If you're using cover crops that overwinter, be careful that you don't find yourself in violation of your crop-insurance terms.

One of our readers called me Monday to say his insurance company was canceling his crop insurance. The reason is that he plans to harvest one cutting of clover before planting milo.

Even though double-cropping is typically a successful venture in his state, the insurance company says he needs to burn down that clover cover crop before planting milo without taking one cutting off in the spring.

He was first told that he would be canceled without getting back his premium; then that he would be canceled and have his premium pro-rated; and now the crop insurance company is looking at its terms because there appears to be contradictory language that could be cause for confusion.

Regardless, crop insurance companies and the NRCS appear to be butting heads, particularly with the NRCS encouraging the use of cover crops for its soil-building and environmental benefits.

 The April issue of No-Till Farmer hits the mail today. Catch Frank Lessiter's column on page 3 as he sheds more light on this growing problem.