Beyond the Acres: Making Cover Crops Work

Each year, the National Cover Crop Survey offers a useful glimpse into where cover crops are used across the country and how farmers manage them. As someone who has spent much of my career working directly with farmers, first as an independent crop consultant and now as a conservation agronomist, I like to look  beyond the numbers and percentages and focus on what the results tell us about how farmers are making cover crops work.

American Farmland Trust Provides Comment on EPA Biosolids and PFAS Guidance

American Farmland Trust Provides Comment on EPA Biosolids and PFAS Guidance

Coming Soon: Grazing Champion Grants

AFT will open application for Grazing Champion Grants, as part of the Beef Producer Economic Resilience project.

AFT Statement on USDA REAP Rulemaking

AFT Statement on USDA REAP Rulemaking

Chase Hill Farm: Building Soil Health Through Silvopasture and Smart Grazing

Discover how Chase Hill Farm in Massachusetts is building healthier soils and a more resilient grazing operation through rotational grazing, bale grazing, and silvopasture.

Stronger Together: FLASH Groups Streamline Cover Crop Adoption with Batch & Grow

In 2025, American Farmland Trust (AFT) launched the Batch & Grow Cover Crop Program. This unique funding model, available to Farmer-Led Advances in Soil Health (FLASH) group members, puts farmers at the forefront of decision-making. By joining together to share knowledge of conservation practices, farmers shape this program into one that best suits local needs.

From Farm Camp to Farmland Protection: Meet AFT’s Illinois Farmland Protection Specialist

From Farm Camp to Farmland Protection: Meet AFT’s Illinois Farmland Protection Specialist

The Case for Soil Health in Solar Development

From the Field with AFT’s Midwest Conservation Agronomist

The following is a running field update based on what I’m seeing while scouting across my area—crop progress, field conditions, and anything that stands out week to week.

How Conversations Can Advance Regenerative Grazing in Texas

Explore how mentorship, neighbor-to-neighbor conversations and community gatherings are helping advance regenerative grazing practices across Texas.

Advanced Soil Health Training for Healthier Soils and More Resilient Mid-Atlantic Farms

Applications are open for the 2027 Advanced Soil Health Training program, connecting Mid-Atlantic farmers with hands-on soil health training and farmer-led mentorship.

Cover Crop Grazing: Turning Conservation into Opportunity for Virginia Farms

Through a USDA NRCS-funded project, American Farmland Trust and Virginia producers are exploring how grazing cover crops can improve soil health, provide valuable forage, and create new opportunities for both crop and livestock operations.