Unhealthy soil suffers high storm erosion, loss of organic materials and vital organisms.
Exhausted soil amplifies runoff - turning important nutrients, chemicals, and pesticides into serious downstream pollution problems. Costly synthetic fertilizers compensate for unhealthy soil, but then stimulate weed growth and pollution. Like a warm coat in a winter storm, cover crops keep the good in and keep the bad out. The multiple benefits of cover crops emerge when they're planted after harvest. Not only reducing bare areas, thus checking weed explosions and saving on mowing, carefully selected cover crops anchor the soil throughout the winter.