example Enrollment Questions

The possible levels of all contract features and five example enrollment questions are described below. The levels shown in the example questions below are placeholders. In the survey, the levels shown in enrollment questions will be determined by an experimental design developed using NGene, a commonly used design software, and optimized for specified models.

Levels of Contract Features

Cover crop seed mix

• Any single species or multi-species mix

• Multi-species mix (includes a legume)

Contract length and flexibility

Must cover crop…

• 1 year

• 3 out of 3 years

• 2 out of 3 years

• 5 out of 5 years

• 3 out of 5 years

• 10 out of 10 years

• 7 out of 10 years

Earliest cover crop termination date

• 2 weeks before cash crop planting

• 4 weeks before cash crop planting

Application time and location

• 1 hour via a website

• 2 hours via a website

• 1 hour for a staff member visit to your farm

• 2 hours for a staff member visit to your farm

• 2 hours at your county seat

• 3 hours at your county seat

Contract processing time

• 1, 3, or 9 months

Professional advice before and after planting

• General agronomist with private company

• Cover crop agronomist with Extension

• General agronomist with Extension

• Cover crop agronomist with NRCS

• General agronomist with NRCS

Payment provider

• USDA

• State government

• Private agribusiness

• Non-governmental organization

Per acre payment (per year of cover cropping)

• 5, 25, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, or 199 $/acre/year

Five Example Enrollment Questions

Q1 (Shown in questionnaire)

	Contract A	Contract B
Cover crop seed mix	Any single species or multi-species mix	Multi-species mix (includes a legume)
Contract length and flexibility	Must cover crop 3 out of 3 years	Must cover crop at least 2 out of 3 years
Earliest cover crop termination date	2 weeks before cash crop planting	4 weeks before cash crop planting
Application time and location	2 hours for you to visit a website	3 hours for you to visit to your county seat
Contract processing time	2 months	3 months
Professional advice before and after planting	General agronomist with private company	General agronomist with NRCS
Payment provider	Private agribusiness	USDA
Per acre payment (per year of cover cropping)	$25 per acre	$60 per acre

Q2

	Contract A	Contract B
Cover crop seed mix	Multi-species mix (includes a legume)	Multi-species mix (includes a legume)
Contract length and flexibility	Must cover crop 1 year	Must cover crop at least 7 out of 10 years
Earliest cover crop termination date	4 weeks before cash crop planting	4 weeks before cash crop planting
Application time and location	2 hours for you to visit a website	1 hour for you to visit a website
Contract processing time	3 months	1 month
Professional advice before and after planting	General agronomist with NRCS	Cover crop agronomist with NRCS
Payment provider	State government	USDA
Per acre payment (per year of cover cropping)	$5 per acre	$40 per acre

Q3

	Contract A	Contract B
Cover crop seed mix	Any single species or multi-species mix	Any single or multi-species
Contract length and flexibility	Must cover crop at least 3 out of 5 years	Must cover crop 10 out of 10 years
Earliest cover crop termination date	4 weeks before cash crop planting	2 weeks before cash crop planting
Application time and location	2 hours for a program staff member to visit to your farm	2 hours for you to visit a website
Contract processing time	2 months	3 months
Professional advice before and after planting	General agronomist with Extension	Cover crop agronomist with Extension
Payment provider	Private agribusiness	Non-governmental organization
Per acre payment (per year of cover cropping)	$120 per acre	$25 per acre

Q4

	Contract A	Contract B
Cover crop seed mix	Any single species or multi-species mix	Multi-species mix (includes a legume)
Contract length and flexibility	Must cover at least 2 out of 3 years	Must cover crop 5 out of 5 years
Earliest cover crop termination date	2 weeks before cash crop planting	4 weeks before cash crop planting
Application time and location	3 hours for you to visit to your county seat	2 hours for a program staff member to visit to your farm
Contract processing time	9 months	2 months
Professional advice before and after planting	Cover crop agronomist with Extension	Cover crop agronomist with NRCS
Payment provider	Private agribusiness	State government
Per acre payment (per year of cover cropping)	$100 per acre	$199 per acre

Q5

	Contract A	Contract B
Cover crop seed mix	Multi-species mix (includes a legume)	Any single species or multi-species mix
Contract length and flexibility	Must cover crop at least 3 out of 5 years	Must cover crop 1 year
Earliest cover crop termination date	2 weeks before cash crop planting	2 weeks before cash crop planting
Application time and location	1 hour for you to visit a website	3 hours for you to visit to your county seat
Contract processing time	2 months	1 month
Professional advice before and after planting	General agronomist with Extension	General agronomist with NRCS
Payment provider	USDA	State government
Per acre payment (per year of cover cropping)	$5 per acre	$40 per acre