Wisconsin Farmers Invited to Join Cover Crop Project

By Blake Jackson

The Wisconsin Cover Crop Citizen Science Project is now in its sixth year, and organizers are inviting farmers of all experience levels to participate. Whether you are new to cover cropping or have years of practice, your input is valuable to this statewide effort.

By joining, farmers share details about their cover crop practices and submit fall and spring samples for analysis. In return, participants receive an honorarium along with free laboratory testing on cover crop biomass, forage quality, and nutrient content.

This farmer-driven data helps researchers better understand how cover crops are used across Wisconsin and what benefits or challenges farmers encounter.

A new feature this year is the cover crop scenario tool, which allows users to select desired outcomes, soil types, or counties to see results from nearby farms. Organizers encourage participants to try the tool and provide feedback.

Participation requires just a few simple steps:

• Fill out a fall survey for one or more fields where cover crops are planted (online or paper options available).
• A sampling kit will be mailed to you, with instructions for collecting cover crop samples in both fall and spring.
• Sample collection typically takes less than 15 minutes.

Because only a limited number of kits are available, interested farmers are encouraged to sign up quickly.

Benefits for Participants

• Farmers receive a $25 stipend for completing the survey or $100 if they also provide cover crop samples.
• Participants receive their free lab results, including nutrient, forage, and biomass analysis.
• Results are shared through interactive reports, allowing farmers to compare their practices and outcomes with peers statewide.

The initiative is part of the Soil Health Alliance for Research and Education, a collaboration involving the USDA Dairy Forage Research Center, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, UW-Madison Extension, and The Nature Conservancy.

The goal is to strengthen cover crop recommendations, improve management tools like SnapPlus, and support farmer decision-making.

For questions or to register, contact Dan Marzu, UW-Madison Extension North Central Nutrient and Pest Outreach Specialist, at dan.marzu@wisc.edu or 608-381-6702.

For registration visit, https://evansgeospatial.com/login/?next=/wisc_cc_register_2

Photo Credit: gettyimages-mvburling