Soil health - Articles

No-Till, Cover Crops Key to Building Healthy Soil

October 23, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

On a windy autumn day, Dan Leininger, a water conservationist with the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District, stands in a field of ripe soybeans on the northeast side of York, Neb. While the beans are impressive, Leininger gets down on one knee to show what he’s most proud of. Find out more in this article from the York News-Times.

Soil, Cover Crops Key to Saving Family Farms

October 21, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Yes Magazine

Would it sound too good to be true if I was to say that there was a simple, profitable and underused agricultural method to help feed everybody, cool the planet, and revitalize rural America? I used to think so, until I started visiting farmers who are restoring fertility to their land, stashing a lot of carbon in their soil, and returning healthy profitability to family farms. Read more in this article from Yes magazine.

[Podcast] Using Soil Health Tests

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that in the past 5-10 years, soil health testing has grown in popularity, but they aren’t a silver bullet for detecting all soil health problems. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

October 16, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that in the past 5-10 years, soil health testing has grown in popularity, but they aren’t a silver bullet for detecting all soil health problems. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

Using Soil Health Tests

October 16, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff says that in the past 5-10 years, soil health testing has grown in popularity, but they aren’t a silver bullet for detecting all soil health problems. In this podcast, learn about the different types of soil tests available, what they can measure and why each one is important.

Growers Trying Out Triple Threat of Cash Crops, Cover Crops & Companion Crops

August 28, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: The Fence Post

The use of cover crops within a rotation is commonplace for many producers, given the soil health benefits. Some producers are moving toward utilizing companion crops, planting a cover crop with a cash crop and allowing them to grow simultaneously. For livestock producers, having forage available to graze earlier, can be a benefit itself. Find out more about growing these two types of crops together in this article from The Fence Post.

The Facts on Nitrogen Release Using Cover Crops in the Dakotas

August 21, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: AgWeek

There's this idea floating around that cover crops will take up nitrogen this growing season and then release that nitrogen for next year's crop. Add on top of that, an ability to anticipate when that nitrogen will be released by selecting specific cover crops in a mix (this is the C:N ratio stuff you hear about). Find out more in this article from AgWeek by Abbey Wick, North Dakota State University Extension Soil Health Specialist.

‘Learn, Unlearn & Relearn’: Farmers Benefit From Soil Health Practices

August 14, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: AgriNews

Brad Zimmerman openly admits it was daunting when he “was handed the checkbook” to the farm after his father passed away. Zimmerman, of Groveland, a fifth-generation farmer and Tazewell County Soil and Water Conservation District director, shared his journey into farming and his experiences using cover crops at the recent Illinois SWCD annual conference in this article from AgriNews.

Cover Crops Increase Iron Availability

August 9, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: California Ag Today

How can cover crops be a benefit to pear orchards? Juliana Wu was in the horticulture and Agronomy Graduate Program at UC Davis Study studying the benefits of cover crops in this article from California Ag Today.

The Connection Between Flooding & Farming Methods

Scientists say there's a way to at least decrease the amount of damage natural disasters can do and it all starts in the farm fields.

June 21, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Source: KAKE

“We have to work with nature, we can't fight it,” Doug Hisken, a Belle Plaine, KS, area farmer said about this year’s overly wet weather leading to flooding problems across much of the state.

[Podcast] 5 Ideas for Making Cover Crops Pay for Themselves

Cover crops certainly produce a lot of benefits for growers in terms of soil health and nutrient management — but how, exactly, do you make them pay? Steve Groff says there are a several directions to go in that will build a solid foundation for economic benefits. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)

June 5, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Cover crops certainly produce a lot of benefits for growers in terms of soil health and nutrient management — but how, exactly, do you make them pay? Steve Groff says there are a several directions to go in that will build a solid foundation for economic benefits. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators)