Cover Crop 'How To' event offers insights into soil health preservation

The Rock County Soil and Water Conservation District will sponsor a Cover Crop “How To” event from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, at Tom Fick’s farm at 1157 110th Avenue near Luverne.
Engineering technician Michael Walgrave of the Rock County Land Management Office said he hopes to see good attendance at the event, especially in light of this year’s extreme weather.
“This past year most of Minnesota has been hit by record rainfall, and we have experienced as many super-storm rain events in the last two decades as we have the entire 20th century,” Walgrave said.
He said farmers are learning they’ll have to adapt in order to survive and save their soil.
“Farmers have been taught to till in order to get seed-to-soil contact and to help dry the land quicker in the spring,” Walgrave said. (See his cover crop commentary on page 4.)
“Unfortunately, tilling destroys soil structure and the water-holding capacity of the soil. Without good soil structure a good portion of water doesn’t make it to the tile and the water washes over the surface creating erosion and soil/nutrient loss.”
Walgrave said local producers are increasingly seeing the benefits of cover crops, and he said the Aug. 1 workshop is a good way to learn more.
Topics will include how to fit cover crops into an operation, how to integrate livestock and cover crops for more profit, termination suggestions and overall benefits of cover crops for soil health.
Guest speakers will be Grant and Dawn Breitkreutz, successful cover crop and livestock operators near Redwood Falls, and Joel De Yong, Iowa Extension educator in cover crop integration strategies.
Twenty trial plots of planted cover crops will demonstrate single and multiple species of cover crops, soil structure and hands-on infiltration tests.
Finally, local farmers Tom Fick, Terry Aukes, Brent Fluit and Brad Petersen will share their personal experiences with cover crops and what they’ve learned.
There is no cost to attend, but registration is required for the free lunch. Call 507-283-8862 with questions.