Cover crops and soil health

Census Data Shows Number of Farmers Using Cover Crops for Soil Health is Growing

By Chris Hardie posted on April 23, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health

The lifeblood of any farmer is the soil that provides their livelihood, so taking care of it has to be a top priority.

Growers Say Cover Crops Made It Easier to Adopt No-Till

By Mackane Vogel posted on January 26, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health

70% of growers said that cover crops made the transition to no-till easier, according to the Conservation Technology Innovation Center's 2023 National Cover Crop Survey.

[Podcast] Cover Crops Are About Stewardship

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Dean Jackson, a grower and dairyman from Columbia Crossroads, Penn. Jackson will be a panelist during the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition. He will discuss how his operation got started using cover crops, their success with drilling cover crops, his experiences planting green, and more.

November 12, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Dean Jackson, a grower and dairyman from Columbia Crossroads, Penn. Jackson will be a panelist during the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition. He will discuss how his operation got started using cover crops, their success with drilling cover crops, his experiences planting green, and more.

[Podcast] Canadian Grower Has Basically Eliminated Erosion with Covers

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Jim Denys, a grower from Parkhill, Ont. Denys will be a panelist during the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition. He will discuss his operation’s goals for using cover crops, how their soil has come to be swarming with earthworms, the challenges they’ve had planting green, and more.

November 5, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Jim Denys, a grower from Parkhill, Ont. Denys will be a panelist during the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition. He will discuss his operation’s goals for using cover crops, how their soil has come to be swarming with earthworms, the challenges they’ve had planting green, and more.

2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit

Growers Share Their Experiences with Cover Crops & Soil Health

Three growers share the soil health changes that they can attribute to their use of cover crops at the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit.

October 29, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Cover crops can make major changes to the soil, including improving soil biology, increasing water infiltration, enhancing soil aggregation, and more. A special grower panel will be held during the 2021 Fall National Cover Crop Summit to discuss what covers can do when it comes to soil health.

Using Covers to Produce Biomass Offers Multiple Benefits

By Sarah Hill posted on November 24, 2020

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to utilizing cover crops. Cover crops can be a boon for soil health, but how much the covers can improve the soil depends on how much biomass that cover crop species produces.

Soil Health Enhanced by Cover Crops

November 9, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Ohio's Country Journal

Fall harvest has started but farmers also need to think about planting cover crops. USDA-SARE publication (10 Ways Cover Crops Enhance Soil Health) states “Cover crops lead to better soil health and potentially better farm profits.” Here is a 10-point summary from Ohio's Country Journal.

A Recipe for Improved Soil Health

September 23, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Lancaster Farming

A carefully crafted cover crop composition, manure management, precision agriculture and the right mix of soil additives can be a recipe for improved soil health. Cover crops require a thoughtful approach. Read more in this article from Lancaster Farming.

Research on Cover Crops Essential for Restoring Soil

July 27, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Herald Journal News (Logan, UT)

Due to the increased demand for efficiency, farmers have had to pull more resources from the soil to make sure their production practices are as efficient as possible. The extra demand for resources from the soil has led to a decrease in overall soil health. Read more in this article from the Herald Journal News (Logan, UT).

Livestock Grazing on Cover Crops Improves Soil Health

July 24, 2020 | Posted in Grazing

Source: Farm Forum

In 2016, Shawn Freeland to make a difficult decision. The 45-year-old Caputa, S.D., rancher attended a Grassland Coalition Grazing School. In addition to reducing his stocking density on rangeland, he no-till drilled a diverse cover crop mix on irrigated hay acres. Read more in this article from Farm Forum (Aberdeen, SD).