1. Cover CropsandConservation Tillage Steve Groff Holtwood, PA www.cedarmeadowfarm.com

2. PermanentCover Cropping System • Cover Crops • Crop rotation • Permanent mulch cover Enhancing the Environment

3. Permanent Cover Cropping System • Increased profits • Clean water • Healthy soil • Reduced pesticides • Less soil erosion

5. Why No Till? Why Cover Crops?

7. “Soil is meant to be covered” -Steve Groff

8. What can Cover Crops do for you? Manage your water table Soil Armor-protection from rain, sun, and wind Green Tillage- using plants to prepare the soil for seeding

9. Cover Crop Management Ideas Plant Cover Crops for Erosion Control

10. Grand Canyon

12. Cover Crop Mixtures • Diversity • Biomass • Root growth • Guard against failure of one species • Complementary

13. Cover Crop Cocktails • Above ground diversity is a mirror of below ground diversity • Microorganisms are like cattle- they need a balanced diet

14. Cover Crop Cocktail $20.00 per acre

15. Cover Crop Biology • C/N ratio • Insect changes • Planting dates • Challenges

16. Hairy Vetch 20-25lbs per acre

17. Rye 2 bushel per acre

18. 60 lbs rye 20 lbs hairy vetch

19. Soil Health

20. Soil is meant to have something living in it at all times

21. Organic matter 2.7% 1984 5.4% 2007

22. Cover Crop Biology • There is a time to kill • Biological pumping: roots bringing up nutrients • If you built habitat, they will come- earthworms

24. 34 earthworms in a square yard

27. Equipment • Planter • Drill • Rolling Stalk Chopper

39. Rolling Cover Crops There is a time to Kill

45. No N Applied

46. Soil test

47. Manure Management

50. On Time • As soon after harvest as possible • Priority • Plan