; and (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: (c) Cover crop pilot program (1) In general The Secretary shall establish a pilot program to provide payments under this subsection to producers to encourage— (A) the measurement of outcomes relating to the planting of a regionally appropriate cover crop; and (B) opportunities to increase farm income. (2) Third-party partners In carrying out the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to producers that partner with— (A) academic entities to study the impact of soil carbon sequestration on soil health and farm productivity; (B) carbon offset protocol developers to develop quantification methodologies for carbon offset protocols; (C) livestock producers to integrate grazing where regionally appropriate; or (D) food manufacturers— (i) to enter into supply agreements for food produced under the pilot program; and (ii) to develop marketing products relating to the soil health benefits of that food. (3) Diversity The Secretary shall ensure that producers receiving payments under paragraph (1)— (A) are located in areas that reflect diverse conditions with respect to region, water quantity, and agricultural practice; and (B) plant regionally appropriate cover crops that enhance nutrient cycling and the capacity of soil to hold water. (4) Funding Of the funds made available to carry out this chapter, the Secretary shall use to carry out this subsection $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. .