Webinar recap and slides: cover cropping (PDF, 54 pages)

Cover crop resource library
Pictured: our Peas & Oats Mixgrowing between rows of cut flowers in a demonstration garden in September 2022.

Browse the slide deck and extra written materials from this past webinar.

OVERVIEW: The presenter, a farm operations lead, manages the soil program for a research farm with several outlying fields. The program is built on long-term soil health, using cover crops, rotations and organic practices to keep soils resilient. The webinar covers these main points of cover cropping:

• Setting your goals, such as producing biomass, smothering weeds, adding nitrogen or improving soil structure.
• Choosing species, and where to find decision tools: the main groups of cover crops (grasses, legumes and broadleaves) plus helpful online and printed references.
• Getting the cover crop established and managing it: preparing fields and garden beds, tools and supplies, and handling weeds and water.
• Ending the cover crop: winterkilled versus winter-hardy species; tools, methods and timing for termination; and dealing with the residue.

Audience Q&A follows, led by one of our regional grower representatives.