Cover crops have been around for over 10,000 years. It wasn’t until about 50 years ago that they started being replaced with chemical fertilizers, which many farmers saw as a more modern, efficient method.

But the tide may be turning again – back to the (cover crop) roots. And this time, there may be loads of economic opportunity and environmental sustainability to gain.

Press play to explore:

• Tips for growing cash crops that will enrich soils, leading to better harvests
• How algal blooms and drinking water problems can result from bare soils in the winter months
• How relay cropping works and why it’s so useful

Mitch Hunter is an Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota. This interdisciplinary initiative is dedicated to helping farmers and the environment by developing comprehensive crops, cropping systems, and supply chains for novel crops. The ultimate goal is to keep soils covered all year long, preventing fertilizer from washing into bodies of water, maintaining soil quality, and boosting overall productivity.

Tune in and visit Home | Forever Green (umn.edu) to learn more.

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3bO8R6q

Today, we sit down with Rob Avis, the Owner, Lead Instructor, and Engineer at Verge Permaculture. Rob is an expert in regenerative business and eco-entrepreneurship, and he is using his skills to lead the next wave of permaculture education – covering everything from building science to agroecology.

In this episode, you will uncover:

• Why the energy return on fossil fuel may be dwindling.
• The limitations of our world’s current energy sources.
• Why the nutrient density of our food is steadily declining.

What’s the future of energy and food production on our planet? Experts like Rob are determined to find out…

Want to find out more about Rob and his work? Click here now!

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3bO8R6q

Wild rice isn’t just uniquely delicious: it’s highly nutritious and takes a lot of careful work to grow.

Learn the ins and outs of breeding and cultivating wild rice in Minnesota from Jennifer Kimball, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota.

Tune in to explore:

• Environmentally responsible practices in wild rice breeding and cultivation
• The purpose and importance of “seed shattering”
• How long people have been breeding wild rice compared to other grain crops like wheat and corn
• Wild rice planting to harvesting - how long does it take?

Press play to hear the full conversation and learn more about Kimball’s work at Jennifer A Kimball | Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics (umn.edu).

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3bO8R6q