Cover crops on the dairy farm

Cover crops are often discussed in terms of soil health — preventing erosion, capturing nutrients and building soil quality. But on a dairy farm, there’s another question worth asking: **Can that cover crop also help feed the cows?** Growing a crop in a window when a field might otherwise sit empty can provide an opportunity to produce additional forage while also protecting the soil. But making that work takes some planning. The crop you choose, when you plant it, when you harvest it, and how you manage it afterward can all affect its value as feed. In this episode, we explore how cover crops can fit into a dairy cropping system, not just as a soil-management tool, but potentially as another source of useful forage.