Youthful Energy, Sweat Equity Buoy Cover Crop Businesses

By: Alisha Bower

Young farmers looking to return to the family operation in Iowa in years past would probably have taken on hogs as their main enterprise to get a foot in the door. This was work for young people — long, sweaty days. But with low entry costs and good profit margins, it was a classic case of sweat equity making money off of good, old-fashioned hard work.

Today, getting into the hog business isn’t so easy. Contracts come in large quantities that require big facilities, and putting them up is expensive. What’s a young farmer to do?

Some of them are turning to the cover crop business. With a main workload from September through November, cover crop work isn’t as sweaty, entry costs are low, and the rewards are substantial for those willing to work long, hectic days.

Provide service for other farmers
Bill Frederick and James Holz of Jefferson started Iowa Cover Crop three years ago: a one-stop cover crop seed and planting shop with options to aerial-apply, broadcast or drill covercrop seeds. Both working to procure and sell cover crop seed in the same area, the two young farmers decided to join forces to sell cover crop seed in 2014.