Our host, Scott Beaton, chats with Kevin Elmy from Cover Crops Canada about …..wait for it….cover crops. 

They talk about why we should all be growing them in the first place and then get into some of the nitty gritty details about some timing issues, how to plan a cover crop mix and how cover crops actually work to improve your soil aggregates and water infiltration.

Thanks to Imperial Seed for helping to sponsor this episode. If you’re thinking about growing a cover crop this year, check out their website at https://imperialseed.com/ or call one of their experts for some help in deciding what would work best for you!

Sponsor

Imperial Seed Ltd. is an accredited seed processing facility focused on the multiplication and processing of proprietary forage and turf seed. Seed production is facilitated through a network of seed growers throughout Western Canada. Growers have at their disposal almost 60 years of cumulative field experience with our staff. This provides both new and experienced growers with an extensive resource related to their seed production.

https://imperialseed.com/

https://twitter.com/ImperialSeed

Guest bio for Kevin Elmy

I was raised on a seed farm near Saltcoats, SK. I moved back in 1999 after various jobs after convocation from the University of Saskatchewan. The land I bought was baled and burned for 50 years so needed reviving. So we changed our management to included forages, corn grazing, winter cereals, reduced tillage, and the use of cover crops. We got to where we have not added synthetic nitrogen for 13 years, reduced our use of herbicides, eliminated seed treatments, fungicides and insecticides, and now eliminated the rest of our synthetic fertilizer applications. Our soil are now alive.

Resources

Check out Kevin’s cover crop assessment sheet and more info about cover crops at

https://covercrops.ca/

And https://imperialseed.com/

Haven’t filled out Callum’s survey in 2019 yet? 

Click here to fill it out. 

Or follow him on Twitter @CallumMorrisons  and he’ll let you know when to fill out his 2020 survey.

MOA also hosted a cover cropping workshop last November and the videos are available on our website https://manitobaorganicalliance.com/article/nov-13-brandon-mb-getting-the-most-out-of-every-acre-through-cover-cropping/ or go straight to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZg0amo8jn6M6b7O38ZvriznADlDmT9Mm

Still wanting to read more?

http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/naturalagriculture/covercrops.html

https://www.pivotandgrow.com/resources/production/cover-crops/

Favourite read (book)

Kevin’s Top Book Pick

“When Weeds Talk”

https://www.acresusa.com/products/weeds-and-why-they-grow

Host: Scott Beaton

Guests: Kevin Elmy & Callum Morrison

Narrator: Karen Klassen

Producer: Karen Klassen

Editor: Karen Klassen

Consultant: Anne Kirk

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Manitoba Organic Alliance.