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New Survey of Farm Advisors Shows Growing Interest in Cover Crops

Posted on by Sean McGovern

CTIC, SARE and ASTA release the 2025 National Cover Crop Survey, which focuses on consultants and other trusted advisors.

More than 650 farm advisors from across the United States participated in a survey on cover crops, shining light on how—and how frequently—they advise growers on cover crops. A report on the survey was released today by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), SARE, and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). This is the eighth national cover crop survey conducted by those groups since 2012 and the first to focus on advisors. The American Soybean Association also contributed to this report.

Download the Report

"Advisors play a key role in informing farmers about cover crops and providing technical assistance to help them succeed with covers," pointed out Rob Myers, director of the University of Missouri Center for Regenerative and regional director of extension programs for North Central Region SARE. "Understanding their attitudes toward cover crops, how they get their information, and how they perceive cover crop benefits will help guide efforts to support those advisors."

Ryan Heiniger, executive director of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), added, "This survey opened a window into how cover crops fit into crop consulting businesses and other advisory services. We also observed that seeing is believing, which is borne out by the fact that approximately 70% of the respondents who farm themselves use cover crops on their own operations, and those cover crop users are more inclined to advise their clients on the practice."

ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne emphasized the importance of the perspectives gained from these surveys in empowering the seed industry to respond to the needs of U.S. farmers. “As part of the agriculture and food sector based on innovation, better understanding trends and motivations for planting cover crops enables the seed industry to improve cover crop varieties and use new technologies in the areas most impactful to American agriculture," he said. "Recognizing and adapting to the needs and desires of farmers allows the seed industry to adequately prepare, and ultimately provide, the right seed for the right farm at the right time."

The survey was conducted online in October 2024. The combination of private and public sector advisors represented 46 states. Of the 654 advisors who participated in the survey, 77% were certified crop advisors (CCAs), a certification conferred by the American Society of Agronomy.

Among the highlights of the survey findings:

  • The advisors who used cover crops on their own farms were five times more likely to recommend cover crops to farmers not yet using them, compared to advisors who did not farm with cover crops themselves.
  • Advisors using cover crops on their own farms tended to have a much higher percentage of clients using cover crops—22.3% of the advisors who use cover crops themselves reported 25-50% of their clients are using covers, compared to 9.1% at the same level of adoption among clients of advisors who did not personally use cover crops.
  • The farm advisors surveyed used a wide range of information sources to learn about cover crops. Advisors who reported that they learned about cover crops on the job rather than through formal academic or training channels preferred training sessions (63.9%) and webinars (57.4%) for learning new cover crop insights, but also liked learning from farmers one-on-one (58.3%) and by visiting field trials (30.6%).
  • Looking ahead, a majority of the farm advisors (56.9%) expected to see cover crop acreage continue to increase. They also expected farmers to continue increasing use of cover crop mixes (46.7%) and trying ways of combining other soil health practices with cover crops (52.9%). The advisors expected a moderate amount of interest in newer cover crop topics like planting green (29.2%), grazing cover crops (32.2%), and others.

For more information on the CTIC/SARE/ASTA National Cover Crop Survey Report 2024-2025, visit CTIC’s website.

About the Conservation Technology Information Center
Founded in 1982, CTIC champions, promotes and provides information on technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources, and are productive and profitable. It is one of the oldest nonprofit membership organizations solely dedicated to the advancement of conservation agriculture research, policies and program delivery for producers.

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On-Farm Research Advances Cost-Effective Weed Management Practice on Guam

Posted on by Sean McGovern

Guam’s farmers often rely on hand weeding or gas trimmers to control fast-growing weeds in citrus, papaya and pepper crops. These methods can be expensive and time consuming, so one innovative farmer is instead trying sheet mulching as a cost-effective method to control weeds. Sheet mulching involves layering various sources of organic waste materials on top of the ground to smother weeds. This practice also has the potential to divert paper waste from the landfill and to build soil.

Two people, one in a mask, examine mulched pepper plants in Guam.
Extension agent Joe Tuquero showing mulched guafi peppers to an elder farmer Luis Flores. Credit: Marcela A. Takai

Glenn Takai of Takai Farm used a Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to research the efficacy of using waste cardboard and chipped branches as sheet mulch and found the practice significantly reduced weed propagation and growth. The approach also nearly doubled pepper yields on their test plots, prevented weeds from competing with crops for nutrients, and improved soil organic matter and quality.

Takai’s research improved the environmental and economic sustainability of his and others’ farms by demonstrating a more cost-effective model for weed control and soil improvement. After seeing Takai’s success, neighboring farmers on Guam began adopting the mulching method. A recent post-project evaluation of SARE projects awarded between 2016–2019 found that on-farm research demonstrations encourage other producers to adapt innovative new production practices.

“Mulching, hands down, is going to be the way to go compared to not mulching. I wouldn’t do without it,” said Takai, who credits the SARE grant for enabling his research.

Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts-FW19-348 for more information on this project’s impact.

Sheet Mulch Using Cardboard and Nitrogen Fixing Trees is part of a series produced by Insight for Action as part of a post-project evaluation of SARE's regional grant programs. For more information visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts.

For information on grants and resources available from SARE, visit www.sare.org.

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RFD-TV to Feature Sustainable Innovations on "America’s Heartland"

Posted on by Sean McGovern

Tune in to RFD-TV on Wednesday, April 16, at 5:30 EDT for a new episode of "America’s Heartland" highlighting farmers and ranchers who are using sustainable strategies to adapt to increasingly challenging and unpredictable weather conditions. 

Produced in collaboration with SARE and PBS KVIE, the episode showcases a range of innovative farming techniques, rural community resilience and creative approaches to preserving land for future generations.

  • See how Ashley Loehr and Antoine Guerlain responded to both drought and catastrophic flooding on their diversified vegetable farm in South Royalton, Vermont. They run a certified-organic farm cultivating popcorn, wheat and hay on 37 acres. Strip cropping, buffer strips and a diverse mix of short-cycle and long-season crops provide more flexibility to help reduce income gaps caused by crop loss.
  • The Hamilton family manages Southern Valley Fruit and Vegetable Farm in Norman Park, Georgia, where extreme heat and intensifying hurricane seasons have forced them and other producers to adapt. Adjusting harvesting times protects workers from extreme heat, while growing crops year round across three strategic locations maintains a more reliable income stream.
  • Luke Peterson shares his family’s regenerative approach to cultivating organic grains and grass-fed beef at A-Frame Farm in Madison, Minnesota. By minimizing tillage, rotating crops and incorporating deep-rooted plants like Kernza, they’re restoring the soil’s health and boosting resilience to droughts and heavy storms. 
  • In Waterloo, Iowa, the Westerns carry on their family’s legacy as one of Iowa’s pioneering Black farming families. Facing generations of challenges, the Westerns adopted no-till farming, cover crops and carbon-capture practices to reduce off-farm inputs, regenerate the soil and better manage extreme weather.
  • After inheriting overgrazed land, Joe and Kathy Kipp installed fencing and irrigation to better manage scarce water resources on their ranch on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana. Through their work with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Kipps have restored native prairie grasslands and improved drought resilience to sustain their cattle and bison, all while preserving their land for future generations.

Watch the episode on RFD-TV on Wednesday, April 16, at 5:30 EDT. RFD-TV is carried nationwide on DISH, DIRECTV (satellite) and many cable systems: https://www.rfdtv.com/find-us-on-tv.

If you miss the broadcast, stay tuned! SARE Outreach will share a link to the episode online in the near future.

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Farmer Leadership Key to Adoption of Sustainable Grazing Practices in Wisconsin

Posted on by Sean McGovern

Farmers are often reluctant to risk investments of time or money to adopt research-based conservation practices on their farms. In southern Wisconsin, a creative approach to fostering informal, farmer-led learning opportunities has been key to encouraging farmers to adopt cost-cutting grazing and cover cropping practices that successfully decrease soil erosion and waterway contamination.

Black cattle grazing a cover crop.
Cattle grazing a cover crop. Credit: Marie Raboin

Dane County Conservation Specialist Marie Raboin recognized that farmers who feel inspired and informed by other farmers are more likely to adopt new practices. With support from a North Central SARE Partnership grant, Raboin organized and compensated conservation-minded farmers to share their experiences with other producers. Mentor farmers led field days and one-on-one consultations to help their peers explore grazing cover crops to reduce livestock feed costs.

This farmer-led method significantly enhanced local livestock production sustainability—environmentally, economically and socially—by fostering a culture of innovation. As a result, farmers increased the use of cover cropping practices which reduced feed costs, soil erosion and waterway pollution.

A recent post-project evaluation of SARE projects awarded between 2016 and 2019 found that fostering innovation through farmer-to-farmer learning boosted the project’s outcomes.

“Science matters in promoting sustainable agriculture, but it is just one small piece of the process,” said Raboin. “Community [support] affects more change on the landscape than research out of the best land grant university.”

Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts-ONC19-063 for more information on this project’s impact.

Building Sustainable Relationships Around the Use of Grazing Cover Crops is part of a series produced by Insight for Action as part of a post-project evaluation of SARE's regional grant programs. For more information visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts.

For details on grants and resources available from SARE, visit www.sare.org.

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Farmer-Led Innovation Improves Aquaculture Production and Ecosystems in New England

Posted on by Sean McGovern

Southern New England’s climate offers ideal conditions for producing bay scallops—a sustainable seafood option that also diversifies aquaculture enterprises. However, an important challenge in bay scallop farming is access to nursery systems that can efficiently raise scallops to maturity before transferring them to grow-out environments.

A box with doors open on its top, floating next to a dock with boats in the background.
Floating downweller in the water with doors open. Credit: Dan Ward

With support from a Northeast SARE Farmer grant, Dr. Daniel Ward, owner of Ward Aquafarms, helped to bridge this gap by developing a floating downweller nursery system designed to optimize growth and survival rates for juvenile bay scallops.

Dr. Ward’s innovative system uses stacked trays that increase water flow and surface area, thereby supporting higher production densities without compromising scallop growth or survival. The system allows scallops to grow from fertilized eggs to market-ready sizes more efficiently, improving Ward Aquafarms’ production of high-quality scallops for both market and propagation in overfished or degraded ecosystems.

The project has improved the economic sustainability and environmental quality of New England aquaculture production by enabling producers to sell scallops while simultaneously reviving their production ecosystems.

A recent post-project evaluation of SARE projects awarded between 2016 and 2019 found that fostering innovation through affordable, farmer-driven research grants was key to the project’s success.

“The entire SARE program has been great, and I really believe in their mission to enable farmers to drive the process and partner with academics, instead of the other way around,” Dr. Ward said. ”The amount of money for each project is relatively small, and risk-reward wise, it has led to an amazing return for our industry.”

Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts-fne16-861 for more information on this project’s impact.

Expanding Sustainable Shellfish Aquaculture: Optimizing Growth and Survival in a Bay Scallop Nursery System is part of a series of 23 case studies produced by Insight for Action as part of a post-project evaluation of SARE's regional grant programs. For more information visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts.

For information on grants and resources available from SARE, visit www.sare.org.

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Partnership Helps Ohio Farmers Increase Revenue and Production Efficiency

Posted on by Sean McGovern

Without access to processing facilities, Midwestern specialty crop farmers often miss out on the opportunity to transform their surplus harvests into shelf-stable, value-added products that bring in revenue year round.

Jeanine Seabrook, founder and owner of Glass Rooster Cannery in central Ohio, received two North Central SARE Farmer Rancher grants to partner with local farmers to generate income by processing excess produce that was otherwise going to waste. The grants allowed her to purchase the equipment needed to process over 40,000 pounds of excess produce into sauces, relishes and other canned goods, creating a revenue stream for farmers during the off season.

Three jars from the Glass Rooster Cannery lined up in a row.
Farmers are provided with Glass Rooster Cannery labels and can provide their own farm label as well. Credit: Jeanine Seabrook

Seabrook’s second grant expanded the cannery’s capacity to partner with local farmers. Working with Glass Rooster Cannery improved the economic sustainability and production efficiency of those farms: they have since reduced on-farm waste and begun to sell shelf-stable goods year round.

A recent evaluation of SARE projects awarded between 2016 and 2019 found that building the leadership skills, marketing knowledge and processing capacity of participating farmers was key to the project’s success.

“Each year this farmer brings me their apples. We make apple butter, and they sell it for a 50% profit. That has allowed a single-parent family to have additional income through the winter,” says Seabrook. “It's not going to make or break (either of) our businesses, but it pads us enough to feel free to extend ourselves. That's important in order to grow.”

Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts-FNC16-1056 for more information on this project’s impact.

Formalizing Partnerships to Scale-Up Value-Added Local Food in Rural Ohio is part of a series of 23 case studies produced by Insight for Action as part of a post-project evaluation of SARE's regional grant programs. For more information visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts.

For information on grants and resources available from SARE, visit www.sare.org.

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Utah Develops a Cost-Effective Treatment for Mineral Deficiency in Cattle

Posted on by Sean McGovern

In Utah’s arid landscape, cattle producers face a critical challenge: deficiencies in essential trace minerals like copper, zinc, manganese and selenium, which are vital for cattle health. These mineral deficiencies, worsened by drought and environmental conditions, lead to severe health problems, including increased mortality and illness among affected livestock.

Woman with short blond hair standing behind a steer closely looking at it.
Dr. Kara Thornton collects samples and data from the steers that were on trial. Credit: Bronson Teichert, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Utah State University

Dr. Kara Thornton-Kurth of Utah State University, supported by a Western SARE Research and Education grant, led a project to compare how various mineral supplementation practices impact deficiencies, feedlot performance and response to vaccinations. Their findings revealed that targeted, feed-based mineral supplementation improved cattle health and carcass quality while being more cost effective than injectable supplements.

As a result, the project is enabling producers to make more informed and cost-effective decisions regarding mineral supplementation practices to enhance the economic sustainability and production efficiency of their production systems.

A recent post-project evaluation of SARE projects awarded between 2016 and 2019 found that listening to producers was key to the project’s success.

“A couple of producers had gotten calves from areas that were mineral deficient. Some of them had up to 50% death loss … and wanted to know what they could have done differently to change this in the future,” says Thorton-Kurth. “The big takeaway from our research is that even in really mineral-deficient cattle, the injectable (method) is way too much mineral for the animals.”

Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts-sw18-058 for more information on this project.

Establishing a Protocol for Receiving Cattle that are At-risk of Having a Mineral Deficiency is part of a series of 23 case studies produced by Insight for Action as part of a post-project evaluation of SARE's regional grant programs. For more information visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts.

For information on grants and resources available from SARE, visit www.sare.org.

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Systems Perspective Improves Productivity and Environmental Quality of Grazed Forests

Posted on by Sean McGovern

Throughout the South, urbanization and development have diminished viable farmland. Now, some innovative researchers and farmers are exploring silvopasture—the integration of grazing livestock on forested land—to improve the economic performance and ecological benefits of grazed forests. 

Dr. John Quinn and a team of pork farmers and researchers at Furman University received a Southern SARE Research and Education grant to restore second-growth forests in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia by replacing invasive species with fast-growing forage mixtures. Their research found that implementing sustainable grazing practices on restored forest land can help producers lower production costs, improve soil quality and reduce pasture recovery periods.

Woman in a purple shirt using a tape measuring tool in the woods.
Emma Cook, Furman University Biology student, measures the forest understory as part of the research on how understory grazing can improve agroforestry systems. Credit: Jeremy Flemming

The research partnership is enhancing the environmental and economic sustainability of Southern farming systems by advancing research-based silvopasture systems. These systems can transform second-growth forests with low ecological value into productive forage sources that improve environmental quality.

A recent evaluation of SARE projects awarded between 2016 and 2019 found that addressing farmers' needs within the context of a complex ecosystem was key to the project's success.

“It’s a forest, it’s pasture, maybe there’s a five-acre row crop or vegetable,” says Quinn. “It’s a complex system. This grant really helped me understand that system, ask questions and understand the challenges farmers were facing.”

Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts-LS16-273 for more information on this project.

Improving Silvopasture Systems in the South is part of a series of 23 case studies produced by Insight for Action as part of a post-project evaluation of SARE's regional grant programs. For more information visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts.

For information on grants and resources available from SARE, visit www.sare.org.

View Related SARE Grant: Improving Silvopasture Systems in the South: Identification of Suitable Forage Crops and Enhancement of Environmental Quality in Upland Forests (LS16-273)

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SARE Fellows Program Temporarily On Hold

Posted on by Sean McGovern

SARE Outreach and our national partners have made a difficult decision to temporarily suspend the SARE Fellows program. We will not be accepting Fellows applications, beginning in 2025. 

SARE Fellows, which began in 2007, has been favored by agricultural professionals for providing professional development opportunities through national study tours focused on sustainable agriculture. However, Fellows has not changed since it began and program updates are necessary for us to best meet the current needs of the nation’s sustainable agricultural communities and partners. Pausing the program will allow us to focus on improvements. 

We plan to relaunch a new SARE Outreach program in the future that is similar in its intention to the SARE Fellows program. While we don’t have any further details at this time, the new program will still provide professional development opportunities to agricultural professionals and will continue to keep sustainable agriculture and farmers at the center of its mission. 

We appreciate the support and patience of all of SARE’s partners as we work to make SARE programs the best they can be. We look forward to sharing more details about the new program soon!

Please subscribe to the SARE Outreach mailing list to receive information about program updates.

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Research and Education Reveals Sustainable Cost-Cutting Option for Forage Production

Posted on by Sean McGovern

Bermudagrass has long served as a cornerstone forage for hay production and livestock grazing in the Southeastern United States, but nitrogen fertilizer used in its production is a costly input that can pose risks to soil, water and air quality. 

In response, Auburn University’s Dr. Leanne Dillard spearheaded a Southern SARE Research and Education grant to work with a team of researchers and Alabama farmers to examine the effectiveness of using plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a replacement for nitrogen fertilizer. A two-year research trial revealed that rhizobacteria treatments reduced nitrogen inputs by 50% without reducing forage quality or yield, thus enabling producers to better manage nitrogen application.

As a result, the project is improving the environmental sustainability and production efficiency of farmers, who can now make research-based nutrient management decisions.

A recent post-project evaluation of SARE projects awarded between 2016–2019 found that SARE’s holistic approach to research and education was crucial to the project’s success.

“SARE is an amazing program because it really is an integrated research and education grant,” says Dillard. “With many other USDA grants, it’s more difficult to integrate (research and education), but SARE brings it together.”

Two students work to harvest forage from a test plot.
Auburn University graduate student Kayla Sullins works with other students to harvest PGPR research plots in Lawrence County, AL. Credit: Leanne Dillard

Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts-LS19-307 for more information on this project.

Biofertilization of Bermudagrass: A Step Toward Sustainable Forage Production – Alabama is part of a series of 23 case studies produced by Insight for Action as part of a post-project evaluation of SARE's regional grant programs. Visit https://www.sare.org/sare-impacts for further details.

For information on grants and resources available from SARE, visit www.sare.org.

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