In farming, it’s the little things that will get you — or add up to more profits if they’re done right.

Salem, S.D., farmer Kurt Stiefvater, knows something about that. He started no-tilling 20 years ago to save soil moisture and save more money by reducing the number of tillage passes.

He added small grains and cover crops to the 1,800-acre operation 8 years ago, and those decisions have improved Stiefvater’s yields, soil health and the condition of his cattle herd.

No Hard Formula. Stiefvater has a very short fall season to get cover crops planted, and the weather plays heavily into his selection of which cover crop species for a mix. If a field has more alkali spots, he’ll add barley. He tends to be careful with brassicas and doesn’t use buckwheat much as he doesn’t feel it’s very easy to control.

His 8-10 species cover crop mix typically includes 10 pounds of oats; 12 pounds of winter wheat; 2 pounds of sorghum; 15 pounds of soybeans; 1 pound of red clover; 2 pounds of sunflowers; ½ pound of flax; ½ pound of turnip; and ½ pound of radish. He might also throw in rye, legumes, millet or common vetch. 

In addition to the weather, Stiefvater looks at the different characteristics of…