John Dobberstein

Movement for Cover Crop Discounts Needs Support

By John Dobberstein posted on December 6, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

Should growers who plant cover crops get a discount on their crop insurance? Many conservation advocates think so, and that’s why a $3 million pilot project was kicked off 2 years ago in Iowa.

New Technique for Silage with Cover Crops

By John Dobberstein posted on November 29, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

For many growers who took a prevented planting claim, 2019 might have been their first foray into cover crops. There’s always a learning curve to go through, but sometimes it leads to new ways of approaching challenges. Read on to see how a Minnesota livestock operation tackled their feed problems with covers.

USDA Exploring MFP Payments for Cover Crop Forages on Prevent-Plant Acres

By John Dobberstein posted on June 11, 2019 | Posted in Seeding Practices

In light of widespread prevented planting, USDA is mulling Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments for struggling producers who plant an MFP-eligible cover crop that has the potential to be harvested and used as forage, says Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.

From the Desk of John Dobberstein

A Win-Win for Cover Crops in the Chesapeake Bay

By John Dobberstein posted on May 24, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Cover crops have been a key tool for protecting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay region and helping farmers improve soil tilth and health, but regulating nitrogen (N) with covers has proven difficult. Read what Penn State University researchers discovered about the ability of different species to sequester and fix N.

From the Desk of John Dobberstein

Carbon Credits by 2020 for No-Till, Cover Crops? It Could Happen This Time

By John Dobberstein posted on May 17, 2019

A coalition of environmental organizations and food companies announced efforts to build a market that would pay farmers for carbon sequestration and cleaner water. What will it mean for you?

From the Desk of John Dobberstein

D.C. Compromises Not Helping the Soil Health Movement

By John Dobberstein posted on May 9, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

While some important progress was made in the recent Farm Bill regarding soil health and cover crop management, a recent article detailed an important omission that will still impact many farmers’ wallets.

From the Desk of John Dobberstein

Let the Case for Cover Crops Rest in Your Fields

By John Dobberstein posted on January 10, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

The chorus of research emerging about cover crops can reveal some surprising contradictions, but here’s why you shouldn’t change what you love about this soil-building tool.

Crop Insurance Confusion with Cover Crops May Fade Away

By John Dobberstein posted on December 27, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

Read on to learn about changes ushered in by the recently approved Farm Bill that should make cover crops a more attractive conservation tool for no-tillers.

Piecing Together a No-Till System from the Ground Up

A family that ignored naysayers and embraced no-till practices and living roots is bringing productivity back to tough clay soils and riverbottoms in southern Indiana.

By John Dobberstein posted on November 5, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

Joe Kern and his father, John, admit they’re still dealing with a learning curve. But through working with no-till practices they’re transforming their “clay pot” soils into acreage that recently produced up to 240-bushel corn and 80-bushel soybeans.

‘Boutique’ Farm Yields Big-Time No-Till Savings and Success

97-year-old Melvin Steck has flirted with 300-bushel corn and hit 70-bushel soybeans with homemade equipment, common sense and a long-term commitment to no-till.

By John Dobberstein posted on September 14, 2018 | Posted in Economics, Seeding Practices

These days, Melvin Steck doesn’t go to many farm shows, field days or plot tours and isn’t the type to sell his program or philosophies to others. But this 97-year-old no-tiller will talk plenty about how the soil works.