Editor's note: You can listen to my conversation with Greg Whitmore by clicking on the Soundcloud file embedded in this blog.

This is the sixth year Greg Whitmore has participated in the Soil Health Partnership, a National Corn Growers Association initiative led by farmers such as Whitmore to evaluate how different management practices affect soil health and the bottom line using quantifiable measurements.

In the latest episode of Down in the Weeds, we talk with Whitmore on some key takeaways from his six years participating in the Soil Health Partnership, experimenting with cover crop treatments on a 27-acre plot, and more than 10 years of experience using cover crops on his farm near Shelby, Neb.

As someone who raises seed corn and corn for silage, Whitmore's operation is a natural fit for cover crops. He recently started working with a cattle producer to graze cover crops, taking advantage of a longer window of establishment and grazing mixes that include turnips, radishes and cereal rye.