Number Of Indiana Acres Devoted To Cover Crops Grows By 225 Times In Past Decade

Apr 27, 2016

The results from the “2015 Indiana Fall Tillage and Cover Crop Transect” show that soil health in the state is improving. The data found that more than 1.1 million acres of cover crops were planted last year, which is an increase of 10 percent from 2014. Additionally, this is 225 times more coverage than what has been recorded over the past decade.

Indiana producers' commitment to cover crops has proven to improve soil health quality across the state.

Indiana producers' commitment to cover crops has proven to improve soil health quality across the state.

“We introduced the cover crop assessment to the survey in 2011 so that we could better tell the story of Indiana’s conservation efforts,” said Jane Hardisty, Natural Resources Conservation Service state conservationist. “Cover crops protect soil from extreme weather and retain valuable nutrients in fields during winter months, playing a key role in soil health. With more farmers implementing this practice, the 2015 survey results prove why Indiana continues to be a national leader in soil health.”

Cover crops are designed to build soil organic matter, protect against soil erosion and reduce compaction. Additionally, they make soil more resilient to weather extremes while cycling nutrients. According to data from the survey, Indiana farmers continued plowing less and using conservation practices that preserve topsoil in 2015.

Click here to see more...

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.