New research released by McKinsey & Company reveals that while 90% of US farmers have an understanding of sustainable farming, the uptake of practices remains low.

Should crop insurance be encouraging growers to utilize cover crops? A white paper by the AGree Economic & Environmental Risk Coalition, a group that advocates for federal policies to drive the adoption of conservation practices, found that cover crops can reduce yield risk, and as a result, file fewer crop insurance claims.

Cover crops are widely seen as one of the most promising conservation practices, improving soil health while also removing carbon from the atmosphere. But while the number of Midwestern farmers planting cover crops has increased markedly in recent years, 2017 USDA Census data show only about 5% have adopted the conservation practice. Read more in this article from KMA Land.

Funding for farmers and landowners implementing conservation practices on working lands was included in the Build Back Better Act passed on Nov. 19 by the U.S. House of Representatives. One of the programs established by this legislation is payments for cover crops to farmers and landowners.

The USDA is looking to create a set of pilot projects that provides incentives to implement climate smart conservation practices on working lands and to quantify and monitor the carbon and greenhouse gases associated with those practices. The pilot projects could even expand or develop new and additional markets.

Cover crops reduce nitrogen effluent in water and increase soil carbon over time, thereby providing environmental benefits, which may also translate into longer-term economic benefits. However, the costs associated with cover crops in the initial years usually exceed benefits accruing directly to farmers and landowners. Read more in this article from University of Illinois Extension.

Tile drainage is one of those topics where there are a lot of opinions. A recent update on a 35-year study at Purdue University confirmed that tile drainage enhances the value of cover crops and no-till.

Dairy farmers are working extra hard not only to produce the milk, butter, cheese and other dairy products Wisconsin is known for, but to do so sustainably to keep our air and waterways clean. Two farms, Ripp’s Dairy Valley in the Town of Dane and Endres Berryridge Farm in the Town of Springfield, to learn about conservation practices farmers employ to keep nutrient rich soils in place, prevent stormwater runoff and manage manure. Read more in this article from the Waunakee Tribune (Waunakee, WI).