It is crucial to consider current soil moisture conditions and expected rainfall if you are planning to plant green. Our research shows that planting green significantly dries the top 3 inches in the soil profile, compared to planting into cover crops that are killed a week or more prior. Read more in this article from Lancaster Farming.

Soil conservation efforts can help maintain healthy soils for thousands of years, in contrast to nearly a fifth of soils worldwide that have less than a century of life in them, according to a new study. The major new report from a global collaboration of scientists, including the UK’s Lancaster University, found that 90 percent of conventionally farmed soils were thinning, and 16 percent had lifespans of less than a century. Read more in this article from the Fresh Produce Journal.

Tong Wang, Advanced Production Specialist with South Dakota State University Extension, shares results from a study that looked at how growers in the Northern Great Plains adopt soil health practices. The study examined how growers value yield and profitability compared to soil health.

According to a recent survey, Indiana farmers planted 950,000 acres of cover crops in 2019. Cover crops are known for their environmental benefits and, with the exception of corn and soybeans, are planted on more acres than any other commodity crop in Indiana.

Almost half of all Indiana farmland isn’t owned by the farmer who works it — it’s rented out. In the same way people who rent apartments are unlikely to invest in them, studies show farmers who rent land are less likely to do conservation practices. Read more in this story from Indiana Public Media.

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced the release of a free, first-of-its-kind curriculum, “A Guide to Conducting a Pollinator Conservation Field Day,” available for download. This new curriculum is designed to provide interactive learning experiences for grades K-8, engaging them in habitat-focused, pollinator-themed activities for the classroom and outdoors.

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.

While there’s increasing emphasis on “sustainable agriculture” and “soil health,” these four buzzwords tend to ruffle the feathers of veteran no-tillers and others like myself who have followed the no-till movement for nearly a half century. It’s because we recognize that earlier generations of no-tillers were the original true innovators behind these “not-so-new” concepts that go back to the 1960s.