DARLINGTON - Cover crops are becoming increasingly popular as farmers learn the soil and economic benefits of cover crop use. Benefits include reduced soil erosion, an excellent source of alternative forages and contributions to soil quality, according to the news release.
A cover crop conference will be at the Grant County Fairgrounds Aug. 30.
The theme of this year's conference is "coupling soil quality and economics," featuring a bus tour of cover crops and a tour of farms that have incorporated cover crops to improve the bottom line. Registration is from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Youth and Ag Center and begins with a presentation by Jeff Endres of Endres Berryridge Farms in Waunakee. Endres is president of the Yahara Pride Watershed Group and a National Wildlife Federation Cover Crop Champion for Wisconsin. His presentation will focus on the reasons for using cover crops and helping other farmers adopt the practice.
Busses then will take participants to the University of Wisconsin Lancaster Agricultural Research Station just west of Lancaster for a tour of cover crop practices. Topics and practices featured on the tour will include economics of frost-seeding red clover in winter wheat and the nitrogen credits and yield response for corn, grass cover crops following corn silage and manure application and mid-season inter-seeding of cover crops in corn and soybean.
The bus tour then will continue to a beef farm operation featuring winter rye after corn silage and establishment of air-flowed cover crop mixes after wheat using vertical tillage. The second farm stop will be at a dairy operation that is using winter rye after corn silage and will be discussing forage quality and yield achieved with the winter rye.
The Cover Crop Conference is co-sponsored by UW-Extension and the Michael Fields Institute. Registration is required by Aug. 20. Online registration is encouraged and is available on the Michael Fields Institute website: www.michaelfields.org.
Cost of the conference is $30, which includes lunch and materials. Five CEUs in crop management are available. To register by email, contact Wisconsin Cover Crops Conference at WCCC@michaelfields.org. To register by phone, contact Ted Bay at the Grant County Extension office at 608-723-2125 or by email at ted.bay@ces.uwex.edu or Jim Stute at 262-642-3303, extension 112 or jstute@michaelfields.org.
A cover crop conference will be at the Grant County Fairgrounds Aug. 30.
The theme of this year's conference is "coupling soil quality and economics," featuring a bus tour of cover crops and a tour of farms that have incorporated cover crops to improve the bottom line. Registration is from 8 to 9 a.m. in the Youth and Ag Center and begins with a presentation by Jeff Endres of Endres Berryridge Farms in Waunakee. Endres is president of the Yahara Pride Watershed Group and a National Wildlife Federation Cover Crop Champion for Wisconsin. His presentation will focus on the reasons for using cover crops and helping other farmers adopt the practice.
Busses then will take participants to the University of Wisconsin Lancaster Agricultural Research Station just west of Lancaster for a tour of cover crop practices. Topics and practices featured on the tour will include economics of frost-seeding red clover in winter wheat and the nitrogen credits and yield response for corn, grass cover crops following corn silage and manure application and mid-season inter-seeding of cover crops in corn and soybean.
The bus tour then will continue to a beef farm operation featuring winter rye after corn silage and establishment of air-flowed cover crop mixes after wheat using vertical tillage. The second farm stop will be at a dairy operation that is using winter rye after corn silage and will be discussing forage quality and yield achieved with the winter rye.
The Cover Crop Conference is co-sponsored by UW-Extension and the Michael Fields Institute. Registration is required by Aug. 20. Online registration is encouraged and is available on the Michael Fields Institute website: www.michaelfields.org.
Cost of the conference is $30, which includes lunch and materials. Five CEUs in crop management are available. To register by email, contact Wisconsin Cover Crops Conference at WCCC@michaelfields.org. To register by phone, contact Ted Bay at the Grant County Extension office at 608-723-2125 or by email at ted.bay@ces.uwex.edu or Jim Stute at 262-642-3303, extension 112 or jstute@michaelfields.org.