Past Event: Cover Cropping for Forage Systems

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Experiences from the Field: Cover Cropping for Forage Systems

At this online workshop we heard from Dr. Jillian Bainard with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada about livestock integration and the balances between risk and reward when incorporating cover crops into your rotation. 

Local producer Erin Harris of Kootenay Meadows Organic Dairy in the Creston Valley shared their farm’s experiences incorporating cover crop rotations of fall rye into alfalfa stands and their learning curves about seeding rates, terminating cover crops and re-establishing pasture. 

Local resources:

• View the event recording here
• Summary of field day at Kootenay Meadows Farm – 2020
• Watch a KBFA Youtube video of Kootenay Meadows cover cropping program.

Recommended resources from the BC Forage  Council:

• Forage Fact #101: What’s All the Fuss? Cocktail Cover Crops. Peace River Forage Association of BC.
  Link: https://peaceforage.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/FF_101_Cocktail_Cover_Crops.pdf 
• On-Farm Research Case Study: Kale-Oats as season extension. BC Forage Council.
  Link: https://bcforagecouncil.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/fi03-on-farm-demonstration-research-case-study-1.pdf 
• Management Principle #5: Advanced Cropping Systems (BMP Manual, pg 101-105). Canadian Forage and Grassland Association.
  Link: https://www.canadianfga.ca/uploads/source/BMP-Manual.pdf 
• Extending the Grazing Season with Turnips. Western Beef Development Centre.
  Link: http://westernbeef.org/pdfs/fact_sheets/2003/extending_the_grazing_season_with_turnips.pdf