As the winter months grind along, serious forage producers often
seek comfort in determining what new varieties of alfalfa they
will seed the next spring and where they will be planted. Just
as important as the “what” and “where” is the question of “how”
alfalfa will be established. Specifically, will a companion crop
be used? What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when
someone says “cover crops”? Stopping soil erosion, right? It
took Barry Fisher nearly an hour during a tour of cover crop
plots at Roger Wenning’s farm to mention soil savings. The
Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
recently honored five outstanding families. Each received a
Conservation Farmer of the Year award. One of the most important
crops is the one not to harvest, but to protect and improve the
soil. Seeding cover crops to enhance basic rotations is a new
frontier in Nebraska cropping systems, according to its
adherents. Interest has grown in the past few years in trying
seedings of one or two cover cr