How AI describes Soil and Water Outcomes Fund

SWOF is a farmer-governed program, a subsidiary of the Iowa Soybean Association, that pays farmers and landowners to start or expand on-farm conservation practices that deliver environmental outcomes such as carbon sequestration, reduced emissions, and improved water quality, using an outcomes-based approach that stacks multiple benefits into a single transaction. Enrollment is open for 2025, offering 1-year contracts with no limits on acres enrolled, with average payments around $33 per acre in 2024 (and a portion paid prior to verification). Since 2020, SWOF has enrolled about 1.7 million acres across 21 states, paid farmers over $55 million, and achieved measurable environmental results including reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus loss and greenhouse gas emissions.