National Survey Reveals Farmers Like Cover Crops
By Fran O'Leary, Delta Farm Press
“Many U.S. farmers have turned to cover crops as part of their strategy to improve soil health while reducing input costs and maintaining yields,” according to Mike Smith, who managed the national survey for the non-profit organization Conservation Technology Information Center. Survey participants averaged 465 acres in cover crops in 2019, an increase of 38% in four years. The USDA Census of Agriculture found a 50% increase in cover crop acreage during the five-year period between 2012 and 2017.