Over the past few weeks I have heard from countless farmers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, and Iowa that are considering taking prevented planting on all or parts of their farms. Growers Edge just published an excellent piece Prevented Planting Guidelines. Also see my articles on Prevented Planting Row Crop Acres – Which Cover […]
Cover Crops and Prevented Planting Guidelines Read More »
The following was originally posted on May 27, 2011 when the Eastern Corn Belt was suffering with severe flooding and wet conditions. In 2013 the Upper Midwest – especially Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin – is flooded and wet. Many farmers are considering taking the crop insurance for prevented planting. Even if it would stop raining
Prevented Planting Row Crop Acres – Which Cover Crops Can Help? Read More »
All of what is reported below was accomplished after only one year of cover crops. This work was inspired by a conversation Don and I had last winter with Dr. Eileen Kladivko from Purdue University. As I say in cover crop meetings, Don’t expect a miracle the first year – but look for one. Over
Cover Crops Provide Improved Corn Yields in On-Farm Trial Read More »
Need Feed? Harvesting cover crops for emergency fall forage may be able to play a major role in lessening the impact of the 2012 drought disaster for livestock producers. As I traveled from Indiana to eastern Iowa and through Wisconsin I saw dry ponds, cracked soil, nearly dead alfalfa, completely brown pastures, and an exceptionally
Harvesting Cover Crops for Emergency Fall Forage Read More »
During the first week of April I was in several root pits in northwest Indiana and boy did we find plenty of interesting factoids! I was assisted by Eileen Kladivko from Purdue University on one day and Barry Fisher, Indiana NRCS State Agronomist, on another day. What We Found in the Cover Crop Root Pits
Cover Crop Root Pits Reveal Plenty Read More »
CISCO Seeds, Robison Farms, and Dougherty Fertilizer are sponsoring a Cover Crop Field Day and Root Dig at the Greenwood, Indiana farm. If you’ve not had an opportunity to see cover crops in a real life farm setting, this will be a great meeting for you . There will be multiple species available to look
Cover Crop Field Day Set at Robison Farms Read More »
Over the past 9 years I have worked with Ed Ballard from the University of Illinois on grazing cattle over the winter. During the first 4-5 years I was much more concerned about the “above ground” aspect of the cover crop and weight gain by the animals. However, these past 4-5 years have shown me the
Grazing Cover Crops in the Winter Read More »
Oats are one of the more versatile cover crops as they can be planted various times of the season and used as an excellent cover and an excellent forage crop. Oats work well alone, but especially well in mixes with oilseed radishes, turnips, Berseem and Crimson Clovers, and Austrian Winter Peas, etc… Oats work well
Oats…a wonderful and versatile cover crop Read More »