Cover crops retain large amounts of water in fields, which is especially beneficial in times of drought. Farmer Brendon Rockey turned to cover crops in 2007 when a drought hit Colorado. The following year, his water use dropped, and after rotating potatoes and cover crops in different fields over time, he found his water use was cut in half! Rockey also noticed a change in his field’s soil health after planting cover crops, and reduced his use of pesticides and fertilizers in response. Rockey does not use any chemicals on his farm; he instead has planted a flowering strip to attract beneficial insects as well as insects like aphids, to distract them from damaging crops as they prefer the pollen and nectar of the strip. Read the full article!
