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


By Tara Desmond • May 14, 2026

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.


Not a member?

Become one today!

SHARE THIS

Latest Posts

Green combine harvester cutting corn in a dry field under a clear blue sky
By Lyndi Allen • October 1, 2026
As Illinois farmers enter the harvest season, ICGA is asking state and federal policymakers to find ways to lower the cost of diesel fuel for farmers.
Illinois FFA Student Madelyn
By Tara Desmond • October 1, 2026
Staunton FFA member Madelyn Davin turned luffa gourds into a business and shares her take on solar panels and farmland.
Illinois CI Tool
By Megan Dwyer • October 1, 2026
See how location and practices could change your farm's CI score with IL Corn's new interactive map, built on the USDA FD-CIC Feedstock Calculator.
Cargo ship pushing barge convoy across calm blue water at sunset
By Lyndi Allen • October 1, 2026
A new report from the National Library of the Rockies (NLR), Evaluation of Ethanol Use in Maritime Shipping, finds that ethanol could be a viable marine fuel.
Green combine harvester in a harvested field under a cloudy sky
By Lyndi Allen • September 23, 2026
Illinois farmers saw their earnings improve in 2025, but the latest data shows that farm profitability remains well below recent averages.
Dolly Parton Maze from All Seasons Orchard
By Tara Desmond • September 22, 2026
A Woodstock, IL farm's Dolly Parton corn maze is one of 18 nationwide honoring the icon and benefiting her Imagination Library literacy program.
farmer next to engine with headphones on
By Tamara H. Thompson • September 22, 2026
Untreated hearing loss strains and shrinks the brain and drives social isolation, raising the risk of dementia but early treatment with hearing aids or other devices can help protect against it.
Steve Fourez
By Tara Desmond • September 22, 2026
A farmer's stroke went unnoticed until family and coworkers insisted he get help. His Safety Week story on why every minute matters
Sen. Celina Villenueva, Chris Gould, Orlando Rojas, Ambassador Reyna Torres
By Lyndi Allen • September 18, 2026
IL Corn joined partners and community leaders highlight the role of the Latino community in Illinois agriculture and labor.
Tugboat pushing a barge along a river at sunset, with a bridge in the background.
By Lyndi Allen • September 17, 2026
The House of Representatives took an important step towards strengthening the nation’s inland waterways by passing the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026
Show More