Webinar series hosted by Northeast Cover Crops Council features UMaine Extension expert

A short webinar series hosted by the Northeast Cover Crops Council, in collaboration with University of Vermont Extension, will be held every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. from Aug. 21 to Oct. 23. The webinars will be presented by educators and professionals from throughout the Northeast including Jason Lilley, assistant Extension professor of sustainable agriculture and maple industry educator at University of Maine.

Lilley will discuss tools and approaches for scheduling cover crops into complex diversified vegetable production systems at the webinar on Aug. 28. Other topics covered in the series include cover crop species selection, mixtures/monocultures, and seeding and planting dates and rates. Results from various cover crop projects and experiments will also be shared.

Lilley is a collaborator on several Northeast Cover Crops Council projects, including research on the suitability of various cover crop mixes throughout the Northeast and testing the winter hardiness and overwintering capability of different legume cover crops in the region. Legume cover crops often add a significant amount of nitrogen to the soil and can save farmers on fertilizer bills. Knowledge gained from this research allows farmers and crop consultants to make informed decisions to increase the sustainability of their production and improve farm profitability. Additionally, Lilley has served as a contributor for the development of the Cover Crop Species Selector Tool and the soon-to-be-released Cover Crop Mix Seeding Rate Calculator.

The workshops are free and designed for farmers just getting started with cover cropping as well as those with significant experience. There will be plenty of time for discussion to address specific interests of participants. Each workshop is eligible for 0.5 Certified Crop Advisor CEUs. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. For a list of webinar topics and to register, visit the event page . To request a reasonable accommodation contact victoria.ackroyd@usda.gov.