How a traditional farming practice is cropping up across Alberta

Dieter Gagelmans knew about cover cropping from growing up in his native Belgium, but when he moved to Alberta in 2015, he wasn't sure how well the practice would work in Canada's colder climate.

But on his roughly 344-hectare farm near New Sarepta, Alta., a hamlet about 50 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, he's seen his crops produce a higher yield than normal.

"I'm never going back to a normal cropping system after seeing the benefits of this," said Gagelmans.

Cover cropping is a farming technique that's primarily used to slow erosion, improve soil health, capture moisture, kill weeds and increase biodiversity.

It involves planting a variety of seeds, like clover, radishes, peas and fall rye, that are planted to cover the soil rather than being harvested.

Yvonne Lawley, an assistant professor of plant science at the University of Manitoba, said the practice of cover cropping isn't new. 

"What is new about it is the way we think about using plants as cover crops," she said.

Lawley said farmers often grew cover crops at the same time as their normal crops. Now, she said, the technique aims to extend growth into what she calls "shoulder seasons," notably the early spring and late autumn.

That's important, she said, for larger farms in Western Canada that grow cereal grain.

Gagelmans began experimenting with cover crops in 2021.

It involved a lot of research, he said, and talking with other farmers to see what worked for them. His main crops at the time were barley and corn, and his cover crop seed mix contained peas, kale, radish, clovers and chicory.

He said he noticed the results almost immediately, harvesting almost double what he normally would.

"Our first year doing it was 2021, so it was kind of a drier year," said Gagelmans. 

"In a normal drought year, we would get anywhere from two to three tons an acre, where we had four to five tons an acre, if not six tons an acre."

Once he harvests his main yield, Gagelmans doesn't do anything special with the cover crop; he trims the stalks, but leaves it alone so it has time to regrow before the next season.

Plus, his cows can graze on the remains of his cover crops, which allows them to experience some health benefits and produce higher-quality milk, he said.

"You take it off and the only thing that's going to grow is your weeds," he said.

It's a similar story northwest of Edmonton on Raymond Chittick's 400-hectare farm near Mayerthorpe, Alta.

Chittick first learned about cover cropping over breakfast with American conservationist and soil health specialist Jay Fuhrer, who works in cropping systems, grazing systems, cover crops and gardens at the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Bismarck, North Dakota.

"He was sharing some of his pictures and what he was doing there, and I took a little bit of what he was doing and applied it to my farm," Chittick said.

"In the pictures, he was showing me where his cows and sheep were grazing, and I couldn't tell that there were sheep out there because the pasture was too deep — all you could see was the top of the cows … His pastures were better than most people's crops."

Chittick started cover cropping seven years ago to regulate the moisture in his field's soil. He's mainly a cattle farmer, but he also grows oats and peas, as well as ryegrass, turnips and perennials for his 100 cattle.

Incorporating the practice meant the grass his cattle would graze on became more nutrient-dense, which saved him money on feed. It's reached a point, he said, where people stop by his farm to compliment the size and colour of his pasture and ask him for advice.

That includes his dad, too.

"We farmed somewhat together; this is the first year that he now thinks he needs to be doing this," said Chittick.

Linda Gorim is the Western Grains Research Foundation's chair in cropping systems at the University of Alberta.

She said most producers, like Gagelmans and Chittick, rely on talking to other producers to grow their farms.

"I am on their WhatsApp group where they have about 50 members, and they just discuss what worked and what didn't work, and they're just refining the system as it goes," said Gorim. 

"What you do in Westlock is not what you would do in Camrose or what you would do down in Lethbridge; it's really helping to shape practices that are locality-specific."

If a person is new to cover cropping, Gagelmans suggests starting small for the first couple of years. 

"Most people after year three will not go back to a normal cropping system."