Cover Crops

Practical Farmers provides farmers and agency personnel with information, anecdotes and research about adding cover crops to current conventional, organic or other farming systems.

Cover crops are plants such as small grains, legumes, brassicas and others that are planted between cash crop seasons to keep a living cover on the landscape. Numerous studies have shown these plants can help protect soil and water quality, reduce chemical input costs, improve farm resiliency, boost yields, increase forage availability and improve wildlife habitat.  In Iowa, the number of cover crop acres has increased dramatically over the past several years — from fewer than 10,000 acres in 2009 to about 1,282,608 acres of cover crops in 2022 in Iowa. Practical Farmers of Iowa has played a central role in bringing about this transformative change to the landscape.

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Why cover crops?

Watch the “Cover Crops to Improve Soil Structure and Water Infiltration” video below to hear farmers share stories of how covers have improved soil quality and protected their fields during times of heavy rainfall and times of drought. To learn more about cover crops, watch PFI’s “Cover Crops and Weed Control” video. 

Want to watch more videos on cover crops? “Practical Cover Croppers” aims to offer a digestible snapshot of PFI members’ cover cropping practices and insights across a range of farm enterprises, from row crops and livestock to horticulture.

Watch “Practical Cover Croppers” on YouTube

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Cover Crop Cost-Share

Practical Farmers offers cost-share and technical assistance for those who are seeding fall cover crops.

Participants must farm in eligible counties in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska or South Dakota.

Payment rates are $10 or $12 per acre, depending on documentation provided by the participant. Enroll up to 240 acres. Participants with a multi-year contract from 2023 or 2024 can cost-share unlimited acres. There are no requirements on the species or seeding method used.

Learn More About Cover Crop Cost-Share Opportunities

Join our Cover Crop Shared Learning Calls

Cover crop shared learning calls are conference calls where you can listen and talk with other farmers with varying cover crop experience. Each month our speaker(s) share their experiences and production practices for 40 minutes, and then we open the floor for questions and discussion. Cover crop shared learning calls will take place on select Fridays from noon-1 p.m. March into April.

We use Zoom to host these virtual events. To participate in shared learning calls, you can either join by phone or computer.

Schedule

March 20 | Noon-1 p.m.

Cover Crop Usage Over Time into Relay Cropping

Gene DeBruin farms in Mahaska County raising corn, soybeans and bison. In 2009, the DeBruin family started cover cropping on a few acres and used each year as a learning opportunity to keep growing their cover-cropped acres and find what worked (and what didn’t) for their operation. Three years ago, cover cropping evolved into relay cropping on some acres.

Join Gene and his son, Lucas, in this March shared learning call where they will discuss how they got into cover cropping and what they got right and wrong over the past years. They will also show videos of their on-farm relay cropping management while discussing what their yields have looked like year to year and things they have learned along the way.

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Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G053.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific

Join us for our Cover Crop Phone-a-Friend Series

Cover Crop Phone-A-Friend calls are 30-minute, open forums for growers to bring questions to a farmer speaker and a PFI agronomist to get answers and spark conversation during decision-making windows for cover crop management. This facilitated discussion will answer common timely questions and offer time for your specific questions to get answers. We use Zoom to host these virtual events. To participate in a phone-a-friend call, you can join by phone or computer.

Phone-A-Friend calls are held on Thursdays, from noon to 12:30 p.m. Central Time during the months of March and April. 

Schedule

March 19 | 12-12:30 p.m.

Rick Juchems raises soybeans, corn and custom feed-finish hogs near Plainfield, Iowa. He has cover crops on 100% of his acres, all of which are seeded around Sept. 1. Rick had an early start with cover crops, being the first in his area to try cover crops in a strip trial. After seeing improvements in soil quality, crop performance and weed suppression from the trial, cover crops made their way onto all planted acres of the farm.

With termination and planting right around the corner, bring your spring cover crop management questions for Rick and a PFI agronomist in this Phone-A-Friend!

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March 26 | 12-12:30 p.m.

Mike Jackson and his wife Mary-Beth are sixth generation farmers in Mahaska County raising corn, soybeans and swine. Their family farm has been 100% cover cropped for the last eight to 10 years, though they have been experimenting with covers for about 15 years. The Jackson family is very involved in their communities and agricultural organizations and enjoy sharing what they’ve learned with others.

Join Mike and a PFI agronomist in this Phone-A-Friend with your burning cover crop related spring management questions!

Register

April 2 | 12-12:30 p.m.

Come ready with questions for northern Missouri farmer, Michael Krumpelman and a PFI agronomist on this Phone-A-Friend call to discuss spring preplanting decision making such as cover crop termination plans, pivoting dependent on weather and keeping farm goals in mind through the hustle of planting season.

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Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G053.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

PFI Cover Crop Resources

More Cover Crop Resources

Other Resources

Tools

Midwest Grazing Exchange

Expanding integrated crop-livestock systems can offer a range of benefits for farmers, the environment and rural communities. But accessing land to graze, or finding livestock farmers to partner with, can be a barrier.

The Midwest Grazing Exchange is a free matchmaking service that aims to connect graziers seeking land to graze with landowners in six Midwestern states. It was created to help farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin find livestock or land to graze.

Start your grazing connection

Other Tools

IOWA LEARNING FARMS CALCULATORS

Cover Crop Economics (ISU)

MIDWEST COVER CROPS COUNCIL- COVER CROP DECISION TOOL

Green Cover Seeds Smartmix Calculator

Partners

With cover crops promising such tangible benefits for farmers and the environment, Practical Farmers is working to increase cover crop use in Iowa and the Midwest. Several private companies including seed-houses, aerial applicators and cooperatives have also worked with Practical Farmers to decrease barriers for farmers wanting to add cover crops. Other key partners include:

Contact Information

For more information about our cover crop program, contact covercrops(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org.

For more information about on-farm research, contact Stefan Gailans at stefan.gailans(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org.