Two brothers, who farm in Tama County, are an “open book,” especially when it comes to their cover crop experience.
John and Larry Winkelpleck, of Clutier, Iowa, constantly seek new ways to leave the land better than they found it. One might even say the fourth-generation, family farming operation started their conservation journey with cover crops “before” the sustainable practice was deemed “cool.”
“We farm with our dad. Larry and I have a partnership together, and my son Zach is joining the operation,” John says. “Our dad (is) very open-minded. He’s long been an advocate for cover crops, (even) when they weren’t being used. One legacy he wants to leave is ‘leaving this farm, this soil in better shape than he found it.’ And he’s accomplished that. The cover crops have been an amazing, positive aspect to our farming operation with improving the soil, organic matter, water infiltration, (and) a lot of other important aspects.”
Implementing cover crops year-in and year-out is so much more than following in their father’s footsteps.
“The benefits far outweigh anything else,” John says. “We’ve seen the benefits come back to us in a huge way. He was the instigator of this, and Larry and I saw the benefits. It’s just the right thing to do, (and) it really goes hand-in-hand with our cow operation; utilizing forages that cover crops produce. We calve out on the rye in the spring and graze it most of the winter. That’s beside the benefits we gather from improving soil health.”
Larry adds, “Cover crops are the way to go.” The large farming family has began seeding cover crops. They recently applied cereal rye to commercial corn acres and turnips on seed corn acres.
“When they cut the male row out of the seed corn we raise for Pioneer, we have a four-wheeler that will sneak down the male row with a seeder. We did turnips with it. Turnips are great in breaking up compaction, and we’re trying new things again. Especially where the heavy traction areas are, we’re trying to reduce compaction,” Larry says.
The Winkelplecks utilize cost-share funding when it comes to implementing cover crops on seed corn acres. However, they would still implement this practice, even if those funds were not available.
“It’s a huge incentive, but we would do it whether we had it or not simply because it’s the right thing to do. You have to apply and use new practices that improve the bottom line on your operation. That’s important in these trying times agriculture is seeing,” John says.
“And it helps with weed pressure as well,” Larry says. “There’s just so many benefits with it, (and) that’s the way we’re going.”
John admits, “We’re still growing, learning, and developing” and “always looking for better ways to do something.” They think cover crops are the way to go.
