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COVER CROPPING ASSISTANCE
Looking for an innovative way to boost soil health and fertility on your farm? Cover cropping is for you! Cover crops are used to build soil fertility and organic matter, keep soil in place, and manage compaction, field moisture, weeds, pests and diseases.
NEW 2020 COVER CROP COST SHARE PROGRAM!
PCD is offering 75% cost share, up to $150/acre, for cover crop seedings in 2020! Eligible expenses include seed, innoculant, fertilizer, labor and equipment rental for establishing cover crops. Steps to access this program are:
1.) Work with a PCD farm planner to fill out a simple jobsheet for your cover crop seeding.
2.) Seed your cover crop according to jobsheet guidelines and receive your cost share reimbursement.
3.) Share what you learn! Complete a short evaluation form with a PCD planner after you terminate your cover crop planting to capture successes and lessons learned that PCD can use with our landowner cover crop network.
USE PCD’S NO-TILL SEED DRILL AND FLAIL MOWER
Make seeding cover crops a cinch by utilizing our pull-type no-till seed drill. At a 6 ft working width with optional capacities for native grass and small seeds, the drill is ideal for any cover crop or pasture renovation application if you have a minimum 40 HP tractor with rear remote hydraulics to run it. We also have a flail mower available as an option for terminating cover crops and leaving residue evenly chopped and distributed.
Contact Alison Nichols for technical assistance around cover cropping or to apply for cover crop cost share, and see the resource list below.
COVER CROPS FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
- WSU Puyallup Organic Farming Systems and Nutrient Management program’s cover crop trials, cover crop school presentations, cover crop termination video, and reduced tillage in organic production video.
- Cover Crop Resources and Seed Vendors for Oregon and Washington
- Methods for Successful Cover Crop Management in Your Home Garden – WSU Extension
- Cover Crops for Home Gardens West of the Cascades – WSU Extension
- Adaptation of 59 Cover Crop Cultivars in Western Oregon – Final Study Report
- Warm Season Cover Crops for Western Oregon - USDA-NRCS PMC
- OSU Cover Crop Calculator
- 2019 1st Annual Cover Crop Roundtable recording!
- 2020 2nd Annual Cover Crop Roundtable recording!
- Cover Crop Resource List
GENERAL RESOURCES
- SARE Cover Crop Learning Room
- Managing Cover Crops Profitably, An introduction to cover cropping basics and overviews of cover crop species.
CHOOSING COVER CROPS
Contact Us
-
Rene Skaggs
Farm Planning & Agricultural Assistance Program Director and Nisqually Watershed Farm Resource Specialist
renes@piercecd.org
Phone: 253.845.9770 ext. 106
Alison Nichols
Crop Farm Specialist
alisonn@piercecd.org
Phone: 253.845.9770 ext. 132
Paul Borne
Key Peninsula, Gig Harbor & Islands Farm Resource Specialist
paulb@piercecd.org
Phone: 253.845.9770 ext. 105
Nicole Warren
Puyallup-White River Farm Program Specialist
nicolew@piercecd.org
Phone: 253.845.9770 ext. 128
Equipment Rental Hours
(Excluding Holidays)
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
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