American Farmland Trust and the American Society of Agronomy are hosting a four-part webinar series in March to educate agricultural producers and others on the benefits of using cover crops to reduce the cost of farming, improve soil health and reduce runoff from farm fields.

The one-hour webinars will be held on March 6, 13, 20 and 27 starting at 1:00 EST.

“Agricultural producers are rediscovering the benefits of planting cover crops not only to improve soil health and increase crop yields, but also to reduce fertilizer costs and the need for herbicides and pesticides,” said Michael Baise, Midwest Director of AFT. “We are excited to be partnering with the American Society of Agronomy to make these webinars available.”

“The webinars would be valuable to farmers, certified crop advisors and anyone interested in improving their understanding of cover crops and how they can be incorporated into farm management planning,” said Jennifer Filipiak, a Natural Resource Conservationist with AFT. 

“An important mission for AFT is to promote farming practices that not only improve the economics of farming, but the environment as well,” said Andrew McElwaine, President and CEO of AFT.  “Cover crops have all these benefits and more-- a win-win-win situation for everyone.”

The webinars are also sponsored by the Department of Soil Science UW-Madison, DuPont Pioneer, Grassland Oregon, Iowa Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE), Klinkenborg Aerial Spraying and Seeding, LaCrosse Seed, Minnesota SARE, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Wildlife Federation, Practical Farmers of Iowa, SARE and the CISCO Companies.

The webinars are free, but registration is required.  Click Here to register online.  Questions may be directed to Jennifer Filipiak, AFT, by calling 309-808-3778 or emailing: jfilipiak@farmland.org.

American Farmland Trust is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated to protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices and keeping farmers on the land.

For more information, visit American Farmland Trust.

2/24/2014