# Cover Crops, a Farming Revolution With Deep Roots in the Past



## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

The New York Times has something worth reading for a change.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/business/cover-crops-a-farming-revolution-with-deep-roots-in-the-past.html?emc=edit_th_20160207&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=40701634


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Ah, more national press about my next door neighbor, the Anson's. Actually, the base operation is 30 miles away, but they farm 200 acres across the road from my home farm. I am sick of their national press time on their "awesome stewardship" but the past two winters, they have been out surface applying turkey manure on frozen, snow cover soil with slope to boot. A violation of all manure laws in Indiana, but yet they go with out a hiccup just because they have been in every national publication and farm 20,000 acres. That's my rant, but other that, I think cover crops are invaluable to sustainable ag.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I read this article from another source previously. I like the ideas of cover cropping, but haven't really tried it. My neighbor tried turnips(or radishes?) one year and said the smell was pretty bad after they died but he did have a better crop where they came up.

Another guy I know tried vetch and had trouble killing it off.

Ralph


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

Around here last fall, it seems like an awful lot of row-crop farmers were out with their planters and drills after harvesting was done. Never noticed that in prior years. And now many fields are green instead of brown. Not sure what's changed. The local conservation district offices have been pushing cover crops for years. Perhaps it's finally reached a tipping point.

Gary


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

NewBerlinBaler said:


> Around here last fall, it seems like an awful lot of row-crop farmers were out with their planters and drills after harvesting was done. Never noticed that in prior years. And now many fields are green instead of brown. Not sure what's changed. The local conservation district offices have been pushing cover crops for years. Perhaps it's finally reached a tipping point.
> 
> Gary


What's changed is that you get financially rewarded for cover cropping by a variety of conservation programs if you so choose.....cash is always a game changer.

Regards, Mike


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I did not get any national attention or government funds (though the latter would have been appreciated), but I drilled tillage radishes and forage turnips with the ryegrass this past fall.

I attended a soil health seminar last summer and learned a good deal. We had some hands on comparison with soils with different percentages of organic matter. We were able to saturate the different soils in water and see how they reacted.

I have 17 acres that had been in pines for 20 years and was having trouble getting organic matter. I planted the turnips and radishes there and on another 20 acres.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

rjmoses said:


> I read this article from another source previously. I like the ideas of cover cropping, but haven't really tried it. My neighbor tried turnips(or radishes?) one year and said the smell was pretty bad after they died but he did have a better crop where they came up.
> 
> Another guy I know tried vetch and had trouble killing it off.
> 
> Ralph


Wife wanted to get out the house about a week ago and said let's go ride around and see what's going on. We went by one of the biggest farmers around, about 3000 acres, and he had put in a lot cover crops. One small plot was those turnip/radishes and the cold weather had zapped them and man you talking about stink, it was awful. I can take any kind of manure over that stench.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Grateful11 said:


> Wife wanted to get out the house about a week ago and said let's go ride around and see what's going on. We went by one of the biggest farmers around, about 3000 acres, and he had put in a lot cover crops. One small plot was those turnip/radishes and the cold weather had zapped them and man you talking about stink, it was awful. I can take any kind of manure over that stench.


Surely it's not worse than fresh chicken litter....

Regards, Mike


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Vol said:


> Surely it's not worse than fresh chicken litter....
> 
> Regards, Mike


It's a close call. There's just something about rotting greens in the field.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Plant cover crops on every acre we own and farm never got paid a dime from the government to do it. The area of farm is mostly Hilly shale ground and we have improved it by using cover crops big. The CECs on our soil test went from for 4 tor 5 to 10 - 14 over the years. Try talking about cover crops on here years back got my head handed back to me on a silver platter. I give thanks many days that there are so many guys that will not know notill or plant cover crops in this area after all there is too much corn and beans around


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

They were not getting enough people to paticipate in cover crops here so they are throwing money at it so it is basically frre to doops I guess its tax payer money!!!We are far enough north here where it is a hit or a miss if there is any benifit at all.After corn silage it may work but from what ive seen flying it on there is very little growth of the cover crop.

Some have said they got $60 an acre to plant cover crops.As they are laughing about it!!!!!


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

endrow said:


> Try talking about cover crops on here years back got my head handed back to me on a silver platter.


Are you sure it was on here? I really don't recall it endrow....I could have missed it though....lots of folks were using cover crops in the last 5 years.

Regards, Mike


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> They were not getting enough people to paticipate in cover crops here so they are throwing money at it so it is basically frre to doops I guess its tax payer money!!!We are far enough nort here where it is a hit or a miss if there is any benifit at all.After corn silage it may work but from what ive seen flying it on there is very little growth of the cover crop.
> 
> Some have said they got $60 an acre to plant cover crops.As they are laughing about it!!!!!


I could see how it would be a hit or miss proposition as far North as you are Cy....very short season.

Regards, Mike


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

AgWeb.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/treating-covers-like-cash-crops-naa-chris-bennett/


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

So with this forum being about hay how does one incorporate cover crops into a hay operation without sacrificing a cutting of hay? Here I would almost think it would be too late in the year to plant a cover crop after the last cutting of hay and you pretty much would have to till up the field anyway before planting a cover crop. I've read a lot about cover crops, but it seems to be mostly beneficial for row cropping. I overheard a guy talking to a seed dealer about his turnips cover crop, but he had planted in June and effectively took that acreage out of production for an entire season. We don't really have erosion here. Most erosion happens here from flood irrigation of row crops which cover crops won't help at all with.


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

Everything has it's ups and downs. Cattle love turnip greens, but when they rot it's not good (high sulfur content).


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

We don't really lose a cutting in the hay fields as it is either stockpiled fall pasture or put up as baleage. I've never let the greens go over winter usually at least bushog them then usually enough snow cover for most of the rot to filter through.


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