A seed is more than what meets the eye... A single seed can be home to billions of microbes living both on and inside of the seed. These microorganisms aid the plant in germination and defending against pests and diseases. These organisms also help the plant to make exchanges for resources within the microbiome of the soil. Think of how rhizobia bacteria and legumes work together to fix nitrogen. Or how mycorrhizal fungi live on plant roots and help increase a plants ability to access and take up soil moisture. If you're looking for high quality seed that'll help boost microbial populations and improve your soil health, Green Cover is the right choice for you. Our team works personally with dozens of growers across the country to grow our seed in regenerative systems. You can order seed directly from our website or call in today at 402-469-6784 to place your order. We ship nationwide and you can pick seed up at one of our two locations in Bladen, Nebraska or Iola, Kansas. zurl.co/SIqox #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping

Are your crops getting the best form of nitrogen? Not all nitrogen is the same. Nitrate is the water-soluble form of nitrogen and the most common form of N applied to crops. Plants take it up easily with water, but that same solubility makes it prone to leaching and runoff into water sources. Plants also have to spend energy converting nitrate before they can use it. Ultimately plants want nitrogen to build proteins. Nitrate is a building block for nitrite, which is a building block for ammonium which is a building block for amino acids which, ultimately, are the building blocks of proteins. So to create those proteins plants use energy to convert nitrate into protein. As a legume, hairy vetch forms associations with nitrogen fixing bacteria that take atmospheric nitrogen in the form of N2 and convert it to plant available nitrogen like ammonium. When the plant receives nitrogen in the form of ammonium, it requires less energy to convert it to proteins. Plants take in a finite amount of energy everyday through photosynthesis. The less energy they use to convert compounds, the more energy they can devote to building tissue and fighting off disease. Learn more in this article: zurl.co/PeN92 #Covercrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture

The team at Union Grove Farm are utilizing sheep, diverse cover cropping and compost teas to increase biological activity on the farm. You can learn more about their specific practices and what they've learned along the way at the Regenerative Nexus conference at Union Grove Farm on November 10-12. This event is designed to bring farmers together to discuss the major opportunities and challenges that regenerative producers face today. You'll meet producers from all different backgrounds, each on different stages of their learning journey. Day one will be a hands-on workshop looking at soil microbiology with Dr. Laura Kavanaugh followed by two days of both in-classroom and in-field learning. The most valuable thing you'll walk away with is the connections you make at this event. It's not too late to join us, learn more and register here: zurl.co/SCHxf #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #CoverCropping #RegenerativeAgriculture

Livestock integration is a huge priority at Union Grove Farm. So much so that they have introduced sheep to their vineyard! Patrick Kavanaugh was a recent guest on the Green Cover podcast where he described their efforts to mimic nature and maximize biological diversity on the farm. We're cohosting the Regenerative Nexus conference with Union Grove on November 10-12th in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This will be a great opportunity for regenerative practitioners of all backgrounds to come together to ask questions and share wisdom. Come learn from Patrick, Dr. Laura Kavanaugh, Jack Middleton of Fat Mountain Farms and other regenerative farmers from the southeast region during this impactful, three day on-farm conference. We'll share in awesome, locally sourced meals and dive deep into meaningful conversation. You won't want to miss this awesome learning opportunity! Feel free to reach out to our team to learn more 402-469-6784 or register for the event today: zurl.co/PxHop #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #coverCropping

Soil temperatures are holding across the country with many locations showing slightly higher temperatures compared to the past 5 year average. What does that mean for cover crops? It means you still have plenty of time to get seed in the ground as you wrap up the harvest. Some years winter weather blows in before harvest even wraps up. But this year, lots of areas are experiencing beautiful fall temperatures into late October. With that said, cereal rye, triticale, hairy vetch and winter peas are still viable options for a fall cover crop for most areas north of I-70. If you're south of I-70, you still have options for more diverse mixes. Give our team a call at 402-469-6784 to discuss which species you can still plant this fall.

Ever seen sheep grazing in a vineyard? That's exactly what they're doing at Union Grove farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina to build soil health and improve the health of their grape vines. You can see this practice in person and ask all of your questions at the Regenerative Nexus event at Union Grove Farm on November 10-12th. We'll kick-off the conference with a soil biology workshop with Dr. Laura Kavanaugh on November 10th then spend the following two days between the classroom and the field to dive deep into regenerative principles and how they can be applied to your farm. While this farm is hosted on a vineyard, the conference is designed to bring together producers of diverse backgrounds to learn from one another. All producer types are welcome! Register by November 1st to be included in the Networking Book which is passed out to all attendees to further connections once the event is over. Registration closes Friday, November 6th. zurl.co/pgzsE #Soilhealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping #RegenerativeViticulture

Greg Judy is our keynote speaker at the 2026 Southeast Kansas Soil Health Conference in Iola, Kansas on December 2-3! Greg and Jan Judy turned near-bankruptcy in 1999 into a debt-free operation spanning 22 farms (owned and leased), grazing South Poll cattle, St. Croix hair sheep, and growing Shiitake mushrooms. Greg teaches planned grazing, multi-species grazing, and land leasing at schools and events across the world and is the author of three books on regenerative grazing detailing the custom grazing and holistic high-density methods that built their operation from scratch. You'll get to learn from Greg and others at the Southeast Kansas Soil Health Conference on December 3rd and 4th in Iola, Kansas. Be sure to sign-up today! zurl.co/yhn2Q #Grazing #RotationalGrazing #ProfitableRanching #GregJudy #LivestockManagement #GrazingEducation

Regenerative Nexus is coming east of the Mississippi for the first time. November 10–12, we’re gathering at Union Grove Farm near Chapel Hill, NC, with row crop, livestock and specialty crop growers from across the Southeast and up the East Coast. No trade show. No sales pitches. Just farmers sharing what’s working on their own ground, what isn’t yet, and a whole room that jumps into the conversation. Dr. Laura Kavanaugh kicks things off Tuesday with an in-field soil biology workshop. Wednesday afternoon we head to the field to look at soils, livestock and cover crops. Along the way we’ll share six farm-to-table meals, and you’ll drive home with a contact book full of farmers you can call for years. Good advice is easy to find online. A fellow producer who’s already made the mistake you’re about to make isn’t. Come find your people. Register here: zurl.co/fNBXX #RegenerativeNexus #SoilHealth #CoverCrops #RegenerativeAg #NorthCarolinaFarming #FarmerToFarmer

Have your temps gotten low yet? Parts of the country have already been blanketed in the season's first snow or maybe you're just a few weeks out. If you haven't gotten your winter cover crop planted yet, what are your options? Cereal rye can be planted pretty much any month of the winter so long as the ground isn't too frozen. Triticale is the next runner-up when it comes to winter hardiness and for folks north of I-70, a general rule is you can plant triticale, hairy vetch and austrian winter peas up until Thanksgiving. For those of you further south, you've still got some time on those four species and can probably get away with more diverse mixes at this time. To get a specific recommendation, call into our team at 402-469-6784 and check out this article to learn more about planting rates as you get further into the fall season: zurl.co/8nFHO Photo #2 courtesy of Mark Thomas Photo #3 courtesy of Shawn Freeland #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping

Interested in roller crimping? Roller crimping is gaining popularity because it is extremely soil-health-friendly. This termination method involves rolling a heavy drum with metal blades over mature cover crops to crimp stems and flatten biomass. It disturbs no soil, requires no herbicide, and typically uses less diesel than tillage. Cereal rye and triticale are both great candidates for roller crimping because as they reach maturity, their big hallow stems are very easy to break which cuts off the plant's vascular system, ultimately killing it. The result is a thick mat that protects the soil, retains soil moisture and helps to suppress weeds. We have a great supply of both cereal rye and triticale available for purchase directly through our website or call in to place your order with a sales representative 402-469-6784. Shop cereal rye: zurl.co/Xsi6J Shop triticale: zurl.co/arfmo #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #CoverCropping #RollerCrimping #regenerativeagriculture

Why plant a diverse mix instead of a monoculture? We can't predict the weather, therefor we cannot predict which species will be the top performer each year. Whether it's a lack of rainfall, late frost or pest pressure, any number of factors could completely wipe out a monoculture planting. In monocultures, each plant competes for the exact same resources, making survival more difficult. This is why we end up needing to apply fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals to nurse such a fragile system. A diverse mix mimics nature's resilient design. Every plant species has different needs and has unique relationships with soil biology to help fulfill their nutrient, mineral and moisture needs. In our test plots, we consistently see mixes outperform monocultures. You may not see every single species thrive in a mix but you're much more likely to get a viable crop with a diverse mix than with a monoculture. If there is a particular plant that struggles, you can use that plant as an indicator species to help better understand what's going on in the soil. What mix are you growing this fall? Let us know in the comments below! #SoilHealth #CoverCrops #CoverCropping #Diversity #Regenerativeagriculture Photo #1 courtesy of Jose Carlos de Oliveira

No human can survive very long without food, the same goes for microbes. Without a consistent energy/food source soil microbe populations begin to die. Microbe food comes in the form of carbon; conveniently a byproduct of a plant’s photosynthetic process. While a plant is actively growing it pumps carbon to the soil microbes in exchange for minerals and other nutrients. Without a living plant, this exchange doesn’t happen. No energy is being pumped into the soil. The microbes don’t have consistent food. Those plants are like a power cord reaching up towards the sun, collecting light energy and transferring it through the leaves, stem and roots to the soil beneath. When we take that plant away, it’s like unplugging your fields from their only source of power for an entire 6 months. How can we expect the system to switch right back on to full capacity in the spring? If we do this long enough we start to see the effects; greater need for synthetic fertilizers, more disease pressure, depleted soils. Keeping a living root in the ground during the winter is crucial for keeping the power running. Cereal rye can photosynthesize in temperatures as low as 38 degrees even beneath snow. Of course the growth rate is very slow, but it is still pumping energy into that system. Think of many days from October through April have highs above 38 degrees with the sun shining down. Without a living plant we’re wasting all those energy resources, free for the taking. So if you haven’t already, be sure to, at the very least, plant some cereal rye this winter so you can capture all that valuable food for the soil. Call into our team at 402-469-6784 to get your overwintering cover crop ready to plant this fall! #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping Photo #1 courtesy of Yadi Wang Photo #3 courtesy of Jones in Finland

Looking to save $$ on nitrogen fertilizer costs? Hairy vetch is a viable option for fixing organic nitrogen but it will likely require an adjustment to your cropping schedule. A full rate of hairy vetch (15-20lbs per acre) will routinely fix up to 200lbs of Nitrogen an acre when it's allowed to grow late enough in the spring. If you're north of I-70, you have until about Thanksgiving time to still get hairy vetch planted but it will need that spring growth to make large amounts of N. In our test plots in Bladen, Nebraska, we will typically plant hairy vetch around October 10th and pull biomass samples indicating 200lbs of available N by mid-May. Now, that's probably a later termination date than what you're used to if you're planting corn but it may be worth considering adjusting your planting schedule if it means saving money on synthetic nitrogen. For our organic producers, this is the most viable option for growing a high yield corn crop. They get their nitrogen from legumes, mainly hairy vetch and then plant a shorter season corn the end of May or early June. And you need to keep in mind that not all of that N will be available right away. Nutrient cycling plays a big role in how fast the biomass from the hairy vetch breaks down. We do carry biological products that can help speed up the decomposition process but ultimately, the longer you have been growing legumes the more N will be available in your soil. Do you think you'd be able to make this adjustment to save on input costs? Might be worth considering. Call into our team today to discuss how hairy vetch could help save you money and increase profits in 2027. 402-469-6784 or order hairy vetch directly from our website: zurl.co/miPhn #CoverCrops #OrganicFarming #RegenerativeAgriculture #OrganicNitrogen #Legumes #LegumeCoverCrop #CoverCropping

There's nothing quite like being a farm kid. Farms and ranches create unique opportunities for children to experience the natural world, while observing their family members steward the land. If you were lucky enough to grow up as a farm kid, you likely have endless stories of adventures and plenty of memories of hours spent doing chores. Our purpose statement at Green Cover is "Helping people regenerate, steward, and share God's creation for future generations." The work we're doing stretches far beyond what we see and experience today and it impacts the future of our children. If we can do our part to leave things better than we found it, then that would be a win. Today is the final day to submit your photos to our Soil Health Resource Guide Photo Contest. Share memories captured on the farm/ranch for the chance to win $300 as the front cover winner! If submitting photos of children, be sure to get full consent from parents. Submit your photos here: zurl.co/yy71H Photo #1 courtesy of anonymous Green Cover customer Photo #2 courtesy of Common Sense Agronomics Photo #3 courtesy of Jonathan Kilpatrick #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #Farmlife

When buying seed, it's important to understand what variety you're getting. Oftentimes, the variety is unknown or labeled as VNS which just means "variety not stated". If this is the case, it's difficult to know if that seed will be winter hardy, drought tolerant or when you can expect it to start coming up in the spring. So we encourage you to always ask for this information and if you're buying from us, we'll help you decipher which option is the best for your specific scenario. Hazlet cereal rye is a northern variety that can be planted as far north as Canada. It's an ideal fit for planting this time of year and depending on where you're at you can still add in species like our Winter Warrior hairy vetch or Austrian winter peas for nitrogen fixation and diversity. Folks south of I-70 have even more options. You can order Hazlet cereal rye directly from our website: zurl.co/xbKaB or call into our sales team at 402-469-6784 #CoverCrops #Soilhealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping #CerealRye #OverwinteringCoverCrop

Regenerative Nexus North Carolina is just around the corner... Will you be joining us? This event is designed for farmers, by farmers. We bring the producers leading the push on regenerative agriculture into one room and let them talk, teach, inspire, and encourage each other as they work through the challenges of regenerative farming. There's no trade show floor, and no one is selling you anything, just real conversations, farmer panels, and time in the field to see regenerative agriculture up close and personal. You'll leave with a contact list, so the conversations keep going after the event ends. Location: Center of Regenerative Agriculture at Union Grove Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina Date: November 10th-12th. Learn more and register: zurl.co/zDJDY

There's still time to submit your photos to be considered for the next cover of our Soil Health Resource Guide! Each year, our team pulls together stories from regenerators across the country and the world for the Soil Health Resource Guide. These stories are meant to inspire and provide information for those hoping to improve their soils and regenerate their land. If you love taking photos while out in the field, we'd love for you to share them so we can consider them for the next front cover. The winner will receive a $300 cash prize! Deadline to submit is Wednesday, October 21st. Submit your photos here: zurl.co/BkYQl These photos were submitted by Lynnae King who was our cover page winner for the 10th Edition Soil Health Resource Guide. Aren't they awesome? #CoverCrops #Soilhealth #RegenerativeAgriculture

When it come to hairy vetch toxicity, there are a few important things to understand. The seed is toxic so if you're grazing hairy vetch as a part of a mix, you want to be sure to pull livestock off when the plants begin to set mature seed. You can identify mature vetch seed by it's dark black color. Grazing while the plant is blooming is fine. Then when it comes to grazing the plant itself, there have been documented cases of toxicity in livestock but from our experience, they are extremely rare. We have lots of customers who graze hairy vetch as a part of a mix year after year and never have issues. Keep vetch at 4 to 5 pounds or less in your cover crop mix to avoid any possible toxicity issues. You can order hairy vetch directly from our website: zurl.co/eLHwe or give our team a call at 402-469-6784 to have a custom mix designed and shipped to your door. #CoverCrops #Soilhealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping #HairyVetch

What's the best seeding rate for this time of year? Fall cereals like cereal rye and triticale grow extensive amounts of biomass through tillering. These plants produce multiple stems called tillers from a single plant or seed. When these plants germinate in early fall they have plenty of sunshine and warmth to germinate quickly and develop lots of tillers, increasing the overall biomass of the crop. As the season progresses and the temperature and day length wanes, tillering reduces and it’s up to us to compensate with more plants in the field. A general rule for these cereals is to increase the seeding rate the later you plant and, ultimately, your goals play a large role in determining that rate. Rule of thumb: increase your seeding rate by 20lbs/ac each month in the fall past September If you're ready to get your fall cereals in the ground, be sure to give us a call at 402-469-6784 to make sure we select the best variety and best rate for your scenario. #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping

Where your seed is grown matters. 10 years ago we had little understanding of a seed's microbiome. Now we know that a seed's microbiome is inherited from the parent plant as well as the soil it was grown in. That's why our team works hard to source as much seed as possible from growers who are using regenerative practices. Perhaps they're applying compost extracts, grazing livestock on their acres or growing diverse cover crop mixes... Each of those practices builds plant health and turns the soil into a diverse habitat for beneficial microbes. Those microbes hitch a ride on the inside and outside of seed crop which ultimately ends up in your drill on planting day. You can listen to the full podcast episode with Patrick Kavanaugh, Director of Soil and Vine Health at Union Grove Farm here: zurl.co/Q1zZv #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping #Microbiome #OrganicFarming