While you are driving around this weekend, look for green in the fields you pass by. These fields aren't green for St. Patrick's Day, but instead because at this time of year, cover crops are growing. These are planted in the fall and grown until about May, between the cash crop growing seasons. Growing cover crops is a conservation practice that provides cover for soil, armoring it from wind or rain events that could cause soil erosion. Planting cover crops enables living roots to be in the soil for longer, which help form and maintain soil aggregates, providing soil structure and improving water infiltration. Cover crops also take carbon out of the air and secrete it into the soil through roots, where it feeds fungal and microbial communities and helps build soil organic matter. While you are out this weekend, look for green, and see if you can spot any cover crops!
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