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Cover Crop Academy

Do you work with farmers who want to use cover crops but are struggling to incorporate them into Minnesota’s short growing season? Are you striving to help producers build soil health systems that are agronomic and economic successes?

Learn how to solve problems with cover crops at the Minnesota Cover Crop Academy, a hybrid, year-long, statewide course for crop advisors, consultants and ag advisors in Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices who work with cover crops.

In-person meetings

You will meet instructors, other participants, and your team members at the in-person Cover Crop Academy kick-off meeting and field day in June.  Choose one location when you register.

  • June 18, 2024: Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca
  • June 20, 2024: Northwest Research and Outreach Center, Crookston
  • June 27, 2024: Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton
  • May 2025: TBD, at each center listed above

Online meetings

A series of five online meetings will cover essentials, giving you the confidence to plan your own research plots with a local team. All meetings will be held on Zoom from 10 a.m. to noon. Instructors will include farmers, consultants and university experts.

  • July 9, 2024: Developing a cover crop plan
    • Cover crop species selection, seeding methods and rates.
    • Regional teams will decide on research treatments.
  • September 10, 2024: Weed control and cover crops
    • Herbicide residuals/carryover.
    • Cover crop termination timing.
  • November 19, 2024: Managing soil fertility in cover crop systems
    • Nitrogen management: Starters, N application rates, and N credits and tie-up.
    • Manure applications in cover crops.
    • Reduced tillage systems.
  • January 14, 2025: Avoiding cash crop issues after cover crops
    • Planter specs and modifications.
    • Insect pest issues.
    • Farmer panel on what to expect in the spring.
  • March 11, 2025: Where’s the easy button? Getting started with cover crops
    • Easy entry points in the crop rotation.
    • Economics of cover crops.
    • Forage production and quality goals with cover crops.
Registration Information