Cover Cropping in the High Desert: An Oregon Learning Circle at Sungrounded Farm

Farmers and farm workers gathered to discuss cover cropping strategies at Sungrounded Farm in the high desert of Terrebonne, Oregon, this past March. As folks arrived, farm friends and neighbors happily mingled with coffees in hand, creating a warm and social atmosphere for our peer-centered learning circle. On this brisk sunny morning, farm owners, Ashley and Caleb Thompson, welcomed us to their 5-acre farm, and we settled into our circle on the grass, next to their fully planted high tunnel and propagation house.

Farming Resilience in Central Oregon

Growing diversified vegetables in Central Oregon is a challenging business; farmers have a shorter growing season, with frosts well into June and beginning the first week of October. Temperatures can swing by as much as 50 degrees in a day, with overnight frosts and daytime highs in the 80s, making traditional farming strategies used in the Willamette Valley nearly impossible.

Caleb and Ashley shared how they’ve built their regenerative farm business over eight years. They dove into the benefits of cover cropping, noting increased organic matter, retained soil moisture, beneficial organisms, and reduced weed pressure from consistent ground cover. Ashley and Caleb found that rye, vetch, and clover performed best in their farm operation; selecting species that can be integrated with their chicken or cattle grazing rotations, intercropped with cash crops, or planted in the fall and able to withstand cold winter temps.

LJ Fern compares cover cropping strategies at Canyon Moon Farms in Prineville, OR. Photo credit: Carly Boyer

Creating Community Through Cover Cropping

After a delicious paella lunch from Roots at Heart Nutrition, we went on a farm tour with incredible views of Smith Rock State Park to the east. We checked on several overwintered block plantings of cereal rye and annual ryegrass with vetch, which will be incorporated into the soil with a flail mower and power harrow to prepare beds for their spring potato crop.

Caleb brought his sharpshooter shovel on the tour and cut several soil samples to compare the soil organic matter and texture between cover crop plantings and an exposed-soil bed. When asked how they prep beds for planting in the fall, Ashley shared that she mows the crop residue, broadcasts cover crop seed with a low-tech ½ gallon yogurt container, then harrows the bed to “stir” the seed into the soil for better germination.

Caleb and Ashley share how their cover cropping practices increase soil organic matter. Photo credit: Carly Boyer

We also surveyed a row of medium red clover that was intercropped with their broccoli planting last fall. When the broccoli crop was harvested for market, the red clover continued growing and kept the soil covered over winter. Interplanting saves time and prevents erosion between cash crops. In the spring and summer, they often use buckwheat or sweet alyssum (which attract beneficial insects) for a quick rotation in a tight planting window.

While out in the field, everyone had a chance to ask questions about Sungrounded’s tried-and-true farm techniques, focusing on tools, irrigation equipment and efficiency, crop termination strategies, pest pressure, and crop rotations. Although Ashley and Caleb use a two-wheeled BCS tractor with a flail mower or power harrow on the larger block or row crops, they also use heavy plastic tarps and harrow afterward to suppress weeds and reduce overall tillage when possible.

Sungrounded Farm also integrates a chicken tractor and purchases several year-old steer to finish on the farm to reduce mowing and fertilize the field. They harvest in the fall and sell enough beef as a sideline to cover their personal needs.

Connection, Conversation, and Collective Learning

We circled again for final questions and resource sharing, highlighting sources of quality organic fertilizer, compost, and amendments. Then we closed with reflections for the day. It was clear that everyone really appreciated having the opportunity to gather with their farmer peers, learn from each other’s experience, and fine-tune cover cropping strategies for their farms. Hearing what works on a neighboring farm makes it a lot easier to experiment with new practices, ultimately reducing risk.

Several participants shared “connecting with all the farmers and having an opportunity to share experiences and knowledge” as a highlight. Another participant stated that they appreciated “all the organic conversation and sharing/learning,” and another said that it was “an impactful gathering”.

I loved participating with such an engaged group of farm workers, farmers, and aspiring farmers.

Peer learning circles build farmer networks by connecting rural neighbors through shared experience and expertise. Photo credit: Charlotte Hamilton

Thank you to Sungrounded Farm for hosting our Oregon learning circle and to the High Desert Food & Farm Alliance for collaborating and sharing their Central Oregon farm community with us! This no-cost peer learning circle was offered as part of our Women for the Land program and funded by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS).

Interested in joining a farmer-focused peer learning circle in your community? Be sure to sign up for our Pacific Northwest newsletter and follow us at @pnwfarmland to stay up to date about upcoming Women for the Land Learning Circles in 2027.

Resources from the event: