“By all means, you become more efficient,” he told The Effingham Daily News. “Cover crops are the key tool in managing soil biology. You become more profitable.”
Jeff Rasawehr in a bean field
Photo: Twitter (@covercrops)
The 51-year old has been farming for 35 years, and using cover crops for the last 15.
“By the time you plant your cash crop, the nutrients are already there,” he said.
George and Thad Holsapple, owners of Claybrook Acres near Montrose, Illinois, use and sell cover crops.
That told EDN farmers hav always known about cover crops, but the science and knowledge supporting their use has increased.
George Holsapple said since using cover crops, the water runoff from his farm looks like "water from a tap", which he said is good for him and the environment.
Rasawehr said nearly 80 per cent of farmers he sees using cover crops are doing so incorrectly, and when their yield is low, farmers often abandon cover crops.
He suggested farmers could have a better quality of life because their farm can be more profitable with less stress.