Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Net return per acre
-$7.00
Total farm net return
-$1,400
Total cost per acre
$61.00
Total offsetting value per acre
$54.00
Nitrogen credit value
$24.00
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How to use this
- 1Enter acres planted.
- 2Enter seed cost ($/acre).
- 3Enter drilling/planting cost ($/acre).
- 4Enter termination (spray/roll/till) ($/acre).
- 5Enter nitrogen credit from legume mix (lb N/acre).
- 6Enter nitrogen price ($/lb).
- 7Enter cost-share payment ($/acre).
- 8Enter grazing/forage value ($/acre).
- 9Read your net return per acre on the right — it updates as you type.
- 10Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Cover crops rarely pay back in year one from yield alone; the return usually comes from a bundle of nitrogen credit, reduced erosion, weed suppression, cost-share payments, and grazing value that only shows up when you add them all up. This calculator nets seed, drilling, and termination costs against those offsetting benefits to show whether a given mix pencils out on your operation this year, separate from the longer-term soil health case that takes 3-5 years to show up in organic matter and water-holding capacity. Cost-share through NRCS EQIP or state programs frequently covers $20-45/acre and is often the difference between a cover crop being a net cost or a net positive in year one.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Acres planted: 200
- Seed cost: 28 $/acre
- Drilling/planting cost: 18 $/acre
- Termination (spray/roll/till): 15 $/acre
- Nitrogen credit from legume mix: 40 lb N/acre
- Nitrogen price: 0.6 $/lb
- Cost-share payment: 30 $/acre
- Grazing/forage value: 0 $/acre
Results
- Net return per acre: -$7.00
- Total farm net return: -$1,400
- Total cost per acre: $61.00
- Total offsetting value per acre: $54.00
- Nitrogen credit value: $24.00
What each field means
Inputs
- Acres planted
- The acres planted used in the calculation. Starts at 200 so you have a working example on load.
- Seed cost ($/acre)
- The seed cost used in the calculation, measured in $/acre. Starts at 28 $/acre so you have a working example on load.
- Drilling/planting cost ($/acre)
- The drilling/planting cost used in the calculation, measured in $/acre. Starts at 18 $/acre so you have a working example on load.
- Termination (spray/roll/till) ($/acre)
- The termination (spray/roll/till) used in the calculation, measured in $/acre. Starts at 15 $/acre so you have a working example on load.
- Nitrogen credit from legume mix (lb N/acre)
- The nitrogen credit from legume mix used in the calculation, measured in lb N/acre. Starts at 40 lb N/acre so you have a working example on load.
- Nitrogen price ($/lb)
- The nitrogen price used in the calculation, measured in $/lb. Starts at 0.6 $/lb so you have a working example on load.
- Cost-share payment ($/acre)
- The cost-share payment used in the calculation, measured in $/acre. Starts at 30 $/acre so you have a working example on load.
- Grazing/forage value ($/acre)
- The grazing/forage value used in the calculation, measured in $/acre. Starts at 0 $/acre so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Net return per acre
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total farm net return
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total cost per acre
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total offsetting value per acre
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Nitrogen credit value
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How much nitrogen does a legume cover crop actually fix?
A well-established crimson clover or hairy vetch stand can fix 50-150 lb N/acre, but realistic credit for next year's cash crop is usually 30-60 lb because release timing doesn't perfectly match crop uptake. Grass-only covers like cereal rye fix none and can even tie up nitrogen short-term.
Does grazing cover crops pay?
Yes, often the single biggest line item. Custom grazing rates or your own cattle's gain value on cover crop forage commonly run $0.50-$1.50 per head per day, and a 60-day graze on decent cover crop tonnage can add $40-80/acre in value.
Is cover crop cost-share worth applying for?
Generally yes — EQIP and state programs typically cover a meaningful share of seed and establishment cost for approved species and practices, often turning a marginal year-one cost into a clear net positive without changing your management.
What if this shows a negative return?
A negative year-one number doesn't mean skip it — erosion control, weed suppression reducing herbicide cost, and soil health gains that show up in yield 3-5 years out aren't captured here. Treat this as the hard-dollar floor, not the whole picture.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Cover Crop ROI Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cover-crop-roi
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cover-crop-roi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cover Crop ROI Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Cover Crop ROI Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cover-crop-roi) (2026).