Are Cover Crops for You?
This podcast is a series of short interviews with farmers and specialists and solving problems on the farm and how cover crops can be a part of the solutions.
We will discuss issues like managing herbicide resistant weeds, improving soil health by reducing compaction and erosion, improving soil organic matter and water holding capacity, and cover crops as a forage. This is a podcast for farmers who may be considering using cover crops and are looking to solve problems on the farm. We’ll be looking at practical on-farm solutions and talk with a variety of different farmers across the Midwest.
Podcast Introduction – (2:19) an introduction to the podcast and the Midwest Cover Crops Council
Episode 1 – Mike Buis – (10:41) interview with Mike Buis, an Ontario farmer who raises cattle, row crops, and commercial vegetables. Mike discusses how cover crops have reduced his need for stored feed and help to keep his soils fit for commercial vegetable harvest even when conditions are unfavorable.
Episode 2 – Naeem Kalwar – (12:25) interview with Naeem Kalwar, Extension Soil Health Specialist at the Langdon Research Extension Center in North Dakota. Naeem discusses how cover crops and perennial salt-tolerant grass mixes can alleviate the impacts of high salt levels in the soil and the impact of tillage on soil temperatures and soil drying in the spring.
Episode 3 – Erin Haramoto – (15:58) interview with Dr. Erin Haramoto, Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky. Erin discusses the effects of cover crops on weed populations, especially herbicide resistant marestail.
Episode 4 – Mike Starkey – (10:53) interview with Mike Starkey, a central Indiana farmer. Mike talks about long term cover crop benefits including reducing soil compaction and helping air and water mover through the soil. Mike says his soil acts like a sponge, which helped his corn crop through the 2012 drought, and helps to reduce ponding.
Episode 5 – Alan Sundermeier – (8:30) interview with Alan Sundermeier, an Ohio State University Extension Educator. Alan talks about the challenges of planting into heavy wet clay soils in the spring and how farmers in his area are overcoming this challenge with cover crops.
Episode 6 – Christian Kapp – (12:12) interview with Christian Kapp, a small farmer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Christian prefers to graze a diverse mix and says that cover crops have rejuvenated his tired old soils.
*** Podcast will be available on iTunes soon!