May 5, 2018
This week, I had the pleasure of
interviewing Steve Groff, a
farmer and cover crop pioneer who has also worked with the
University of Maryland on extensive cover crop research. Steve
founded Cover Crop Coaching in 2016 and has spoken to audiences
across North America, Europe, Australia, Japan, and many other
parts of the world on the use of cover crops across the full range
of agricultural applications.
In this episode, we talk about
important management tools to incorporate with cover crops, the
causes of erosion in a soil system, and how farmers can supply
consumer demand for nutritional value. We also discuss farm
economics, the books Steve read that started him in cover cropping
and a step by step guide for growers who want to start developing
healthy soil.
Support For This Show & Helping You
Grow
This show is brought to you by AEA,
leaders in regenerative agriculture since 2006.
If you are a large-scale grower looking to increase crop revenue
and quality, email hello@advancingecoag.com or
call 800-495-6603 extension 344 to be
connected with a dedicated AEA crop consultant.
Resources recommended by Steve
Episode 7 - Steve Groff
- Highlights
3:00 - What are some of the
memorable moments that have lead Steve to where he is
today?
- Steve
started no till in the early 80’s - Solely to stop soil
erosion
- A key
moment for Steve was 3 years into doing no till - He noticed his
soil was beginning to “mellow out”
- Today
we can transfer to no till much faster than ever before
- In 1995
Steve started researching cover crops - he noticed after a drought
year that he had 28 bushels more of corn preceding the previous 3
years
- Steve
is all-in on cover crops!
8:20 - Erosion is a symptom of a
bigger problem
- Healthier soil isn’t going to blow or wash
away
- We
don’t have a runoff problem, we have a water infiltration
problem
- Steve
is encouraged by seeing mainstream agriculture start to clue
in
10:00 - Can we completely resolve
erosion with the use of cover crops?
- We can
greatly reduce it
- Not
just cover crops - there are many other practices however they are
a key component. Cover crops are a tool - you need to manage them
properly
- Having
a living root in the soil as long as possible is
important
- Having
diversity of species is important - we can enhance this with cover
crops!
- Less/zero soil disturbance is
important
12:30 - What are some of the
other important tools farmers should incorporate?
- Fertility management - (Ex: Avoid anhydrous
ammonia, high salt fertilizers)
- Once
you get your soil functioning, you can start unlocking things that
were locked before, such as allowing more access to certain
minerals
- Steve
isn’t saying everyone needs to be no till - but does advocate it.
Tillage is a destructive event
15:10 - How important is it to
have a diversity of cover crops?
- There
is a time and a place for single species cover crops
- Steve
always plants mixed species
- You
have to play around and see what works on your farm!
- How
many species do you need? Going beyond 6-8; advantages start to
level off.
- Mixed
species doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive
- Cover
crop mixes can be thought of as a “one plus one equals three”
solution
20:30 - What is something that
Steve has puzzled over?
- The
link to human health from how we grow plants and nutrient
density
- Steve
noticed that the USDA doesn’t say how they establish the averages
for nutritional value
- Steve
is looking into creating branding for nutritional basis
26:00 - Does Steve believe it is
possible that farmers will be compensated for growing
quality
- Generally, Steve thinks yes.
- Majority of plant genetics are made for yield -
so it may take awhile to get right
- There
are some plant breeders that are now breeding for quality over
yield
30:50 - Buyers care about flavor
and aroma - These are the same markers of nutrient
density
- Flavor
and aroma is what makes repeat customers
- These
can also be traced back to plant genetics and breeding - it’s
important to build from the ground up
- Big
similarities between microbiome of our gut and the microbiome of
soil
35:50 - What is something that
has surprised Steve in his work?
- The
importance of soil health - What tools like cover crops and no
tillage are capable of
- Once
you get the system working, you don’t need as much
input!
- Steve
expects to continue being surprised as he tries to discover
more
38:00 - What does Steve believe
to be true about agriculture that many others do not?
- Reducing input is not going to lead to “mining
out” the soil
- That
the use of insecticides and fungicides can be reduced
- “Would
you take chemo to prevent cancer?”
41:40 - What does Steve believe
to be the biggest opportunity in agriculture today?
- Cycles
always come and go
- Regenerative agriculture and growing with
reduced input
- Steve
believes there is a bright future ahead
45:00 - What is a book or
resource that Steve would recommend?
46:50 - What ideas or technology
is Steve excited about for the future of agriculture?
- Advancement on cover crop equipment
50:10 - Is Steve having
fun?
- YES!
- Steve
finds it fulfilling to help farmers and being a steward of God’s
earth
51:10 - What would Steve
recommend to a farmer starting down this path today?
- Ask:
What do you want to accomplish? Good to prioritise when you’re
new
- Time of
year will determine species to plant
- Only
apply a new practice to the amount of plants you can afford to
lose
- Learn
all you can - Talk to and follow those who are achieving what you
want to do
54:40 - What does Steve wish John
had asked?
- How the
economics work out - “How can I do this, and flourish?”
56:20 - What has been the
economic impact of cover crops on Steve’s operations?
- Looking
at 5 years - Fertilizer went down 50%, and chemicals went down
37%
58:20 - What was the cost of
these results?
- Growing
your own cover crops cuts down on cost
- 60-80
lbs of nitrogen instead of 175-200 lbs
- Average
corn yield is between 185-200
- For
pumpkins: Can cut nitrogen rate to 45-50 lbs
Feedback & Booking
Please send your feedback, requests for topics or guests, or
booking request have a Podcast episode recorded LIVE at your event
-- to production@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com.
You can email John directly at John@regenerativeagriculturepodcast.com.
Sign Up For Special Updates
To be alerted via email when new episodes are released, and get
special updates about John speaking, teaching, and podcast LIVE
recordings, be sure to sign up
for our email list.