Cover crops help reclaim contaminated vegetable fields

When 84 Vermont vegetable farms were flooded by heavy rains, crops were destroyed on nearly 450 acres, at an estimated loss of $4.6 million. The flooded soil also became contaminated, affecting the safety of produce and soil nutrient levels. The loss represented about 10% of the state’s commercial vegetable production. 

The University of Vermont Extension provided free soil testing to help growers identify post flood soil fertility including levels of heavy metals, E. coli and fossil fuels. Because of the crop losses, many of the farmers were left with no resources with which to rebuild the soil health. 

Cover cropping is a best practice for remediating soil health and it prevents additional soil erosion. Vermont Extension’s vegetable and berry team obtained specialty crop block grant funding to purchase $19,000 in cover crop seeds and distributed the seeds free to farmers to help them rebuild the soil health. The free seed, combined with soil-remediation education, helped the farmers overcome the devastating financial and emotional strains.

View the full statement on the NIDB.

Project supported by Smith-Lever (3b&c) funds.