Cover Crop Field Day

Cover Crop Benefits on Display at Meyer Farm

On July 24, 2025, sixty farmers from northeast Iowa and surrounding states gathered at the Eric and Tina Meyer farm near Postville for a field day sponsored by the Practical Farmers of Iowa. Participants learned about cover crops, viewed the benefits of extended crop rotations and discussed the economics of grazing covers.

Eric, Tina and Conner Meyer operate 850 acres of cropland and manage a 100 head cow/calf beef herd. They’ve planted cover crops since 2014 and typically drill cereal rye each fall following harvest. In 2022, they retained some rye acres, harvested the grain to use for their cover crop seed and baled the straw for bedding. After rye harvest, Eric planted a diverse mix of cover crops for grazing.

Eric discussed the value of the covers as feed for his cattle herd. In 2024, his cattle grazed a sixteen acre mix of turnips, radish, crimson clover, vetch, rye, oats, and cowpeas for forty days. He has also used cereal rye for silage. After chopping the rye in late May, he’ll plant soybeans or a corn crop for silage. This year, their crop rotation includes rye, wheat, oats, alfalfa, corn and soybeans.

Rick and Damien Matt farm near Clermont and graze cattle and sheep on a mix of cover crops. Rick complemented Eric’s mix of covers but noted, “It’s important to consider seed cost, we typically budget about $40/acre”. Damien’s goal is to extend the grazing season with cover crops to reduce feed costs. They select livestock based on grazing efficiency and view the cost of cover crops as an investment that improves their soil. They’ve also purchased a Brix meter to measure the sugar content of their forages.

Siebrecht Ag/D&J Feed helped Eric establish multispecies cover crop plots for the field day. The plots featured traditional cover crops such as oats and rye, but also included diverse species like field peas, kale and sorghum sudangrass. TJ Kartes from Saddle Butte Ag discussed the covers. For grazing, TJ recommends species with recessed roots that withstand repeated grazing, “You can compare cover crops to steel rebar in cement, the fibrous roots are your soil rebar”.

Soil pits were dug in three fields for comparison. The first pit represented a traditional corn/soybean rotation. The second pit included no-till soybeans planted into a rye cover crop. The third pit featured no-till corn where small grains and covers were planted in 2024. Soil texture improvements were most visible in the third pit. The topsoil layer was well aerated, very granular and showed obvious earthworm activity. Eric and Conner have used a no-till planting system for several years. Hog manure is their primary fertilizer source, and they’ve modified their planter to ensure consistent downforce and closure of the seed slot.

Becks Hybrids representative Derk Radloff discussed techniques to improve soil organic matter. “Organic matter varies based on your soil resource, but you can improve it by utilizing no-till, seeding cover crops and adding livestock manure”. He added, “for corn following a cover crop, it’s very important to have a readily available nitrogen source”. The Meyer farm features a long list of conservation practices. Eric was ten years old when his Dad first transitioned away from the moldboard plow. He’s added terraces, shaped and seeded grassed waterways and established buffer strips and filter strips. By adding covers and no-till, he’s developed a system that ensures that very little soil ever leaves their farm.

“The goal is to leave my place on earth better for the next generation”. Eric noted, “Success breeds courage, but we’ve also had challenges”. Each season is a new experience. The rye cover crop grew rapidly in 2024 and weather delayed termination. Eric borrowed Rick Matt’s roller/crimper to terminate the tallest rye but slugs were an issue and damaged the emerging soybeans. This spring, Eric terminated the rye cover crop before it could compete with his corn and soybeans. Based on wet weather this summer, small grain harvest was difficult.

The Practical Farmers of Iowa will host over sixty field days this year. Their goal is to develop resilient farms and communities that showcase the efforts of their members. Sponsors for the field day included ADM re:generations and Trout Unlimited. Mad Capital provided the evening meal and refreshments. CIC Enterprises (Chad Donlon) constructed the soil pits.