Cover Crop Criteria

HOPEWELL, Ohio – Cover crops are planted in the fall to help prevent soil erosion which can lead to better fertility and lessen stream pollution. 

Local Farmer Randall Horst voluntarily planted a variety of cover crops in his field to demonstrate how they grow during the winter months and provide multiple benefits during their short life span.

“Cover crops are used for a number of different things,” Horst said. “Primarily, I look at them as a means of erosion control. Having something growing there to slow the raindrops as they fall. The leaves of the cover crop are like little solar panels harvesting energy from the sun, feeding the soil life.”

Horst said that cover crops usually cost between $15 and $50 dollars per acre and can be harvested to provide a lower cost food source for livestock, however their main function is to protect the soil. 

“Rye is our most popular one, most common that we use, Cereal Rye,” Horst said. “I really like Hairy Vetch. It’s a legume and it’s a little slower to establish but it handles a lot of more difficult environments. So, cheaper ones would be wheat but there’s lots of options.”

Horst noted that the biggest expense of planting cover crops is time consumption and believes that the long term effects of taking care of the soil will pay off in the long run.