In 2022, Steven Hines with the University of Idaho wrote an article for Ag Proud – Idaho on interseeding cover crops into silage corn. Steven shared lessons learned and research results from trials in Idaho during 2017-22. Concurrent research was being conducted in Utah around the same time frame. This article will revisit interseeding and discuss takeaways from Utah studies.

Sustainable farming has never been more important. Not only can prioritizing sustainability be beneficial to the environment and public perception, but also to your long-term success and the bottom line. Read how three Ontario dairy producers are implementing sustainable measures on their farms.

The family started working with NRCS in 2021 to replace an existing flood irrigation system with two center-pivot sprinkler systems and irrigation pipeline through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

At Ladd Wahlen Farms, it begins with roots (small r) and ends with Roots (capital R).

North Carolina State University, Texas A&M University and Iowa State University are partnering with the USDA NRCS and developing technology to help curb weed growth. 

At some point, every pasture or hayfield needs to be renovated. Although there are many useful approaches to improving a piece of land for forage production, some cover crops offer distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Livestock enterprises can use crop acres seeded to cover crops and crop residue to stretch the grazing season and save on feed costs. Crop operations benefit from the nutrient value added through livestock manure and to help with pest management.

Lots of farmers and ranchers are planting the new hybrid varieties of forage brassicas and other plants in the cabbage family. With their high levels of protein and energy, these forage brassicas show fast emergence and rapid regrowth, and they can give consistently high yields with multiple grazings, even in the face of water stress and cold stress.

In seven years, organic matter content in Matthews’ fields has gained a point and a half, and the curve is getting steeper now. “So it’s not taking us decades to make that organic matter change,” he says. “It can happen faster than people think. I mean, we’re farming in a desert, after all … but we’ve changed the soil. And you can change the soil, even in a desert.”

Winter cereals provide green, actively growing plants during the fall and early winter periods and are the first to green up in the spring.