November 17, 2017

Connecticut Resource Conservation and Development through a USDA NRCS CIG Grant (Conservation Innovation Grant) is creating a no-till and cover crop equipment exchange pilot program. The purpose of the project is to introduce no-till equipment to aid the implementation of soil health principles such as organic cover crop and no-till planting on Connecticut farms. The program will foster collaborative education and use of the no-till equipment to crop producers in two geographically diverse areas of CT.

CT RC&D seeks to create two hubs or locations where the no-till equipment will be housed. The equipment will be available for use by farms in the surrounding area. The primary goal is to make no-till equipment available to reduce the cost and risk of adopting no-till crop production. Reported benefits of no-till production suggests reduced farm inputs (herbicides, fertilizers, irrigation) and improved soil health and crop productivity.   The concept of using equipment attachments rather than use of herbicides is nothing new, however it’s underutilized in CT. By implementation of this project, more agriculture producers will have the opportunity to cooperatively use the no-till equipment, develop a network for information sharing and shared interests, and implement no-till and cover crops on their farms, increasing soil health without individually buying each of the equipment aides on their own.

Project collaborators include USDA NRCS, CT NOFA, Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, Inc., Eastern Connecticut Conservation District, Inc., Granby Agricultural Commission, Salmon River Watershed Partnership and The Last Green Valley.