UMN Extension Healthy Soils and Cover Crops

08/10/2026

Hope to see you at this field day on Wednesday 8/12 at 4 PM! We’re excited to be at this field day. Feel free to bring lots of questions on soil and water management!

Register here: z.umn.edu/BuildingBetterSoil

Come and join us for our 2026 Field Day!

Meeker Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and University of Minnesota Extension are hosting the Building Better Soil Field Day on Wednesday, August 12 from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm including a cookout dinner. This free field day for farmers and agricultural professionals will be hosted at Winton Nelson’s farm at 23453 CSAH 9, Litchfield, MN 55355.
Follow UMN Extension Event signs to the field day location.

07/27/2026

Check out this excellent grant opportunity for soil health equipment! Application opens on Aug 3rd. This grant offers up to 50% cost‑share, with awards ranging from $500 to $45,000. This is a great way to take the next step on your soil health journey!

We're opening the next round of our Soil Health Financial Assistance Program Grants for application on Aug. 3. The grant helps people purchase or retrofit equipment to support soil-building practices. A total of $5 million is available.

Info 🔗 https://www.mda.state.mn.us/5-million-available-soil-health-equipment-grants-0

07/15/2026

Save the date for the 2027 Soil Management Summit! 📆

January 27-28, 2027
Park Event Center
Waite Park, MN

The Soil Management Summit is a 1.5 day event centered around learning and networking with folks in agriculture across Minnesota and beyond. Topics covered include: Cover crops, tillage, livestock integration, nutrient management, economics, and more!

For more information, visit z.umn.edu/SMS.

07/10/2026

Are you planning to seed fall cover crops? Do you farm in an eligible county in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota or Wisconsin?

PFI is accepting applications for our $15-per-acre cover crop cost-share, with no acre cap. The program can be stacked with publicly funded cost-share programs, including IDALS WQI, NRCS EQIP or CSP.

Enrollment is first-come, first-served until the allotted acres are full. Sign up today: https://bit.ly/44nNAIV

07/06/2026

Recruiting farmers for another season of the National Cover Crop Variety Testing Program!

You can see a map of sites for the 2026-2027 season so far here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&mid=159FONJiyXnewox2TTX247s83PgugpM0&ll=39.60097903610365%2C-97.76319649999999&z=5

This project is a great fit for farmers who are excited about trying out different types of cover crops and enjoy spending a little time taking photos and sharing observations throughout the season. All of the observations will feed into a national database to build context-specific cover crop recommendations, and we share results in a publicly available report each year.

Want to participate? Farmers can fill out this short form to indicate how much and what types of seed to be sent: https://missouri.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bgaVyVptQHwwMfA

06/16/2026

Do you know of a farmer or friend who might be going through a tough time? Would you like to learn how to communicate with and support them? If so, this class could be perfect for you. The University of Minnesota Extension is offering two free classes—one in Ada and another in Detroit Lakes- to help you reach out to people who are struggling.

For more information, visit z.umn.edu/COMET-NW

06/05/2026

Soil is a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.

Healthy soils filter water and recharge the groundwater which secure water resources for nature, agriculture, and our communities. 💧

Interested in hearing more about how soil health is the root to achieving cleaner water? Click the link below to watch the video!

https://youtu.be/AqE41RjdRZY

05/13/2026

Check out this cover crop cost share opportunity!

Fall 2026 Program Details
Enrollment period: May 1–August 31, 2026
Payment: $35/acre for single-species cover crops and mixes
Contract length: 1 year
Eligibility: Fields may be enrolled regardless of previous cover crop history
Acreage cap: 2,000 acres per farm entity
Crop requirement: Corn, soybeans, wheat, or sorghum must be planted on the same FSA farm ID as the enrolled acres (happy to clarify this with farmers)
Stacking: Stackable with many state and local programs; not stackable with federally funded programs (e.g., EQIP, CSP, RCPP, or other AMP programs if paying for cover crops)
Support:
Guided enrollment and verification assistance
Year-round, farmer-led technical support through our Cover Crop Coaches
We follow the NRCS 340 Cover Crop Standard, including minimum seeding rates and deadlines. However, we do have approved variances for select species

Reach out to Theresa Pedretti for more information 507-459-9079
[email protected]

04/27/2026

Cover Crop Academy- a hybrid course for ag advisors- will run June 2026-May 2027! You'll get access to research sites at Lamberton, Waseca, or Westport, MN, build a cohort of other experts in your area, and build your agronomic skills around cover crops. We'll cover nutrient management, pest and w**d control, grazing and herbicide issues, and planter setup. Bring your curiosity. Registration open until June 5. https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/cover-crop-academy

03/16/2026

Share your insights on cover crops (whether you use them or not) in this National survey!

Farmers across the United States—whether they use cover crops, formerly used them, or have never planted covers—are invited to share their insights on cover crops in the National Cover Crop Survey. https://www.sare.org/news/sare-ctic-2025-2026-national-cover-crop-survey-now-open-for-farmer-input/ Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) American Seed Trade Association