The onset of autumn brings the final harvests for our food producers. Along with the changing seasons, comes a turnover of farmland as producers prepare for the winter to come. During this time, many farmers across Ontario are using cover crops as a practice to cultivate resilient farm ecosystems. Cover crops support this by reducing erosion, improving soil health, supporting biodiversity, and helping mitigate the effects of climate change. Not only do they offer ecological benefits, ensuring healthy soils for farmland longevity, but they also offer a multitude of economic, and agronomic benefits for farmers. While OFT’s mission is to protect farmland, preserving our farmland’s soils through practices like cover cropping remains just as vital. Whether you’re a large scale farmer or a small urban gardener, cover cropping is an effective way to maintain and enhance long term soil health. Lessons learned from the farm field can be applied to all scales of food production!
What Are Cover Crops?
Cover crops are non-harvested plants grown during off-seasons or between crop cycles. Unlike cash crops, they are left in the field to decay and perform ecological functions like nutrient cycling, weed suppression, and soil improvement [1]. The types of cover crops farmers use vary depending on their goals and needs. Common types of cover crops and their benefits include [2]:
- Legumes (e.g., clover, vetch) – Fix nitrogen in the soil
- Grasses (e.g., rye, oats) – Protect soil from erosion
- Brassicas (e.g., radishes, mustard) – Break up compacted soil