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Flooding on farm

Cover Crops

Some of the management goals for which farmers use cover crops include:

  • Suppressing weeds

  • Protecting soil from rain or runoff

  • Improving soil aggregate stability

  • Reducing surface crusting

  • Adding active organic matter to soil

  • Breaking hardpan

  • Fixing nitrogen

  • Scavenging soil nitrogen

  • Suppressing soil diseases and pests

In 2019 Butler Soil and Water began the installation of a n 8 acre agriculture conservation education demonstration site (ACED) to demonstrate different practices such as grassed waterways, pollinator buffers, grass buffers and cover crops.  In this site there is over 4 acres of cover crop plots.  In the fall of 2019 there will be a cover crop filed day to highlight 8 different cover crop plots planted with everything from a single species to an 11 way blend of various cover crops.  Watch this page for more information and announcements concerning this event.

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