Harvest time, cover crop time

     As a voluntary, assistant commissioner for the Jones Soil and Water Conservation District, I have been asked to write an occasional column for our local newspapers. Our five Jones County soil commissioners are elected, unpaid citizens who oversee the administration of state and federal cost-share funding for programs that protect our soil and water resources.

     As one views our fields and streams at this time of year, it is difficult to see soil erosion and water pollution. Our streams run clear, and our corn and soybeans hide most gullies. The silt build-up at the bottom of hills, and the mud-colored streams and rivers that we saw in the springtime are not seen now. So what do farmers think about, now?

     Besides the anticipation of harvest and the hectic long days and nights that go with it, farmers think about what they can do to prevent soil loss and water pollution. This time of year is not only harvest, but cover crop planting time! Some cover crops have already been sown in standing fields by use of airplanes, but most cover cropping will be done soon after harvest.

     Cover cropping is a relatively new system in agriculture, and “soil health” is the catch-word phrase that gives a scientific measurement to efforts to improve our soils productive potential. The building up of soil organic matter, improvement of soil structure, and the increase of soil microbe numbers all can be measured and do add to soil productivity to increase yield potential. Microbial activity might just be one of the answers to some of our industrial agriculture problems.

     Conservation and conversation have only two letter changes, but have completely different meanings. One word is action, the other is talk. This column, of itself, is just talk. But we all need to be more aware of the need to move to action. I invite you to make a positive difference on your land by learning about the different types of cover crops and how they improve soil health. Watch for upcoming field days and workshops, and stop by our office in the USDA Service Center at 300 Chamber Drive in Anamosa, visit us at www.jonesswcd.org, or give us a call at 319-462-3196, ext. 3. It’s harvest time, let’s get planting!