Regenerative Nexus North Carolina is just around the corner... Will you be joining us? This event is designed for farmers, by farmers. We bring the producers leading the push on regenerative agriculture into one room and let them talk, teach, inspire, and encourage each other as they work through the challenges of regenerative farming. There's no trade show floor, and no one is selling you anything, just real conversations, farmer panels, and time in the field to see regenerative agriculture up close and personal. You'll leave with a contact list, so the conversations keep going after the event ends. Location: Center of Regenerative Agriculture at Union Grove Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina Date: November 10th-12th. Learn more and register: zurl.co/zDJDY

There's still time to submit your photos to be considered for the next cover of our Soil Health Resource Guide! Each year, our team pulls together stories from regenerators across the country and the world for the Soil Health Resource Guide. These stories are meant to inspire and provide information for those hoping to improve their soils and regenerate their land. If you love taking photos while out in the field, we'd love for you to share them so we can consider them for the next front cover. The winner will receive a $300 cash prize! Deadline to submit is Wednesday, October 21st. Submit your photos here: zurl.co/BkYQl These photos were submitted by Lynnae King who was our cover page winner for the 10th Edition Soil Health Resource Guide. Aren't they awesome? #CoverCrops #Soilhealth #RegenerativeAgriculture

When it come to hairy vetch toxicity, there are a few important things to understand. The seed is toxic so if you're grazing hairy vetch as a part of a mix, you want to be sure to pull livestock off when the plants begin to set mature seed. You can identify mature vetch seed by it's dark black color. Grazing while the plant is blooming is fine. Then when it comes to grazing the plant itself, there have been documented cases of toxicity in livestock but from our experience, they are extremely rare. We have lots of customers who graze hairy vetch as a part of a mix year after year and never have issues. Keep vetch at 4 to 5 pounds or less in your cover crop mix to avoid any possible toxicity issues. You can order hairy vetch directly from our website: zurl.co/eLHwe or give our team a call at 402-469-6784 to have a custom mix designed and shipped to your door. #CoverCrops #Soilhealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping #HairyVetch

What's the best seeding rate for this time of year? Fall cereals like cereal rye and triticale grow extensive amounts of biomass through tillering. These plants produce multiple stems called tillers from a single plant or seed. When these plants germinate in early fall they have plenty of sunshine and warmth to germinate quickly and develop lots of tillers, increasing the overall biomass of the crop. As the season progresses and the temperature and day length wanes, tillering reduces and it’s up to us to compensate with more plants in the field. A general rule for these cereals is to increase the seeding rate the later you plant and, ultimately, your goals play a large role in determining that rate. Rule of thumb: increase your seeding rate by 20lbs/ac each month in the fall past September If you're ready to get your fall cereals in the ground, be sure to give us a call at 402-469-6784 to make sure we select the best variety and best rate for your scenario. #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping

Where your seed is grown matters. 10 years ago we had little understanding of a seed's microbiome. Now we know that a seed's microbiome is inherited from the parent plant as well as the soil it was grown in. That's why our team works hard to source as much seed as possible from growers who are using regenerative practices. Perhaps they're applying compost extracts, grazing livestock on their acres or growing diverse cover crop mixes... Each of those practices builds plant health and turns the soil into a diverse habitat for beneficial microbes. Those microbes hitch a ride on the inside and outside of seed crop which ultimately ends up in your drill on planting day. You can listen to the full podcast episode with Patrick Kavanaugh, Director of Soil and Vine Health at Union Grove Farm here: zurl.co/Q1zZv #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping #Microbiome #OrganicFarming

Check out these interseeded soybeans ready for harvest! This the 2nd year this customer in SE Minnesota has planted this mix on the same field. It contains cosaque black oats, impact forage collards, purple top turnip and mycorrhizal inoculate Elevated Fungi. He drone spread it Aug 28th with virtually no moisture prior then received about 15" from spreading until now. One of the rains was a single 10" event. The mix was about 8" tall at harvest and Carter says it was no trouble to harvest even with all the growth. He harvested the beans on October 8th and they made about 70 bu/ac. He has seen no white mold on his beans and contributes that to the residue from last year and the cover growing this year. It has prevented the soil from splashing up on the plants even with all the late season moisture. The one thing he was bummed about was having to harvest the bean and cut the forage off in the process. However, he plans to graze this mix this fall. Curious about interseeding your soybeans next year? We'll have our Interseeding Report out soon with results from our on-farm trials. In the meantime, check out this podcast episode we did with Alex Frasier who is having great success with soybean interseeding in South Dakota: zurl.co/9NPFb #SoilHealth #CoverCrops #RegenerativeAgriculture #BiologicalDiversity #CoverCropping

It's not too late to plant triticale! If you're north of I-70, your options for planting an overwintering cover crop are beginning to narrow but you can still safely plant triticale up until about Thanksgiving. So long as you can get the drill into the ground, you're good to plant between now and then. Triticale is an excellent forage crop and it has the hardiness of cereal rye, meaning it's one of few options you can still safely plant this time of year. You may want to consider triticale over cereal rye if you're looking for a premium grazing product for livestock or you'd like to harvest it for hay or silage in the spring. You can pair triticale with hairy vetch, austrian winter peas and also throw in cereal rye if you're looking for diversity. Further south, you guys still have options for more diverse mixes. We're carrying two main triticale varieties this year - one is better suited for further north while the other is better for further south. Both cost $0.42 per pound and the recommended seeding rate starts at around 60lbs per acre and goes up depending on your goals. Keep in mind that the later your planting in the fall, the longer you'll need in the spring to reach peak growth. Shop triticale on our website: zurl.co/uzdyS Photo #3 courtesy of Lisa Blazure #CoverCrops #Grazing #ForageCrops #OverwinteringMix #CoverCropping #GrassFedAndFinished

What cover crops can you still plant this time of year? For many of our customers who are north of I-70, you have until about Thanksgiving to plant austrian winter peas, hairy vetch and triticale and you can plant cereal rye pretty much any month of the winter when you can get a drill in the ground. Keep in mind the later in the fall that you plant, the more time the cover crop will need in the spring to get the full value out of it. If you're south of I-70, your options are much more varied. All of the above mentioned species are a go and many areas can still reliably plant cereals like black oats and barley, legumes like clovers and you'll be fine to diversify into brassicas like winter camelina and rapeseed, possibly turnips, collards and radishes depending on location. The best way to know for sure is to call in to get a specific recommendation to make sure you're setting yourself up for success. Call our team at 402-469-6784 to get your questions answered and your seed shipped! Or you can order your seed to be shipped to your door or picked up at one of our two locations in Bladen, Nebraska or Iola, Kansas on our website: zurl.co/tBaek #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #regenerativeagriculture #covercropping Photo #3 courtesy of Hannah Jones

Can you guess which corn was grown conventionally and which was grown regeneratively? Top: conventional, 50 bu/ac. Bottom: regenerative, estimated at 100 bu/ac. A central Kansas customer shared these photos of his regenerative corn and a family member's conventional corn. Both varieties come from the same company with similar specs, and the photos were taken days apart. The conventional field got heavy synthetic fertilizer. The regenerative field hasn't had synthetic nitrogen or phosphorus in several years, and its only chemical this year was a preplant herbicide. How? This customer plants diverse cover crop mixes with heavy rates of legumes to fix nitrogen and uses soil tests to decide when to apply biologicals and micronutrients. "At springtime I had 29lbs of available nitrogen. If the 1lb N per bushel is a true rule, that means biology can and did provide all necessary nitrogen." On phosphorus: "Buckwheat extracts all the phosphorus any farmer could ever need with simple acids it releases from its roots. Soil test shows 1600lbs of phosphorus locked up in my soil, so in my opinion I never need to buy phos." His crop also cost a fraction as much to grow, so it would be more profitable even without doubling the yield. Next time someone tells you regenerative doesn't work, show them this post. You can still plant hairy vetch for nitrogen fixation this year. Give our team a call to discuss rates and timing for maximum benefit 402-469-6784 or order Winter Warrior Hairy Vetch directly from our website: zurl.co/eRpjz #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #FarmingforProfit #SoilHealth

Do you love capturing photos while you're in the field? Consider submitting your best photos for a chance to win $300! We're looking for the front cover of our next Soil Health Resource Guide publication. Submit a high-quality photo that illustrates soil health, cover crops, biodiversity, or animals grazing cover crops for the chance to be selected! Submit your photo here: zurl.co/U7U2N Photo #1 courtesy of Don Wirth Photo #2 courtesy of Coley Burgess Photo #3 courtesy of Josh Polich Photo #4 courtesy of Taffera Family Farms

Are you still hoping to get a spring forage planted for livestock? Depending on where you're located, you still have options. Cereal rye is an excellent choice for spring grazing and you can add in hairy vetch for an extra protein boost which can be safely grazed up until seed set. For most of the country you can still plant these species this time of year although it's getting late for hairy vetch as you go north. Triticale is another fantastic option. It holds it's forage value far longer than cereal rye and if you need, it can be taken as a premium quality hay or silage crop. Austrian winter peas or hairy vetch could pair well. If you're south of I-70, your options for planting forages yet this fall are much more diverse. Consider species like black oats, barley, forage collards, turnips or radish, maybe clovers. Our Winter Grazing Mix includes cereal rye, winter triticale, hairy vetch and austrian winter peas. These are our most hardy forage options for this time of year and will still work in most of the country. Check that mix out: zurl.co/OrpUK Call in to get a quick recommendation for your location and goals. 402-469-6784 Photo #1 courtesy of Mark King Photo #2 courtesy of Growing Deer Photo #3 courtesy of Brett Peshek

How much nitrogen can you expect to produce with hairy vetch? A good rule of thumb is that for every 1lb of hairy vetch seed you plant, you can expect to produce 5-10lbs of nitrogen. When you're looking to break down cost on that, you can figure that with 10lbs of vetch your seed cost will be $20-$25 per acre and you can expect between 50-100lbs of nitrogen. Say nitrogen costs $1/lbs then you've got a $20 investment with a possible $100 return. We've got great supply of our Winter Warrior Hairy Vetch and it's ready to be shipped to your door or picked up at one of our two locations in Bladen, Nebraska or Iola, Kansas. Purchase directly on our website: zurl.co/LgSQc Or give us a call at 402-469-6784 to place your order with a sales representative! #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping #OrganicFarming #OrganicNitrogen #HairyVetch

Are you capturing God's gift of late season rains? With less than 4 inches of rain by mid-June, pastures and hayland were looking bleak in northeastern Nebraska this year as they treaded through one of the worst droughts on record. And the rains didn't come in July either... But they did start to come in August and they came big time in September. Our Contract Seed Production Manager, Scott Ravenkamp ranches in the area and shared the following observations: “It started raining at like 4 in the morning and by sunup I think the perennial grass had grown an inch. It really made me think about how the system should be designed to work. Our native pastures are really taking advantage of this moisture right now. We even have yucca plants blooming again.” Perennial grasses that may have looked worse for wear this summer are making quick work of these rains. During drought they go dormant, specifically designed to wait out the hard times for better days ahead. And when the moisture does come, those deep roots help the soil soak up every last drop. If you're curious about putting in some perennials next spring or yet this fall if you're down south, be sure to call into our team to discuss a custom perennial mix 402-469-6784 #perennialpasture #GrazingLivestock #Grassfedcattle #Livestock #CoverCrops #Perennials #Perennialgrasses #perennialseed

Farmers across the central US are sitting at a standstill waiting to get out in the fields to start harvest for the 2026 season. Unseasonal rains have hammered down on the region leaving grain soaked and fields too wet to run equipment through. What can be done during a time like this? Many of us, whether we’d like to admit it or not, could have been heard complaining a few months ago about the lack of rain we received during the summer months this year. And now, God is blessing us with enormous amounts of rain, in some areas 5 inches in one day. But the timing does not fit within the conventional paradigm. It’s early October, our crops are finished growing, they could have used this rain months ago. While we’re feeling frustrated and anxious waiting for these blessed rains to let-up, here is some food for thought. Is the rain coming at the wrong time or is the system flawed? The conventional row cropping system is not designed to maximize rainfall capture. We desperately need rain during critical growth stages of the plant and if we get it when our crop should be drying down, it can be disastrous. We leave our fields completely bare for almost half the year. These facts make the system vulnerable and subject to failure with the increasingly more volatile weather patterns we see. What would it look like to move away from this rigid system and diversify to ensure you against these “abnormal” years? Growing forage is one option. Most forage farmers are capturing every drop of these late season rains and seeing immediate returns. Perhaps you planted a forage mix after wheat or some of your acres are in perennials. Maybe you're like Rick Clark and give your fields a "regen year" where they're taken out of crop production and planted solely to diverse cover crops. Maximizing living roots as often as possible is key to building resilience on the farm. Continue reading to learn more... zurl.co/lKfk9 #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #CoverCropping #ResilientFarming #RegenerativeAgriculture

Nitrogen tie-up or allelopathy? Though rye is the most common cover crop in the US it is commonly blamed for its negative allelopathic effects on following cash crops. But is it allelopathy or nitrogen tie-up? One we can manage around, the other is more difficult if we still want to plant rye. Some plants, including cereal rye, produce natural allelopathic chemicals that inhibit the growth of nearby seedlings. According to this definition we shouldn’t plant any sort of cash crop near a rye plant. Yet many corn and bean farmers successfully plant right into standing rye, terminate the cover and grow excellent yields. How could that be? Allelopathic chemicals are most effective on small seeded species and will not impact large seeded crops like corn or soybeans. So what causes the yield drag? More and more researchers and farmers alike believe a yield drop in corn following rye is more-so attributed to nitrogen tie-up. Rye and corn are both grasses. They’re hungry for nitrogen and they’ll use up whatever they can access. This is good news because nitrogen is something we can manage in agricultural systems. When we grow a rye crop ahead of corn, we can strategically apply nitrogen fertilizer at planting once the rye is terminated to avoid tie-up issues. Then apply nitrogen as needed through different stages of the plant’s growth while not increasing the total amount of nitrogen used during the growing season. We can also grow our own nitrogen. Hairy vetch (with the help of tiny microbes) is known to fix about 5-10lbs of plant-available nitrogen for every pound of seed planted. So if you planted 10 pounds of vetch along with your rye crop and let it grow until mid-May you could reasonably expect 50-100lbs of nitrogen. Now you may still need to use some synthetic fertilizer, but that hairy vetch can offset some of the nitrogen used by the rye crop and give the corn a boost right when it’s planted. Give us a call today at 402-469-6784 if you’re curious about growing your own nitrogen next spring. Sources zurl.co/qjlMh #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping #CerealRye Photo #1 courtesy of USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center

We're looking forward to hosting Greg Judy as our keynote speaker at the Southeast Kansas Soil Health Conference in Iola, Kansas in December! Greg and Jan Judy turned near-bankruptcy in 1999 into a debt-free operation spanning 22 farms (owned and leased), grazing South Poll cattle, St. Croix hair sheep, and growing Shiitake mushrooms. Greg teaches planned grazing, multi-species grazing, and land leasing at schools and events across the world and is the author of three books on regenerative grazing detailing the custom grazing and holistic high-density methods that built their operation from scratch. You'll get to learn from Greg and others at the Southeast Kansas Soil Health Conference on December 3rd and 4th in Iola, Kansas. Be sure to sign-up today! zurl.co/5vdyl #Grazing #RotationalGrazing #ProfitableRanching #GregJudy #LivestockManagement #GrazingEducation

Our R&D department seems to expand every year. This year, thanks to Art Befort, a local Kansas farmer, we planted test plots right along Highway 281, a half mile south of Lebanon, Kansas. In July, the Art harvested a wheat crop so we planted a variety of diverse mixes to learn more about how they respond in this unique planting period. Summer cover crops mean a lot of diversity. We have everything from warm season grasses to cool season brassicas and everything in between. This plot has received about 4 inches of rain since planting and most of the species are thriving. They have received no additional irrigation. If you’re in the area, be sure to join us on October 13th for a morning tour of the plots plus a free breakfast. Sign up here: zurl.co/C9vHK #CoverCrops #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping

Regenerative Nexus is coming to North Carolina! Join us amongst the vines at Union Grove Farm on November 10th-12th for three days of high quality learning and networking. Walk away with tangible changes you can bring home to implement on your operation. On day one attend a hands-on workshop with Laura Kavanaugh, PhD to learn more about microbial communities and how you can increase nutrient cycling, residue decomposition and improve soil structure, plant health and crop yields. Days two and three will be a hybrid between in-field learning and farmer-led panels. We'll break for locally sourced meals where we encourage you to share your ideas and ask questions with other attendees. This event is designed for farmers. There's no tradeshow, no sales pitch, just farmers sharing how they're moving the needle with regenerative practices. Will you be joining us? Sign-up today as spots are limited: zurl.co/jnwpf #Soilhealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCrops #RegenerativeViticulture

How can we introduce more diversity into our agricultural systems? If you've been on the regenerative track for a while, you already know that maximizing diversity is the key to improving soil health and bringing more resiliency to our farms and ranches. But the conventional system is not so easy to introduce diversity into. If you're a corn or bean grower, the prime growing months of the year are occupied by a monoculture cash crop. And sometimes harvest bleeds late into the fall, narrowing your options for a diverse overwintering cover crop. Interseeding cover crops during the growing season is a very promising option. Corn and soybean interseeding allow us to turn a monoculture field into a diverse habitat with plants from multiple plant families. Species that work well need to be shade tolerant and vigorous enough to compete under the canopy. For example, our Corn Interseeding Mix (for V3-V6 stage) includes medium red clover, crimson clover, annual ryegrass, radish, rapeseed, white mustard, flax, and buckwheat. We will be harvesting our Corn Interseeding and Soybean Interseeding plots soon and then we'll get to work on our 2026 Corn Interseeding Report. For now, check-out last year's report to learn more: zurl.co/H7XN9 All photos were taken by Rachel Gnagy in our test plots at Green Cover in Bladen, Nebraska this past July. #CoverCrops #CornInterseeding #CoverCropping #RegenerativeAgriculture #Soilhealth #MaximizeDiversity #SoyBeanInterseeding

Is allelopathy causing your corn crop to be stunted after a cereal rye cover crop? The short answer is no, but that doesn't mean that there isn't necessary management you should be aware of. Cereal rye will not have an allelopathic effect on your corn but it may pose a risk for nitrogen tie-up. Cereal rye grows vigorously, taking up most available nitrogen in the soil. You may see your corn crop suffer if you do not manage your nitrogen accordingly. For the corn crop shown in this video, we terminated our cereal rye, then planted our corn seed and then applied nitrogen. We streamed on about 75 pounds of nitrogen right after we planted this and then through the pivot, we were able to apply nitrogen at several other stages throughout the life cycle of this corn. So all told, this has probably had around 140 to 150 units of nitrogen, and we're expecting this corn to make 230 to 250 bushels. Then as far as the nitrogen that was taken up by the cereal rye, most of that will become available again as the cereal rye crop is breaking down but it will not be available immediately. Looking to plant cereal rye this year? We still have a good supply of Hazlet Cereal rye which you can order directly from our website: zurl.co/ionvy Or place your order over the phone with a sales rep at 402-469-6784 #covercrops #Soilhealth #CerealRye #CerealRyeCoverCrop #Soilhealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #CoverCropping