By Laurie Bennett, NAICC President
Navigation into a new year brings both positive and negative uncertainties to those of us who proudly wear the hat of U.S. farmers. As the 2026 president of NAICC and a generational farmer of our 1864 farm, which was homesteaded in southeast Iowa, we too face challenges that allow us to be good stewards of the land that we temporarily call our own.
Respecting sound stewardship practice is a common thread that binds landowners, but financially supporting those practices can be difficult. We are keenly aware and respect the ramifications of sustainability of these practices that our four sons and future generations will encounter.
Farmers respect sustainable practices, but the pragmatics of financial investments might be a different story. To mitigate the financial burden, farmers can look at diversifying their income sources. We turned to selling value-added crops, explored direct-to-consumer sales channels and utilized government support programs.
Turning our land “green” each fall is a dedicated expense we feel is warranted by the rewards of being good stewards and enhancing our soil quality. The use of cover crops is a critical component of sustainable farming.
The primary goal of cover crops is to generate numerous benefits through enhanced ground cover, additional plant growth, nutrient cycling and increased organic matter entering the soil. The options for cover crops are many and can include various grasses, legumes, brassicas and several other species, recognizing each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
We planted cereal rye as the base species for our cover crop acres. In 2025, cereal rye was around 25% cheaper than prior years due to strong production. Brassica costs were also down about 10%, offering agronomic advantages such as nitrogen absorption and increased nutrient cycling. These price drops are encouraging to us and other growers to consider cover crops not just for sustainability but also as a tool for reducing input costs in a challenging market.
Recently, we have experimented with using a technique referred to as relay intercropping. Our method included seeding clover in the fall, followed by spring planting of corn. This unique procedure of cover cropping added protection to the soil surface as well as sequestered nitrogen for the following year’s corn crop.
Another option that we have tried was to intercrop soybeans into an existing wheat field, allowing both crops to grow simultaneously. In mid-June, the wheat was harvested without destroying the soybeans, which were then harvested in the fall. This process was another good cover crop option that provided a successful double-crop opportunity.
We believe in using data-driven technology to monitor soil health after cover cropping as a tool when applying precise amounts of fertilizer and pesticides and to aid in decisions for practical crop rotations. The dedication to planting cover crops is one of many tools available to enhance good stewardship. We have seen strong benefits of expending cover crops on our farm and believe being good advocates is essential to the continued health of American farmland.
As intermediate caregivers of our heritage farm, we understand the pathway we take as good stewards could be rerouted for generations to come. However, with an increase of knowledge, strong agricultural support and dedication to protecting our land for future generations, this path will lead to a thriving farming community that prioritizes environmental stewardship for generations.
The National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants (NAICC) is the national society of agriculture professionals who provide research and advisory services to clients for a fee. For more, go to NAICC.org.
