Soil health - Articles

[Podcast] Cover Crops & Crop Insurance

In this week’s podcast, crop insurance expert and Wisconsin farmer Ryan Stockwell with the National Wildlife Federation discusses why crop insurance regulations are outdated, why crop insurance eligibility rules are unfavorable to cover crops, how crop insurance will be evolving, and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

May 13, 2020 | Posted in Economics

In this week’s podcast, crop insurance expert and Wisconsin farmer Ryan Stockwell with the National Wildlife Federation discusses why crop insurance regulations are outdated, why crop insurance eligibility rules are unfavorable to cover crops, how crop insurance will be evolving, and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Much to Learn About Soil Microbes

May 6, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Aberdeen News

Results of a three-year soil health study focusing on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi proves there is still much to learn about soil microbes. “This is the purpose of research,” explains Mike Lehman, soil microbiologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agriculture Research Station (USDA-ARS) in Brookings, S.D. Read more in this article from Aberdeen News.

More Soil Health Policies Needed

May 4, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Kenosha News

Calling it a “quiet crisis” in 2018, Ohio State University professor of soil science Rattan Lal said soil loss is a major issue that has been affecting farmers around the world for centuries. “The best practices are to not plow, keep the ground covered with residue and grow a cover crop in the off-season,” Lal said. Read more in this article from Kenosha News.

Invest in Soil Health to Reduce Loss & Risk

May 1, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Environmental Defense Fund

It goes without saying that 2019 was an extremely difficult year for farmers like me. Unprecedented amounts of snow and rain led to 3.9 million acres in South Dakota that couldn’t be planted. Read more in this blog post from the Environmental Defense Fund.

Improving Soil Health in Vegetable Production with Cover Crops

April 29, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Using cover crops is a way to protect the soil and mitigate soil loss, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff, and that includes in vegetable production. Groff also explains how vegetable production can be done with no-till, how bare soil can lead to soil-borne disease in vegetable crops, how soil health and plant health are linked, and more.

[Podcast] Using Cover Crops to Repair Ruts, Damaged Soils

In this week’s podcast, Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains how growers can use cover crops, no-till and improving soil health to overcome extreme wet conditions at harvest time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

April 15, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

In this week’s podcast, Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff explains how growers can use cover crops, no-till and improving soil health to overcome extreme wet conditions at harvest time. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

[Video] Soil Health Sessions: Soil Health Indicators

April 15, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Anna Teeter with the Soil Health Partnership discusses soil health indicators in this video from the Soil Health Partnership. Teeter explains why soil is not just a closed system, how to get started evaluating soil health, the definition of soil health, and more.

3 Soil Health Indicators

April 15, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Soil Health Partnership

Soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a vital living system to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant, animal, and human health. This is a concept that characterizes the ability of a living soil system to perform functions such as supporting plant health. Read more in this article from the Soil Health Partnership.

Cover Crops Can Be the Answer

April 13, 2020 | Posted in Grazing

Source: Tri-State Livestock News

Producers select a crop based on various components unique to their own operation. While each cover crop can offer a multitude of benefits, Miranda Meehan, extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist at North Dakota State University, urges ranchers to look at the big picture. Read more in this article from Tri-State Livestock News.

9 Minnesota Farmers Used Soil Health Practices for 5+ Years: Here's How It Went

April 10, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Aberdeen News

Farmers and landowners can learn about the soil health journeys of Minnesota farmers in a new report, “Soil Health Case Studies 2020.” University of Minnesota research assistant Aidan Read visited farms and interviewed farmers in late 2019 to develop case study profiles of nine farms.