Crop rotation

Cover Crops Part of Horizon Organic’s Carbon Positive Goal

By Sarah Hill posted on March 31, 2020

If you have looked in the dairy case at all in your local grocery store, you can’t miss Horizon Organic, with its bright red cartons and cartoon cow. The world’s largest certified organic dairy brand is now looking to use cover crops, crop rotation and reduced tillage to offset more carbon than is produced by its organic dairy farmer members.

Iowa Farmers Use Covers, Crop Rotations to Build Soil Health

March 18, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Aberdeen News

Thirty-four years ago, a challenging harvest led Brian Hora, 57, to no-till farming. “It was an extremely wet fall. Heavy snow fell before we could get everything out. So, we had to finish up harvest in the spring,” explains the sixth-generation Iowa farmer. Read more in this article from the Aberdeen News.

Find Your Cover Crop ‘Coach’

By Sarah Hill posted on January 16, 2020

Farming is no different than sports, especially when implementing a new practice like cover planting crops. Out of the many growers I’ve talked to, those who have achieved success have a mentor, or multiple mentors to show them the ropes and get them moving in the right direction.

Hemp as a Cover Crop?

January 9, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Source: Hemp Grower

Researchers at Rodale Institute have spent the past few years taking a closer look how industrial hemp—especially crops grown for fiber or grain—may fit into farmers’ established crop rotation. Considering hemp’s hardy double-duty as both a cash crop and a cover crop, there’s a lot to learn.

[Video] Cover Crop Cocktails

January 7, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Cover crop mixes, or cocktails, can do a lot, but can also be complex to put together.

[Podcast] Think Outside the Grain Bin with Small Grains as a Cover Crop

Farmers should not limit themselves to only growing corn and soybeans and should consider using small grains as a cover crop, says Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff.

December 11, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

In this podcast, Groff explains the benefits of adding small grains to crop rotations, such as building soil biology, adding diversity, increasing organic matter and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

[Video] Using Cover Crops for 42 Years

September 16, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Henry Miller, of Centreville, Mich., helped his father part time on the family farm until 1977 when they were able to purchase a 272 acre farm. Henry installed irrigation on the farm, which is mostly coarse sandy soil, and was able to get a contract to grow seed corn for Pioneer Hi-Bred Seeds.

Potato Grower Increases Worm Numbers with Cover Crops

August 26, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Farmers Weekly

A Shropshire, England, grower is trying to limit the damaging effect of heavy cultivations for potato crops to his light soils through the use of cover crops. He has seen worm numbers increase since introducing the cover crops to his rotation. Learn more in this article from Farmers Weekly.

[Video] Cover Crops in Every Rotation

August 20, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

At Frog Song Organics in North Central Florida, John Bitter grows a little bit of everything, upwards of 80 crops in a year. Figuring out his rotations is the key to success as an organic farmer, and cover crops are an integral part of every rotation.

[Video] Using Cover Crops on a Certified Organic Vegetable Farm

August 6, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

The Family Garden is a certified organic, diversified vegetable farm. Sales are driven by a CSA, farmers' markets and wholesale. Jordan Brown's cover crops typically include oats or rye in the fall through spring, and sunn hemp or sudangrass in the summer.