Do Cover Crops pay? Expanding a Learning Circle for Peer to Peer Cover Crop Promotion Using Economics as a Theme

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: corn

Practices

• Crop Production: cover crops, no-till
• Education and Training: farmer to farmer, networking, on-farm/ranch research

Our goal is to increase cover crop use on the fragile, droughty soils of southeast Wisconsin. Field studies on four grain farms representing ten site-years of cause-effect data generation will measure the yield impact of various cover crops on subsequent crop yield and the bottom line. Partial budget analysis, factoring in all additional costs and returns will be used to determine the effect on profitability. We will increase the size of our current, small learning circle for peer to peer promotion of cover crops as our primary outreach mechanism to increase adoption. Our current group includes all long- time cover crop users.  The relationship between one of our cooperators (also a crop consultant) and his clients gives us a large audience for our outreach efforts and well as a long-term tracking mechanism for adoption rates.

Farmers recognize soil health benefits of cover crops, yet are weighing every input purchase in the current market environment and may forego this production expense at the risk of soil and environmental quality. SARE funded work has demonstrated yield benefits to crops which follow covers, we will document and demonstrate them at the local level and provide a financial incentive for adoption.

• Document/ demonstrate the economic impact of cover cropping.
• Expand our peer to peer learning circle to facilitate transfer of cover crop information and expertize leading to increased adoption.