Packing density can make or break corn silage quality, yet many southern Idaho operations still struggle to hit the minimum standard.

Whether you're aiming to enhance forage yields or build healthier ecosystems, cover crops offer a practical, proven path to unlocking soil’s full potential.

Farm and ranch succession seems to be one of the hot topics in meetings and magazine articles the past couple of years. If you read the Progressive sister publications to Ag Proud – Idaho, you no doubt have read articles about succession.

When my colleagues and I first started working with cover crops, we all had experience with the usual mix of crops grown in the Magic Valley, either by growing up on farms or working with them in our professional careers.

In 2013, a group of colleagues and I started demonstrating with cover crops, with help from a Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant to fund the work.