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The NDSU Extension weekly podcast In the Pod: Soybean Updates delivers timely insights and expert advice on soybean production.
You're listening to In The Pod, Soybean Updates, a weekly trek into the latest soybean information from NDSU Extension. The Cover Crop Summit is jam packed with helpful information and programs. Alexis Carreira, NDSU conservation agronomist, has reflections of the summit. Alexis, how did the event go?
Alexis Carreira:It was really successful. We had over a 150 people register. There were over 80 unique logins on Zoom, each station. So we had people in person at Dickinson, Langdon, here in Fargo at the Peltier Complex, and then also in Carrington. It was really nice to have those interactions. We had a couple presentations from Ezra Eberle. He talked about cover crops in North Dakota systems and then followed by Kevin Sedovic who talked about livestock integration.
Bruce Sundeen:What were some of the highlights for you?
Alexis Carreira:Ezra talked about different opportunities when you could plant cover crops, whether that's before soybeans, after soybeans, how that fits into systems with wheat, really trying to cover acres across the state. And then Kevin followed that up by talking about opportunities to put livestock onto cover crops and how those forage opportunities can kind of offset some other feed costs and things of that nature. We had three different farmers speak with us, which was really, really nice. Vance Johnson from Breckenridge, Minnesota talked to us about cover crop economics and his experience in his own fields over the years, and he had some really amazing records tracking his operation. This guy does no till, plants sugar beets, and does cover crops.
Alexis Carreira:Just a really interesting combination of things that was really exciting to hear from his experience. And then we had specifically farmer experience presentations from Paul Overby, who's up in Wolford. And Derek Ducart, he is a farmer rancher down in Manning, so kind of closer to where I'm at. Hearing about their experiences, how they started out, kind of curious and interesting cover crops, and where they are now fully integrating them into their systems and trying to find opportunities to protect and build their soil with cover crops.
Bruce Sundeen:If you'd like to see the recordings, they are in a playlist on the Dickinson YouTube channel. Alexis, are there other highlights?
Alexis Carreira:So in addition to, like, the farmer presentations, we also had two presentations talking about cost share opportunities. Derek Oliver from the NRCS talked about the different cost share programs offered like EQIP, CSP, etcetera. And then I actually talked about the program that I administer in North Dakota, the Farmers for Soil Health. It was an initiative started by farmers and it's funded by a federal grant, but also by the National Corn Growers Association, Pork Checkoff, and Soy Checkoff. So some of your checkoff dollars go towards programs like these, and Farmers For Soil Health is specifically designed to offset the cost of cover crops. There's been some pretty serious program modifications that just went through, which is really exciting. There's, of course, caveats and things of that nature, but it's now a single year sign up for $35 an acre with a cap of 2,000 acres. And because it's funded by these checkoff organizations, to qualify you do have to have corn, soybeans, but also wheat and a couple other crops qualify. And if you're not sure if you qualify, you can always talk to myself if you're in North Dakota or if you check the Farmers for Soil Health website, you can find out who in your state would be your contact.
Bruce Sundeen:Thanks, Alexis. Enrollment is now open and can be found at farmersforsoil.com. Our guest has been Alexis Carreira, NDSU conservation agronomist. You're listening to In the Pod, Soybean Updates, a weekly trek into the latest soybean information from NDSU Extension supported by the North Dakota Soybean Council.