Kirk Brock - Monticello, Florida

Cover Crop Innovators Video Series

"If somebody posed the question - would I farm without cover crops - I would say no," says Kirk Brock, who grows peanuts, corn and soybeans on 1,000 acres in Northern Florida. Cereal rye has been Brock's go-to cover crop, but he is now experimenting with mixes that include ryegrass, clover and blue lupine. His biggest challenge with cover crops is timing: finishing harvest and getting the cover crop planted early enough that it will grow before winter. But it pays off. The main benefits he sees are improved soil retention—his area is hilly—as well as better weed control and water infiltration.

Watch more videos in this series about cover crop innovators.