FLASH Free Batch-and-Grow (Due April 10, 2026)
Our Farmer Lead Advances in Soil Health (FLASH) group, partnered with American Farmland Trust and Sand County Foundation, are offering free drone application and seeds for cover crops. There are winter-kill and non-winter-kill options for corn or soybeans. Although the FLASH group prioritizes the Lake Mattoon/Lake Paradise watershed, this program is open to all who farm in Coles County as well.
Applicants will need to apply through the AFT application and also fill out a STAR form for each field. The online 2026 STAR form is not ready yet, so farmers can fill out the paper forms below and submit them to the SWCD office or wait until the online form is live.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Soil and Water office at info@colescountyswcd.org, 217-345-3901 (ext. 3), or AFT at mcauble@farmland.org, 815-373-4187.