LaCrosse –  A Cover Crop Field Day is scheduled starting at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 26th. This event will start at the Kevin Wiltse farm located 5 miles south of Timken on CR 320 Rd to Ave V, then 3 ¼ miles east. The farm is located on the south side of the Road

The tour will proceed to the field to look at cover crops in a crop rotation and discuss how this operation is working, then to view grazing on cover crops. Doug Spencer, NRCS Range Conservationist will be on hand to discuss grazing options and how this can be incorporated into grazing plans. If weather permits we will look at a newly planted pollinator field and Candy Thomas, NRCS Regional Soil Specialist will discuss soil health and how cover crops improve the health of the soil.  

A light meal will be served sponsored by Star Seed Company. A courteous reservation would be appreciated. This event is hosted by NRCS and the conservation Disrticts of Rush, Barton and Pawnee Counties.

Cover Crops are an important part of any crop rotation. Deciding how they will fit into your crop rotation is totally up to you. The target is to improve the health of the soil so that it will increase water holding capacities, increase organic matter, increase nutrient cycling, improve compaction issues, provide weed control and reduce runoff. The benefits of no-till farming are economic as well as environmental. The no-till farmers can see an increase in the organic matter of the soil, and a decrease in the amount of erosion. More organic matter and less erosion mean more fertility, less fertilizer, and higher yields. Additionally, with the advances in cover crops and green manures, the no-till farmer can greatly reduce some of high-cost herbicides. All area producers are encouraged to attend this field day to see how cover crops could inprove your soil health and profits in your operations bottom line.