Iowa FFA Chapters are invited to receive free cover crop seed from the state’s leading cover crop seed and service provider, Iowa Cover Crop.
For the third year of the company’s The Future is Covered program, chapters are eligible to receive up to 10 acres of free cereal rye and/or oats.
In addition, with partnership from Oregon based GO Seed, advisors and students can also request cover crop resource books along with materials to complete a hands-on trial comparing various cover crop root systems.
FFA advisors or plot leaders can sign up for the program online at https://forms.gle/s7H2oF1LcFz1umF67. The deadline is Oct. 20.
Over the past two years, Iowa Cover Crop has donated free cover crop seed to FFA chapters in 40 of Iowa’s 99 counties and the program has covered over 500 acres of Iowa’s soil.
“We continue donating cover crop seed to Iowa students to empower and inspire the next generation of Iowa’s agricultural leaders and land stewards,” said Megan Holz, Iowa Cover Crop general manager. “Expanding the program with the root trial materials is exciting, as it gives chapters without test plots the opportunity to participate through smaller-scale demonstrations.”
Cover crops are planted on approximately three million acres of Iowa soil according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. They play a pivotal role in enhancing soil health, preventing erosion, and reducing nutrient runoff.
“Cover crop acres have increased in our state over the past several years, and providing early experience managing cover crops creates confidence in the practice and builds knowledge we hope students will carry into the future,” explains Holz.
