A Tennessee farmer discusses why he uses cover crops to keep his topsoil on his farm, scavenge nutrients, and erosion control.

As more and more farms find different ways to utilize their land, one Minnesota farm is using soil health practices to help them out. Connor McCormick, who farms just outside of Caledonia along with his dad Kevin, said their first time using a cover crop – cereal rye – turned out pretty good. Read more in this article from the Caledonia Argus (Houston County, MN).

As soil health takes on a higher profile with food companies and consumers, various avenues are emerging for farmers to collect environmental incentives. The growing number of soil health programs can seem overwhelming, but one farmer and soil health advocate believes it’s a case of more is better. Read more in this article from Farm Talk.

The NRCS is accepting proposals through May 11 for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials, now in its second year. On-Farm Trials, part of the agency’s Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program, help support the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches on agricultural land.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest $56 million this year to help agricultural producers improve water quality in more than 300 high-priority watersheds across the country. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is continuing two of its successful landscape-level water quality efforts, the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) and National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). Find out more in this article from Hoosier Ag Today.

Barry Bubolz with Wisconsin NRCS shares information on how cover crops and manure applications can work together. Topics discussed include application timing, cover crop establishment before manure application, and cover crop species selection.

Take a look at how a cover crop grows in the fall, both above and below ground. Plant root depth and soil benefits are shown and discussed. Compare 'no cover' to 'rye cover' crop soil structure.

Have you ever participated in No Shave November? Maybe you have, unintentionally, or by choice. Now, there’s a new reason to “keep the stubble” during the month of November.

From rain to snow, the harvest season has seen its fair share of delays across the Midwest. Cover crop applications have been progressing, and with aerial applications wrapping up in many areas, Justin King, a resource conservationist with the Illinois NRCS, said seeding has been a little more challenging this year. Read more in this article from the Rock Island Dispatch-Argus.