Cover crop considerations

By Brianna Smith

Kara Spicer is a certified crop adviser with B&B Ag-Vantages Inc. in Conover, Ohio,  where she is the fourth generation in the family business.  After earning a degree in agronomy with a minor in business from Wilmington College, Spicer returned to the business full-time in December of 2016. Today, she helps with in-office sales, customer service, daily operations, soil sampling, and cover crop planning for growers.

Q: What should farmers consider first when choosing a cover crop species?
A: “No. 1 is what your real goal is. That can be anything from erosion control, weed suppression, organic matter,  government programs, etc. We get growers that call in and say, ‘I just signed up for this government program. I don’t really know what I need, but I know I’m in this program.’ We can make sure they are putting on the mix to meet those requirements. The first thing is figuring out what you are really looking to accomplish by adding cover crops into the mix.”… Continue reading