Active programs

Soil Health: Cover Crops

Purpose: To promote and refine the use of multi-species cover crops in North Carolina, supporting the national soil health movement. Demonstration sites are established on working farms to show producers that a diverse mixture of cover cop species can be planted in a timely manner, allowed to grow and accumulate biomass and nitrogen, and be terminated without tillage.

Support: Current support is provided by a $100,000 EPA Regional 4 Environmental Education Grant that also includes school gardens and a mobile soils classroom. Historic investments include over $424,000 in resources from Cotton Incorporated, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grant, NC Agriculture Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, and USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Grants.

Current Work: Demonstration sites were planted in 2020 in partnership with Davie, Franklin, Nash, and Onslow Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Accomplishments: More to be posted soon!