Cover Crop

Rye/Vetch Cover Crop Our best-selling cover crop, and one we use extensively on our own farm. This is a field mix of annual rye and common vetch that grows well in many different soils, fixing nitrogen and increasing organic matter. Winter-hardy for fall planting, or use year-round. Vetch trellises on rye for dense stands. On wet, poorly drained soils, over-wintered rye may lodge when 4-to-5 feet tall, but vetch will mesh to a 3-foot-thick mat, producing a textured, nitrogen-rich cover crop. Plant about 150 lb. per acre, depending on soil. Can germinate in soil temperatures as low as 33° F.

Diana Fava Beans      Not available currently A master of biomass that out-competes most weeds when grown to maturity. Plants can reach 6-8’ tall. Plant in autumn or in early spring. Winter-hardy plant reliably tolerates down to 12° F, but is intolerant of drought. Turn in at flower set for early nitrogen-fixing cover crop. Grows well alone or in conjunction with a cereal/grain/legume mix. Produces small, globule, high-protein beans (25%) in a 3-5” pod, suitable for feed mixes or excellent protein in soups or casseroles. Cold hardy down to 10 degrees. May be sown from spring to late fall. 75-125 lbs/acre.

Yellow Field Peas Classic dried field pea for cover crop, animal feed, and split pea soup with a ham hock! Fast-growing to 2’, maxing out near 4’. Early green pea-shoots with purple/white flowers are sweet and perfect for salads. Yields heavy crops of high-protein (22%) dried peas. Plant from early spring into summer for a fast, nitrogen-fixing cover crop. Peas prefer cool, moist conditions and will winter kill at 15 degrees. Sow early spring to summer. 150 lbs/acre.

Common Vetch Good year-round cover crop for fixing nitrogen and increase organic matter. Tolerates acidic and low fertility soils, but requires good drainage. Pairs well with winter rye. Creates a thick matt for weed suppression. Plant 100-120 lbs/acre in autumn or spring.
 
Also available with 10% rye.

Forage Barley A favorite meal of our pigs and chickens. A multipurpose cereal grain, it is also useful as a cover crop for soil retention, biomass and weed suppression. Very similar to winter cereal rye, this barley tends to have lower straw strength for tillage and more frost kill, which may work well for you if rye tends to get too woody. Resists lodging. Plant 125-150 lbs/acre in spring or fall for overwintering.

Buckwheat

50# / $75
Per pound: $1.50
Attracts beneficial pollinators.