Cover Cropping Systems

for Vegetable Farms

Vern Grubinger

NOFA-VT

February 17, 2018

possible covers

your goals

cropping systems

farm conditions &

resources

cover cropping

Goals

Possible cover crops

• Legumes….clovers, hairy vetch, peas…etc.

• Grasses….oats, rye, ryegrass, Sudax, etc.

• Buckwheat

• Brassicas…mustards, radish

• Other….Phacelia, sunn hemp, etc.

• Mixtures…lots

Cropping systems

• Timing

• Location

• Duration

• Management: sowing, mowing, tillage, etc.

Cover crop timing/duration

• Fall-sown, winter/spring cover

• Spring-sown, spring/summer cover

• Summer-sown, summer/fall cover

• Whenever, long-term sod

Cover crop location

• Whole fields

• Walkways between rows

• Annual strips in place of rows

• Permanent beds / permanent walkways

fall-planted winter rye

Wellspring CSA, Marshfield

fall planted hairy vetch + rye

fall planted hairy vetch + oats

Killdeer Farm, Ely

fall planted oats + peas

Rockville Market Garden, Starksboro

fall planted tillage radish

Northeastern Vine Supply West Pawlett

0

100

200

300

400

Co

ver

cro

p b

iom

ass (

g m

-2)

K LGB C D E JH IFA

Cover crop

Legumes Grass Radish

early Augustlate JulyPlanting date:A None

B Alfalfa

C Crimson clover

D Clover mix

E Dutch white clover

F Soybean

G Hairy vetch

H Hairy vetch/winter rye

I Winter rye

J Annual ryegrass

K Tillage radish (10 lbs)

L Tillage radish (25 lbs)

Fall cover crop biomass (UNH, 2012)

Much higher

productivity

than other

cover crops,

not affected by

planting date

winter-killed oats

High Meadows Farm, Putney

spring-planted peas + oats

Marble Rose FarmMiddlebury

overwintered red clover

Pete’s Greens, Craftsbury

frost-seeded red clover

Wood’s Market Garden, Brandon

inter-seeded winter rye

Lewis Creek Farm, Starksboro

Lilac Ridge Farm, W. Brattleboro

inter-seeded oats with strawberries

buckwheat summer smother crop

Adam’s Berry Farm, Charlotte

sorghum-Sudangrass summer/fall cover

Pomykala Farm, Grand Isle

yellow sweet clover biennial cover

Riverberry Farm, Fairfax

sunn hemp summer smother legume

Roxbury Farm, Kinderhook NY

white clover annual wide alleys

Edgewater Farm, Plainfield NH

skinny vetch strips on ridges between rows

Beech Grove FarmTrout Run, PA

overseeding covers in winter squash

Red Wing Farm, Townshend

covers after winter squash harvest

Red Wing Farm, Townshend

ryegrass walkways between plastic

Clearbrook Farm Shaftsbury

oats walkways between plastic

Mighty Food Farm, Shaftsbury

how best to mow strips?

cutting winter rye onto fall-laid plastic

Elderberry Pond FarmAuburn NY

ryegrass walkways, no plastic

Foote Brook FarmJohnson

seeding ryegrass walkways

Foote Brook FarmJohnson

zone-till into killed rye

Intervale Community FarmBurlington

deep zone-tiller

strip-till into killed rye

Hudak Farm, Swanton

crimped and solarized winter rye no-till

Cedar Circle Farm, E. Thetford

permanent beds, bare walkways

Ol’ Turtle Farm, Easthampton MA

permanent beds, sod walkways

Blue Heron Farm, Lodi NY

perennial turf grass between currants

Cherry Hill Farm, Springfield

mustard biofumigant spring/summer/fall

Four Corners Farm, Newbury

flail mow (chop up) mustard biofumigant

UMass Research Farm, S. Deerfield

sealing soil after mustard incorporation

UMass Research Farm, S. Deerfield

Phacelia summer cover

The Farm Between, Jeffersonville

good for pollinators

rye+vetch in high tunnel

Pleasant Valley Farm, Argyle NY

oats in high tunnel

Burnt Rock Farm, Huntington

mowing ryegrass in high tunnel

thanks for all you do!