A technical bulletin released detailing the feasibility of cover crops in southwest Colorado and southeast Utah painted a mix picture, but still drew some favorable conclusions for the future of covers in semi-arid climates.

Cover crops and other regenerative agriculture practices have been getting a massive amount of attention lately. There have been stories about them in major news outlets like Forbes and the New York Times and politicians have been working these concepts into their speeches and climate platforms, spreading the word about the benefits of keeping the soil covered with diverse living plants.

The decision to use cover crops is like getting married. It takes time, a little money, commitment and a willingness to listen to make it work for the long-term. A grower has to be committed to doing whatever it takes to get covers seeded so they can do their part, according to long-time cover crop grower Myron Johnson of Headland, Ala.