Greetings from the farm!
It seems as if spring is slowly approaching, and we are eagerly awaiting the business of field work to begin. Warm days followed by dreary cold can make the waiting even more difficult. One thing I enjoy seeing on these cool, overcast days is the vivid green our cover crops provide to the landscape.
Last fall after our corn and soybeans were harvested, we planted rye grass on all of our fields. This cover crop keeps our soil in place over winter by preventing erosion, keeps our soil microbes healthy for future crops, stores nutrients that will again be ready for our corn or soybeans in the spring, and captures carbon from the atmosphere. For well over a decade we have used cover crops as a stewardship practice to best care for our land, air and water. Soon we will plant corn or soybeans into these cover crops to produce a nutrient dense, homegrown feed for our animals.
I hope you too have enjoyed this beautiful green as you have driven by our farm. Spring is on its way!
My best,
Beth Tharp
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