With fertilizer prices hitting $1,000 a ton, it’s no surprise that cover crops are a hot topic. It makes sense that non-synthetic inputs like cover crops are becoming more and more appealing to producers. There’s many benefits to cover crops – including feeding livestock and pollinators, improving water filtration, suppressing weeds, building soil carbon and improving soil biology. In this episode, we’re joined by Kevin Elmy, of Cover Crops Canada, to discuss the ins and outs of cover crops.

A huge shoutout to Young Agrarians for partnering with us on this episode.

Highlights:

• 3:54 – why it’s important to have something green growing in your soil

• 6:41 – the overarching benefits of cover crops 

• 8:40 – setting goals to help determine which cover crops to plant

• 17:48 – understanding the functions of plant groups

• 25:10 – the diversity of microbes and defining a management plan

• 35:44 – diversity is more important than density – how to determine seeding rates

• 40:55 – details about the different kinds of cover crops

• 50:25 – final advice when choosing cover crops

Useful Links:

• Cotswold Seeds – www.cotswoldseeds.com
• Cover Cropping in Western Canada by Kevin Elmy – www.amazon.ca/Cover-Cropping-Western-Canada-Kevin/dp/1525569945
• Drew Lerner, founder of World Weather – www.worldweather.cc/drew-lerner
• The Future-Proof Farm by Steve Groff – www.stevegroff.com/book
• Kiss The Ground Documentary – www.kissthegroundmovie.com
• Cover Crops Canada – www.covercrops.ca
• Imperial Seeds – www.imperialseed.com
• Young Agrarians – www.youngagrarians.org

Want to learn more?

Our Farmer’s Blog is also the go-to source for stories of producers in Alberta who are going the extra mile with their management practices for the land, food and their communities.