Cover Crop Economics in Livestock Systems with Kevin Elmy

Western Canadian top cover crop expert, Kevin Elmy, will give us the lowdown on the economics of using cover crops in livestock systems for forage and soil health improvements. Kevin will go over:

• Cover crop functions and goals

• Timing of seeding and termination

• Short and long-term benefits and pitfalls to watch out for

• Costs of seeding, applications, and termination

• Projecting revenue and calculating cost per acre

• Indirect benefits and ecosystem services

• Matching your cover crop plan to your goals

• Understanding functional plant groups

• Different ways of grazing cover crops

• Making management decisions

Soil health plays an important role in my personal and professional life. We started our journey of “retooling” our soils in 2000 when we bought land and moved back to our family farm. Turned out we bought dirt. Through different management we started to own soil. We created a functioning ecosystem that we harvested plant production. Cover cropping has been at the heart of our management change.

I have been fortunate to have been traveling across western Canada talking to farmers helping them get off the input merry go round for ten years now. I love educating and coaching producers, working out a system that works for them. Every operation is unique requiring to develop their own system.

Note: Tickets are $10 but if this is a barrier for you, please contact us.