A practice that offers clear benefits to farmers, wildlife, and climate is cover cropping. Cover crops are non-commodity crops planted in between rows or during fallow periods to prevent chemical leaching, soil erosion, or provide nutrients to feed commodity crops. The National Wildlife Federation recently worked with a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a road map to increase cover crop adoption in the United States.
Currently there is no measure of national cover crop adoption. The National Wildlife Federation has been encouraging federal agencies to collect data on cover crop use. By surveying cover crop seed dealers, the National Wildlife Federation discovered that less than 2 percent of cropland in the Mississippi River Basin is planted to cover crops. If more acres are planted to cover crops, there will be less water pollution from agricultural runoff. The National Wildlife Federation also spoke with water utilities, watershed conservation groups, and other individuals working hard to get more cover crops on the ground in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, and Maryland. Read their stories in Clean Water Grows: Six Successful Cover Crop Outreach Efforts.
In 2013 the National Wildlife Federation began supporting Cover Crop Champions—cover crop leaders who can provide region-specific information and farming knowledge to farmers and crop advisors. These champions receive small grants to pay the cost of their travel, time, and various expenses to share their expertise and passion for cover crops with farmers in their region.
Calling future Cover Crop Champions! Applications are now being accepted.
Deadline: November 22, 2019
The crisis isn't just a global problem—we're facing it in our own backyards. Meet some of the species that are already seeing an impact.
Read More
President and CEO Collin O’Mara reveals in a TEDx Talk why it is essential to connect our children and future generations with wildlife and the outdoors—and how doing so is good for our health, economy, and environment.
Watch Now
What's on deck with the National Wildlife Federation? Check out our scheduled events—we just might be coming to a city near you!
See Events
Place your order today for the themed box that delivers everything you need to create family memories while discovering nature and wildlife.
Learn MoreMore than one-third of U.S. fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. We're on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 52 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive.
PO Box 1583, Merrifield, VA 22116-1583
800.822.9919
Share
