Reasons to grow buckwheat:

• Fits into rotations at a time when fields might otherwise be idle.
• Can be grown as a catch crop where another crop failed.
• Inexpensive to grow because it requires no pesticides and little fertilizer.
• Can be grown with equipment available on most farms.
• Requires little attention during the growing season.
• Mellows the soil and suppresses some weeds.
• Easily raised Organically, at a premium price.

For more information from Cornell University: Buckwheat

Lentils (Lens culinaris) - Winter Lentils (planted late September or early October) are cool season annual vegetables in the legume family. Grown across the world for human consumption they are high in protein and low in fat. They also are able to deposit nitrogen into the soil making this a great cover crop to include in your rotation. Individual plants may vary from single stems to vigorous, bushy forms in dense or sparse stands that normally reach 12 - 18 inches tall. Flowers are small, less than 1/2 inch long, and white, pale purple, or purple black. Lentils prefer cool weather, full sun, and a well-drained soil pH from 6 - 8. You can also grow these in drought-prone areas however, the yields will likely be reduced. Plant with potatoes, cucumbers, and summer savor. Avoid planting with onions or garlic.

Lentils compete poorly with weeds for light, water, and nutrients. During early stages of vegetative growth and in cool weather, lentil growth rates are slow and weeds can quickly overgrow the crop. A seeding depth of 1.5 - 2 inches is optimal for germination and growth, even though deeper plantings may have better access to soil moisture and improved protection from frost. Planting can occur any time after ground temperature sustains 40 - 45F.

Difference between Winter and Spring Lentils:

• Planting Time: Spring lentils are sown as soon as soil hits 40F - 45F, usually April – May. Winter lentils are sown in late September or early October, settling in before winter.
• Harvest and Maturity: Winter lentils reach maturity 3 – 4 weeks earlier than spring-sown varieties, allowing them to avoid late-summer drought conditions.
• Yields: Winter lentils typically produce higher yields and more pods than spring varieties due to a longer growing season and better moisture utilization.
• Hardiness: Spring lentils can withstand light frost (down to 21F). Winter lentils are highly hardy, able to survive temperatures below -25F (Zone 5b).
• Production Area: While spring lentils are common, winter lentils are highly valued in the U.S. Pacific Northwest for reducing erosion in conservation tillage systems.
• Winter Lentils: Offer better weed control (better competition), improve rotation with winter cereals, and increase yields.
• Spring Lentils: Offer immediate convenience and are more widespread, but risk heat stress during blooming.

White Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum) - Proso millet is one of the most drought tolerant and cost effective warm season annual grasses that produces large amounts of grain. It is the shortest growing millet and works best in grazing mixes the northern US. Proso millet is an excellent seed producing making it is a great plant for game bird or other wildlife mixes. It performs well in mixes for wildlife cover and is popular for dove, quail, turkey and duck fields. It is also sued as feed for cattle or forage for deer and rabbits.

Proso millet is also a gluten-free, drought-tolerant ancient grain used for human food and birdseed. Known for its mild, nutty flavor and quick cooking time. It's rich in protein, fiber, and minerals, making it a nutritious alternative to rice or quinoa, suitable for dishes like porridge, pilafs, and salads, and it thrives in warm, dry climates where other crops struggle.

Another great use of proso millet is as a cover crop. It is a fast-growing ideal as a short-term summer cover crop (60 – 90 days) for soil protection, weed suppression, and erosion control. It thrives in dry conditions, requiring low moisture to grow 3 - 6 feet tall, and is an excellent option for breaking up crop rotations to improve soil health.

• Application or Use: Cover Crop, Erosion Control, Cattle Forage, Livestock Grazing, Food Plot
• Germination Time: 5 - 7 days, under optimal conditions
• Growing Locations: Warm Season, Transition Zone, Cool Season
• Height: 3 - 6 feet
• Sunlight Requirements: 8+ hours, full sun for best results
• Advantages: Increased drought tolerance; high seed producer under hot, dry conditions.
• When to Plant: Recommend planting time is spring and summer when night time temperatures are consistently 65+ degrees.
• Maturity: 60 - 90 days
• Seeding Rate: 20 lbs per acre

Lentils (Lens culinaris) - Spring Lentils (planted early spring, matured by fall) are cool season annual vegetables in the legume family. Grown across the world for human consumption they are high in protein and low in fat. They also are able to deposit nitrogen into the soil making this a great cover crop to include in your rotation. Individual plants may vary from single stems to vigorous, bushy forms in dense or sparse stands that normally reach 12 - 18 inches tall. Flowers are small, less than 1/2 inch long, and white, pale purple, or purple black. Lentils prefer cool weather, full sun, and a well-drained soil pH from 6 - 8. You can also grow these in drought-prone areas however, the yields will likely be reduced. Plant with potatoes, cucumbers, and summer savor. Avoid planting with onions or garlic.

Lentils compete poorly with weeds for light, water, and nutrients. During early stages of vegetative growth and in cool weather, lentil growth rates are slow and weeds can quickly overgrow the crop.  A seeding depth of 1.5 - 2 inches is optimal for germination and growth, even though deeper plantings may have better access to soil moisture and improved protection from frost.  Planting can occur any time after ground temperature sustains 40 - 45F.

Difference between Winter and Spring Lentils:

• Planting Time: Spring lentils are sown as soon as soil hits 40F - 45F, usually April – May. Winter lentils are sown in late September or early October, settling in before winter.
• Harvest and Maturity: Winter lentils reach maturity 3 – 4 weeks earlier than spring-sown varieties, allowing them to avoid late-summer drought conditions.
• Yields: Winter lentils typically produce higher yields and more pods than spring varieties due to a longer growing season and better moisture utilization.
• Hardiness: Spring lentils can withstand light frost (down to 21F). Winter lentils are highly hardy, able to survive temperatures below -25F (Zone 5b).
• Production Area: While spring lentils are common, winter lentils are highly valued in the U.S. Pacific Northwest for reducing erosion in conservation tillage systems.
• Winter Lentils: Offer better weed control (better competition), improve rotation with winter cereals, and increase yields.
• Spring Lentils: Offer immediate convenience and are more widespread, but risk heat stress during blooming.

Common Flax (Linum usitatissimum) - Also known as linseed. It is a flowering, short-lived, annual subshrub. In its native habitat, it can be grown as a perennial, but it is not cold tolerant. The thin, wiry stems that support the flower buds appear delicate, but are difficult to break.  It produces pale blue flowers on slender, but strong, stems in late spring into mid-summer. Flax is a plant known historically for fiber production. The seed is used to produce edible oils and also oils for wood finishing products.

Common flax prefers moist, well-drained, mildly acid, neutral and mildly alkaline soils. It does best in full sun and cannot grow in the shade. The plant tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It will tolerate drought and dry or rocky soil, but clay soils can cause the plant to root shallowly that will cause problems for the plant in cold weather. 

It is a versatile cover crop used for soil conditioning, especially effective at fighting compaction and increasing mycorrhizal fungi activity. It is best used in mixes (e.g., with oats, vetch, or peas) to build soil health, as it is non-competitive and can be easily seeded at 20 - 30 lbs/acre.  Its fibrous roots improve soil structure and its flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects.  As a cover crop, flax helps to mobilize phosphorus in the soil and add organic matter. Plant early Spring or late Summer.

Camelina (Camelina sativa) - is an oilseed that is getting attention for its omega-3 nutritional attributes and as a possible, affordable source for biodiesel. It contains about 34 to 36 percent omega-3 oil. It has many names such as: usually known as camelina, gold-of-pleasure, or false flax, but also occasionally as wild flax, linseed dodder, German sesame, or Siberian oilseed.

Camelina is well suited for marginal soils. According to Montana State University (MSU) research, camelina has a lower break-even cost than wheat and canola. The seed can be broadcast or drilled.  The seeds are dense and small at 345,000 to 465,000 seeds per pound. Yields vary depending on soils and rainfall. Based on MSU research, camelina will average 1,800 to 2,200 pounds per acre under 16- to 18-inch rainfalls. In other dryland research trials by MSU, camelina yields averaged 1,000 to 1,700 per acre. Yields drop with less rainfall and increase when using irrigation. Montana State suggests including camelina in a three- or four-year crop rotation.

Camelina can be grown as a cover crop either alone or more commonly as part of a cover crop mix. Mostly winter camelina is used as a cover crop for a fall to spring cover, but spring camelina can also be used depending on climate and seed availablity.

• Nitrogen fixation: Camelina holds onto nitrogen especially as an overwintered cover crops.
• Pollinator effect: Camelina will bloom earlier than most other flowering species so provides an early nectar source in spring.
• Soil aeration: Camelina has one main tap root that has been shown to help with compacted soils.
• Drought tolerance: Camelina is very drought tolerant once established compared to most other cover crops.
• Other benefits: It can grow well in the shade so good in a cover crop mix. It grows well in low fertility environments. It is also good at helping control erosion.

Common Vetch (Vicia sativa) - Common vetch is a fast establishing, high-yielding winter annual legume perfect for a winter forage, cover crop, pollinator habitat and supports wildlife. It is not winter-hardy, so it is best to be used in southern areas or where winter survival is not important. It can also be planted early spring for plowdown in early summer. It is a viny, succulent, attaining a height of 24 inches when planted alone. It grows faster than hairy vetch in Spring, is more economical for seed, and is preferred for forage due to lower toxicity risks compared to hairy vetch.

Common vetch grows on a wide range of soils. It does well on loams, sandy loams, or gravelly soils, as well as on fine-textured clay soils as long as there is good drainage. Although common vetch tolerates short periods of saturated soils, it does not tolerate extended flooding. Common vetch tolerates pH of 5.5 - 8.2, but optimum pH is 6.5. It is used successfully as a cover crop in vineyards and orchards. In vineyards, common vetch is less likely to climb trellises than hairy vetch.

• Soil Fertility and Health: A nitrogen fixing legume, common vetch converts nitrogen into soil-available nutrients which reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers. It acts as an excellent green manure, adding significant organic matter.
• Erosion Control and Weed Supression: The extensive, deep root system holds soil in place. As a fast-growing, dense cover crop, it acts as a living mulch that reduces weeds and soil moisture evaporation.
• Forage and Livestock Feed: Common vetch is high in protein (up to 25%) and is used for hay, silage, and pasture, particularly for cows, sheep, and deer. It can be grown in mixtures with cereals like oats for enhanced forage.
• Environmental Benefits: It supports pollinators, such as bees, with nectar. It is also used in phytoremediation to accumulate contaminants in the soil.
• Crop Rotation: It is an effective nitrogen-adding component in crop rotations, improving soil for subsequent crops.