Jun 15, 2021 to Jun 17, 2021
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is awarding a $1,997,454 grant to the University of Minnesota to develop models for sustainable supply chains that create markets for crops farmers can grow in the off season.
“While popular cover crops can be used as food or as inputs in other products, there may not be large markets for these crops,” explained FFAR Executive Director Dr. Sally Rockey. “FFAR hopes to increase the use of cover crops – and reap the environmental benefits – by creating a sustainable market with consistent buyers for these crops.”
Planting continuous living cover crops, such as intermediate wheatgrass, winter camelina, pennycress, winter barley and hybrid hazelnut, has several environmental benefits. These perennials which do not require replanting and winter-hardy annual crops decrease fertilizer runoff to surface and groundwater and increase farmland’s ability to absorb and hold rainfall. Croplands th