Quick Cover Crop Tips from a Farmer & Professor with 16 Years of Experience

Pete Fandel is a full-time farmer and agriculture professor at Illinois Central College and shares his firsthand knowledge of cover cropping, built over 16 years of on-farm experience .

In this video, Pete breaks down:

• How he transitioned his family's diversified grain and livestock operation to a corn, soybean, and winter wheat system
• Which cover crop mixes he uses ahead of corn (winter barley or triticale + camelina, radishes, or turnips) and why
• Why he avoids cereal rye before corn and what to use instead
• The best starting point for farmers new to cover crops: cereal rye + rapeseed ahead of soybeans
• How rapeseed can help suppress soybean nematodes and the fungus responsible for sudden death syndrome

Whether you're just getting started with cover crops or looking to refine your species selection, Pete's practical, field-tested advice is a great resource for Midwest grain farmers.