UVM Extension Pollinator Support Specialist Laura Johnson and Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist Vern Grubinger have been awarded a $97,863 grant from the Northeast Risk Management Education Program for the project, Cover Crop Sequences to Support Pollinators and Soil Health on Diversified Vegetable Farms.
This project helps diversified vegetable farmers adopt cover crop sequences that support insect pollinators and soil health within complex crop rotations. Farmers know that cover crops can help maintain soil organic matter, reduce erosion, and provide floral resources for pollinators, but they typically lack a systematic approach to optimizing these benefits.
Most Northeast vegetable farms are small operations growing a variety of high-value cash crops, often in multiple fields. Planting a series of cool and warm-season cover crop species known to support pollinators will reduce production risks posed by inadequate pollinator habitat while mitigating soil degradation, helping to maintain vegetable yields in a changing climate.
Learn more about the UVM Extension Pollinator Program here – https://www.uvm.edu/extension/pollinator-support-resources