Farmers Explain How Cover Crops Work
Three farmers with a conservation mindset participated in a panel discussion last Thursday during the "Weathering Water Extremes" workshop in Goshen. Two of those farmers also hosted farm tours last Wednesday and Thursday.
Keith Miller of New Paris, Mike Martin of Wakarusa, and Jim Hess of Goshen shared their perspectives on soil health, livestock and water management. In addition to being a farmer, Hess is also the district manager of the Elkhart County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Frustrated by the high cost of replacing tillage parts and no labor other than himself, Hess purchased a no-till planter in 1994.
"I decided I was going to put money into that and start doing no-till," he said, "because that was the only thing I could control. I did not go into it thinking that I was building soil health. It was a labor savings."
It wasn't a fancy drill—just a 1972 John Deere 7000 drill.
Later, he added cover crops as a source of cheap feed.
"I was not set up to no-till and do cover crops," he said. "That was a process. I had to build that into my system."
Martin planted 21 acres of no-till soybeans in the early 1980s. He experimented with no-till to save time and fuel.
"I gave up on plowing real quick," he said.
He entered dairy farming, got married and moved to his current farm along C.R. 40. His loan officer gave him some good advice about how to manage money. He said that was the best thing that ever happened to him.
After the drought of 1988, he started looking for other ways to manage dairy cattle. He learned about the New Zealand grazing system and how he could lower his costs while maintaining production. He has been rotationally grazing his cows since 1991.
Through the use of cover crops and rotational grazing, Martin has improved the organic matter of his soils. Organic matter jumped from 3.5% in 1991 to 5% in 2025.
"Soil restoration takes a long time," he said. "It's not real fast, but it has benefits over the long haul."
Martin also uses center pivot irrigation to provide green grass for his cows. During 2012, Martin's irrigated pasture remained green while another, non-irrigated pasture dried up. He said the irrigation system has paid for itself.
Martin hosted a tour of his farm last Thursday.
Miller has nearly 50 years of no-till and cover crop management at his farm. In the spring, he plants corn and soybeans into standing cover crops and then terminates the cover crops, which suppress weeds while the cash crop grows.
After wheat harvest in July, Miller planted a 10-way cover crop mix that will fix nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil.
Referring to organic matter, Miller said that that number is the most important measurement on a soil test.
During the 2012 drought year, he had a good corn crop thanks to the use of conservation farming practices.
"2012 without irrigation was the highest income year my wife and I ever had," he said. "I'll plant cover crops and I'll do soil health as long as I'm able, because it works."
During a tour of his farm, Miller displayed tillage radish that measured several feet in length. The soil structure is different because it's rich in nutrients and full of biological activity.
The moderator for that discussion, Mark Evans, visited Miller's farm the day before the tour. He said it was like walking on a sponge. He said conservation farming lowers the risks from severe weather events like floods and droughts.
Like Miller, Hess said that 2012 was also the most profitable year for him.
"The yields weren't the best, but my return on investment—I don't care what the yield is anymore—that was our most profitable year."
Hess also runs a cow-calf operation and views his soil as the instrument that supports the beef farm.
"I use my soil as my insurance policy, but my cattle are the premiums," Hess said. "My outlook on the acreage is different than it was in the mid-2000s."
For farmers considering adopting conservation farming, Miller said they have to stick with it over the long-term.
"The only farming system that I know of that does not work is going back and forth—no-tilling one year, tillage another year or shallow tillage, and back and forth," he said. "No-till means no."
Purdue Expert Shares Data on Covers
With a focus on conservation farming and water quality, last week's "Weathering Water Extremes" Workshop in Goshen examined how farmers can build resilience into their production systems.
One of the items in the toolbox is cover crops, but most farmers don't use them. Why is that? Michael Langemeier, Purdue University agricultural economist, explained why.
Langemeier shared results from a survey of Illinois farmers. The survey showed varying degrees of familiarity with cover crops. Some had more than several years of experience while others were new to the practice. Some tried them and quit after just a couple years.
As the Purdue economist pointed out last Thursday, there is a learning curve with cover crops.
"As you continue with this system, you get better," he said.
One of the biggest disadvantages of cover crops is the yield drag. In the Illinois survey, corn yields on fields with overwintering cover crops were 216 bushels per acre. Net returns were $305 per acre.
On fields without cover crops, corn yields averaged 228 bushels per acre. Net returns were $341 per acre. That's a $36 difference in net returns.
"This yield difference is real for some people the first two years they use cover crops," Langemeier said. "There is quite a bit of research out there that suggests the yield difference goes away over time. You learn how to do it."
The benefits of cover crops accrue over several years. Growers see healthier soils, a reduction in soil loss and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The cost savings can be significant. Growers make fewer passes over the field and use less herbicides and fertilizers. Livestock producers can use cover crops for grazing or to produce forage.
He encouraged growers to ask a lot of questions before switching to a cover crop system.
"Another thing with cover crops is that it's a very long-run decision," he said. "It's kind of like irrigation. That's not a one-year decision. Cover crops are the same way."
According to Langemeier, one of the biggest reasons why farmers are hesitant to plant cover crops is because of the long-term commitment. With roughly half of Indiana's cropland farmed under cash-rental agreements, tenants are more focused on the highest yields and net returns.
"If the payoff is longer term, particularly this yield difference, and I rent that ground on a one-year lease, would I be overly excited about growing cover crops and seeing a negative $30 (net return)?" he asked. "No. If someone is thinking about starting on cover crops, start on owned ground and start it on some of the more marginal ground."
In its monthly Agricultural Economy Barometer, Purdue asked 400 U.S. farmers about their use of cover crops. Nearly half, 46%, said they currently plant cover crops on their farms. Thirty-one percent said they have not planted cover crops, and 22% said they had planted cover crops in the past but not currently.
The average number of years they planted cover crops was 12 years, Langemeier said, but there were many growers (67%) who had been doing it for less than 10 years.
For those who currently plant cover crops, they do so on about one-third of their acreage.
Finally, those who are close to retirement are less likely to embrace cover crops. On the other hand, growers who are younger and looking to expand tend to be more conservation-minded.
"The whole idea of this survey was to show that people don't have one goal," he said. "Too often, you'll hear an economist only talk about net returns per acre. That's a mistake. There are other things that producers think about. One of them is stability (of income)."
Other goals are conservation, farm transfer to the next generation, profit and reducing debt. In the Purdue survey, conservation was cited as the most important goal by 10% of respondents. The most important goal was farm transfer (34%).
Based on the survey results, farm size isn't a factor in whether a grower uses cover crops. As Langemeier said, "It's more of an attitude toward conservation."