Equipping farmers to build resilient farms and communities.
Don Ryan farms with his family near Marengo, Iowa, where they raise a cow-calf herd and grow alfalfa, corn, soybeans and pasture. Don plants and grazes rye on a majority of his acres and the last three years has planted 50-60 acres of a winter wheat cover crop ahead of corn. 
 
Why Winter Wheat? The goal for Don is to protect the soil from wind and water erosion but have less biomass to terminate in the spring than with the rye. He likes winter wheat because it has less growth compared to rye and is not as vigorous. Don feels he has a wider window of opportunity for burndown in the spring with winter wheat and less yield drag compared to rye.
Don with his son, Greg, and grandson, Gavin (left). Winter wheat cover with frost nip (right).

This Fall: “This year we planted around the 20th of October and we are starting to see growth after some of the warmer weather. We planted at the second most shallow setting, at half an inch depth or less due to soil dryness.” 

What to expect: Don hasn’t had any issues with the winter wheat overwintering but warns that it isn’t great for pasture. “Don’t expect a lot of growth. You might get a little in the winter and a little in the spring, but not like the rye.”
PROGRAM UPDATES
Meet Chelsea Ferrie (left) and Morgan Jennings (right), PFI’s new field crops viability coordinators. 

Chelsea and Morgan will provide additional support for PFI’s growing cost-share programs, including our new Fertilizer Yield Warranty program. 

Read more about Chelsea and Morgan on our website!
With rising input costs cutting into your farm’s profits, it might be time to look at reducing your reliance on purchased inputs. 

With support from our staff and a yield warranty, PFI can help you reduce nitrogen applications on your farm – saving you money and increasing your farm’s resiliency.

Farmers who are new to cutting purchased inputs and farmers who’ve reduced nitrogen previously are both eligible for our program.
Fall sign-up for this crop insurance discount program opens for eligible applicants using cover crops on Dec. 1. 

This program through IDALS and RMA is offering up to a $5/ac discount for participants using cover crops. 

Find out more here. 
IN THE FIELD
PFI cooperators’ Dick Sloan and Jack Boyer wanted to determine if they could successfully interseed an overwintering cover crop mix into standing corn. 

To see what happened, check out the research report, including thoughts from Dick and Jack!
PFI cooperator Dick Sloan was curious if applying 12 lb N/ac at cover crop planting would jump-start its fall growth and lead to better spring growth. 

While the results of Dick’s trial showed the added N did not affect spring cover crop biomass nor soybean yields, Dick wants to tinker more with the N placement. He thinks the fall planting date is more important for cover crop growth compared to fall N fertilization.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PFI events
All events below are listed in central standard time.
Mark your calendars for Jan. 19-21 for our 2023 annual conference! 
 
This year’s annual conference explores the ways we are all On Common Ground. 
 
  • Managing Herbicide Residuals Before Cover Crops
  • Alternative to Rye? Testing Winter Camelina in the Field
  • Successfully Planting into Cover Crops.

Consider attending our Organic No-Till in Row Crop Systems short course ahead of the conference on Jan. 19-20. Featured speakers include: Rick Clark, Loran Steinlage, Joel Gruver and more!
Jan 6: Shared Learning Call - The Many Uses of Red Clover
Hosted by: Practical Farmers of Iowa and Scott Schultz 
Noon-1 p.m. | Online
Friends of PFI cover crop events
Dec 9: Workshop - Cover Crop Producer Workshop
Hosted by: Prairie Soil Pioneers & Kansas Soil Health Alliance
9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Alma, KS

Dec 13: Conference - Wisconsin Cover Crop Conference
Hosted by: University of Wisconsin Division of Extension
12:30-7 p.m. | Wisconsin Dells, WI

Dec 14: Webinar - Iowa Learning Farms Webinar
Hosted by: Iowa Learning Farms & Lisa Schulte-Moore
Noon-1 p.m. | Online
Hosted by: NREC, ICCON & Il. Sustainable Ag Partnership
9-10 a.m. | Online

Hosted by: NREC, ICCON & Il. Sustainable Ag Partnership
9-10 a.m. | Online
Want to host a cover crop meet up? Are you planning or hosting a cover crop event? Contact taylor.hintch@practicalfarmers.org to plan something or to promote your event.
COVER CROP POLL
Send us your cover crop poll ideas! We want to know what YOU want to know. Reply to this email with your ideas for the next poll.
How much do you know about PFI's Cooperators' Program?
I've never heard of it.
I just read about it for the first time.
I come across the reports from time to time.
I actively look for reports on the website & would like to be more involved.
I'm looking forward to the upcoming meeting & my next on-farm trial.
Previous poll results:
What percent of your cover crop acres will be seeded with cover crops this fall?

  • 100% and done! - 37.8%
  • 50-100% - 24.3%
  • Will be 100% - 16.2%
  • 1-50% - 18.9%
  • No cover crops this year - 2.7%
CONTACT OUR COVER CROPS TEAM
Lydia English
Field Crops Viability Manager
(515) 232-5661
Chris Wilbeck
Independent Contractor
(515) 232-5661
Rebecca Clay
Field Crops Viability Coordinator
(515) 232-5661
Taylor Hintch
Field Crops Education Coordinator
(515)-232-5661
Chelsea Ferrie
Field Crops Viability Coordinator
(515) 232-5661
Morgan Jennings
Field Crops Viability Coordinator
(515)-232-5661
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