b'state and federal seed lawsgrowers, but one that researchTOOLS TO USEremoves the liability for violat- shows can benefit farmers and ing breeders rights. the environment. Approaches to improving soil health includeThe Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC) is a collaboration of farmers, Extension, Public Policy and Coverexpanding the use of fall orindustry, academia, and state and federal agencies seeking to significantly increase Crops winter cover crops, diversifyingthe amount of continuous living cover on the Upper Midwestern agricultural One of the remarkable trendscrop rotations, reducing tillagelandscape. Anna Morrow - Midwest Cover Crops Council Program Manager, of cover crops beyond theand using compost, manure,commends the MCCC website www.mccc.msu.edu with its wealth of cover crop farm gate is the interest bybiochar, or other soil amend-major food companies in coverments. resources that farm supply businesses can use to guide and inform growers.crops. Whether it is GeneralBetween 2015 and 2018, Midwestern Extension materials concerning cover crop management.Mills or Tysons or ADM orstates debated 166 bills related Unilever or Wrangler Jeans,to soil health, according toCover Crop Recipes provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing companies are encouragingan April 2019 report from thecover crops. The recipes are organized by state and crop rotation.farmers to plant cover crops asUnion of Concerned Scientists A Cover Crop Field Guide in print or as a mobile app. It is a pocket reference forpart of managing the sustain- (UCS). When soil is healthy, itcover crop management. ability of their supply chains. Incan hold a lot more water and the past three to five years, bigdrain better, but it also can beOnline cover crop selector tool. Select a cover crop based on specific climate companies are touting the usepart of the climate solution,data for each growers location, seeding date, and goals. We are in the process of cover crops to improve soilsays Karen Perry Stillerman, aof making this mobile-friendly!health or see the benefits ofsenior UCS analyst. carbon sequestration or dealHundreds of millions of dol-with nutrient management.lars are available for farmersin seven state agencies tack- soil health approaches. It is Wrangler Jeans, for example,to get assistance in plantingling healthy soil on public land,more about improving sys-has a line of more sustainablecover crops. Those programsprivate farms and ranches andtems to get the most benefit clothing for which they asktypically pay $30 to $50 perin other environmental pro- from soil health investments.farmers to use cover crops.acre and in some cases moregrams. California had 35 billsIts really about trying to Unilever is asking farmers tothan that. Generally, that willintroduced during the four- make sure farmers are sup-use cover crops for producingcover the cost of seed andyear study period, the mostported in adopting a system soybeans that will be used inseeding.of any state. Among them, 15of soil health practices that mayonnaise.In 2019, at least 10 stateshave passed, according to thecan help improve the sustain-As floods and droughtshave introduced new soilresearchers. ability and resilience of those become more common, farm- management policies that callOther states, includingfarms in the long run, says ers, scientists, and conserva- for further research or dataNew York and Utah, haveMarcia DeLonge at the UCS. I tionists are looking for newcollection, or offer tax exemp- passed legislation or pro- think whats really important ways to cope. Increasingly,tions, technical assistance orvided funding to help offsetis that there is a lot of atten-one solution to combating theeven grant money to encour- the impact of carbon diox- tion from a lot of different changing climate begins onage farmers to plant coveride emissions. States likeentry points to. How does the ground with cover crops.crops, diversify crop rotations,Nebraska and New Mexicothis help us build resilience on A growing number of statesand reduce tillage.have followed in the footstepsour farms and put farmers in across the country are propos- In California, for example,of Maryland, whose soil healtha stronger position to manage ing policies to encourage build- then-Gov. Jerry Brown initi- program was signed into lawthe climate and the extreme ing healthier agricultural soil,ated a comprehensive statein 2017. The future is aboutchanges that are happening a costly investment for manystrategy in 2015 that resultedmore than adopting variousand are also ahead?SWENDORSED BY 20/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2019'