"Radishes? Are we growing radishes now?" I finally asked my family this question. I had been hearing about cover crops through the winter and was very curious about why my family was talking about radishes. I didn't think they had started a new endeavor on our land, but I wasn't sure how radishes fit with our farming operation.
Jim holding a radish from Whitaker Farms' cover crop
Meet Sam Whitaker
You've met Jim Whitaker on some of our videos. Now I'd like to introduce you to his brother, Sam.
planting cotton
Row Crops
Jim manages the rice acreage of Whitaker farms while Sam operates the growing and harvesting of the row crops. Row crops such as corn, cotton and soybeans grow in different types of soil than rice and are planted on raised beds in rows from one end of the field to the other.
Trying Something New This Year
One of the many strategies Whitaker Farms uses to protect the environment is No Till farming. While rice fields are flooded during the winter, Sam is trying a new strategy of no till farming for his cotton crop. He planted a cover crop that grew through the winter in the field where he will have cotton this summer.
Watch this video clip to hear Sam explain one of the many benefits he's already seen in his first year of trying this unique solution to protecting his soil.