Even though we are harvesting through the winter, the farm still has something of the sleepy winter feel to it. We have cover crops growing in 80% of the fields. Those fields that we are harvesting from now will go into cover crops as these crops finish and we’ll bring them into summer production later.
So what exactly is a cover crop, and what does it do?
Our winter cover crop is generally a mix of bell beans, vetch, peas, and oats. A cover crop is grown not for harvest but to improve the soil, outcompete weeds, and prevent erosion during the winter rains. The legumes (peas, beans, and vetch) are nitrogen-fixers. They have a symbiotic relationship with tiny bacteria on their roots. The plant captures nitrogen from the atmosphere and the bacteria form nodules that sequester the nitrogen in little nodules on the plant’s roots (see picture at right). The tall, strong cereal grains we plant along with the legumes gives them (particularly the delicate stemmed peas and vetch) scaffolding to climb. Sometimes our cover crops grow to over 6 feet tall. When we mow down the cover crop in spring and turn the plant matter into the soil, the nitrogen and the organic matter from the plants nourishes the soil as a completely natural fertilizer.
It’s particularly important to get cover crops in on the sloped parts of our farm before the first heavy rains because the cover crop also serves the purpose of holding the soil in and preventing erosion. A third and also very important function of cover crops is to lessen the weed pressure. As organic farmers, dealing with weeds is very expensive. Weeds are a constant pressure and can stunt the growth of our crops if they are allowed to get out of hand. A thickly sown cover crop can be a great boost to prevent weeds from growing and going to seed during the winter months.
We have found that investing in good cover crops (both winter and summer) is vital to the sound functioning of our farm and to growing good vegetables the rest of the year. As a bonus, they add beauty to the landscape and the kids love to munch on the pea shoots as they’re growing in the field!
We wish you all a happy New Year!
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