Posted on Mar 22, 2023
Midwest farmers tripled use of cover crops, but it's still just a small fraction of acres
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A new study shows a threefold increase in Midwest farm acres using the offseason crops to help protect the soil and reduce runoff, but it still makes up less than 8% of all farmland.
Tim Gottman’s 2,400 acre farm in northeast Missouri looks harvested, but among the remnants of corn stalks are blobs of green plants that are thriving despite the cold and windy conditions of late winter in the Midwest.
His land includes wide swaths that gently slope away from the road, and the water from a recent rain is pooling up in some places.
“All this water would be running that way and if this green, the wheat and rye weren't here, it would just allow the water to run faster and take the soil with it,” Gottman said. “And when the soil is leaving your fertilizers going with it.”
Tim Gottman’s 2,400 acre farm in northeast Missouri looks harvested, but among the remnants of corn stalks are blobs of green plants that are thriving despite the cold and windy conditions of late winter in the Midwest.
His land includes wide swaths that gently slope away from the road, and the water from a recent rain is pooling up in some places.
“All this water would be running that way and if this green, the wheat and rye weren't here, it would just allow the water to run faster and take the soil with it,” Gottman said. “And when the soil is leaving your fertilizers going with it.”
Midwest farmers tripled use of cover crops, but it's still just a small fraction of acres
Posted from kcur.orgPosted in these groups: 
Farming
Agriculture
Farming Agriculture
Posted >1 y ago
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We always used cover crops...helps witherosion and also provides nutrients for the other crops.
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CPO David R. D.
We do too, on a much smaller scale. My son-in-law usually uses clover as our cover crop.
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Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth
CPO David R. D. - I love clover for deer hunting and a attractant for them. However, my father in law threatened me with a @$$ whooping if I put clover out. Spreads like wildfire and is hard to kill down and work under. Butnow that we are done farming, I am going to put clover out all over my deer plots.
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CPO David R. D.
Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth - We normally use clover, because we have a couple of beehives. We have plenty of Whitetails as well, which love the clover.
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