All posts in Cover Crops

Cover Crops in Orchards case study

Cover Crops in Orchards case study

Do you want to learn more about the ins and outs of planting and managing cover crops from growers with cover crop experience? Check out our Cover Crops in Orchards […]

Read More »
Getting the Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) demonstration project off the ground!

Getting the Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) demonstration project off the ground!

The BIOS project is underway! CAFF’s Ecological Farming team has been busy the past several weeks setting up the Biologically Integrated Orchards Systems (BIOS) project at six demonstration sites located […]

Read More »
Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) for Almonds guide

Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) for Almonds guide

The Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) project was a collaboration between CAFF, farmers, pest control and crop advisors, and the UC Cooperative Extension in the 1990s and early 2000s. BIOS […]

Read More »
CAFF’s Cover Crop Decision Guides

CAFF’s Cover Crop Decision Guides

  We’re excited to share two new resources for growers: our Cover Crop Decision Guide for Perennial Systems and Cover Crop Decision Guide for Annual Systems created in collaboration with […]

Read More »
Covercrops for California Agriculture

Covercrops for California Agriculture

For many agricultural soils, cover crops offer the only means of supplying the organic matter needed to keep the soil in a high state of productivity. Learn how to select […]

Read More »
Technical Assistance for the Healthy Soils Program

Technical Assistance for the Healthy Soils Program

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE HEALTHY SOILS PROGRAM Are you interested in implementing cover crops, compost, hedgerows and other Healthy Soils practices on you farm? The California Department of Food and […]

Read More »
Cover Crops for Walnut Orchards

Cover Crops for Walnut Orchards

Walnut orchards present unique challenges to the successful use of cover crops. These include short time between harvest and leaf fall for establishing the cover crop…

Read More »
Managing Cover Crops Profitably

Managing Cover Crops Profitably

SARE’s publication is available free for download and is a comprehensive and practical resource with recommended species by U.S. region, a section on management in conservation tillage systems, soil fertility, […]

Read More »
Grazing Cover Crops

Grazing Cover Crops

How to manage livestock with adaptive grazing on cover cropped land, from the Wallace Center. The use of cover crops in row crop farming is becoming increasingly popular. According to […]

Read More »
Cover Cropping in Vineyards

Cover Cropping in Vineyards

The use of cover crops can yield substantial benefits or be the source of unforeseen problems or drawbacks. The choice of which species to sow, as well as the decision […]

Read More »
Building Soils for Better Crops

Building Soils for Better Crops

Building Soils for Better Crops is a one-of-a-kind, practical guide to ecological soil management, now expanded and in full color. It provides step-by-step information on soil-improving practices as well as in-depth […]

Read More »
Cover Crop Economics

Cover Crop Economics

When it comes to making the big decisions about managing a farm, whether it’s to grow a new crop, buy an expensive piece of equipment or upgrade infrastructure, farmers are business people […]

Read More »
Cover Crops Database

Cover Crops Database

Cover crops can be broadly defined as any non-cash crop grown in addition to the primary cash crop.  They have the potential to increase soil organic matter (SOM), protect the […]

Read More »