article thumbnail

Crop Rotation Craziness (or rotations based on the land rather than schedules in books)

Hartwood Farm

I wanted to name this “Ignoring the (Crop Rotation) Experts,” but that title is way too loaded these days! However, in terms of crop rotation, I increasingly find the rigidity of ideas on how to do it chafing. Crop rotation is one of the funny areas in gardening full of super rigid ideas and proscriptions.

article thumbnail

Regenerative Agriculture: A Strategic Approach for Farming

Cropaia

Regenerative farmers adopt a range of practices, such as cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced tillage, and diverse planting, to regenerate the soil and promote natural systems within their farms. Excessive or deep plowing disrupts the soil structure, releases stored carbon, and can lead to erosion.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Whose Farm Is More Sustainable? Calculating Farm Sustainability.

DTN

Two neighbors, Farmer A and Farmer B: both farm 1,000 acres and use the same crop rotation schedule. Farmer A tills 30% of their fields, uses cover crops on 20%, and applies anhydrous ammonia. Farmer B tills 50% of their fields, uses cover crops on 40%, and uses stable nitrogen sources. Consider this scenario.

Farming 98
article thumbnail

Breaking Ground: The Pros and Cons of Reduced-Till Farming

Cropaia

Traditional plowing or tilling can disrupt the soil structure, making it more susceptible to erosion. In some cases, cover crops may inadvertently create niches that favor the growth of specific weed species. Over time, they improve soil structure, reduce erosion, and increase soil moisture retention.

article thumbnail

Can Cover Cropping Heal Abused Soil? A Mad Farm Reflection

ATTRA

year after year, usually with a non-cover fallow, intensive moldboard plowing, and the additions of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. Other Resources Cover Crops for Sustainable Crop Rotations. We’ve been growing monocultures (one plant species, i.e., corn, soybeans, rice, etc.) By Andy Clark. SARE Outreach, 2015.

Crop 52