Soil Health – Why is it important?

Healthy soils have the continued capacity to function as a vital living system that sustains plant, animal and human health.  Soil health practices can scavenge nutrients, build organic matter, provide soil armor, reduced erosion, suppress weeds, and reduce soil compaction.

Soil health practices are not a one-size-fits-all program.  Each farming operation is different, so each farmer’s soil health journey is different. Soil health practices can be tailored to your operation, goals, and needs.  Begin your journey today, talk to Winona County SWCD about conservation practices that can help you to improve soil health on your farm!

Cover Crop Cost-Share Programs

Cover Crop Cost-Share programs are intended as an incentive to prompt producers to begin the soil health journey and not as a subsidy for continued Cover Crop use.  The goal of Cover Crop Cost-Share programs is to assist producers in learning to incorporate cover crops into their operation so that they can realize the benefits first hand.  These benefits of Cover Crops will then provide producers the incentive to continue to use cover crops into the future.

Cover Crop Cost-Share Financial Assistance

  • Flat Rate Per Acre

    • Single Species $50
    • Multi Species $60

  • Not to exceed 100 acres per landowner/occupier

  • Landowner/occupier eligible for up to two (2), one (1) year contracts

    • 1st Contract – Single or Multi Species
    • 2nd Contract – Enhancing previous soil health practices

  • Contract must be approved prior to planting of cover crops

  • Contract for cover crops required to be approved by August 31

  • Payment made after cover crops have been certified by SWCD staff and approved by SWCD Board

Soil Health Principals

Soil Armor

  • Plant residue, preferably living plants

Minimizing Soil Disturbance

  • Reduced physical, chemical and biological disturbances

Plant Diversity

  • Diverse crop rotations and cover crop mixes

Continual Live Plant/Root

  • When “crops” are not growing, cover crops should be

Livestock Integration

  • A balanced return of livestock to the landscape

Context

  • How can soil health be incorporated into your operation?

Key benefits from healthy soils

  • Decreased inputs

  • Reduced topsoil erosion

  • Reduced compaction

  • Scavenge nutrients

  • Increased yield protection & stability

  • Increased net profit per acre

  • Increased infiltration

  • Improved water quality

  • Improved soil biology

  • Improved wildlife habitat

Conservation practices for healthy soils

  • No till, strip till, residue management
  • Conservation crop rotation – diversity
  • Cover crops
  • Nutrient Management – reduced fertilizer use
  • Pest Management – reduced pesticide use
  • Livestock Management – keep on the landscape
  • Compost

Links related to Soil Health:

The views and opinions of the links above do not represent all views and opinions of the Winona County SWCD staff and supervisors.