Other Ag News: Long Island Latinx Farming Community Trained in Cover Cropping

Members of Long Island’s Latinx agricultural community gathered at the Horticulture Research and Extension Center in Riverhead, NY on August 20, 2024 for an afternoon of learning and community building.

The main topics of the Spanish-language event were the importance of soil health for agricultural production, the benefits of cover crops and learning about different summer cover crops that can be adapted to the conditions of the region.

In addition to cover crops, the event was a unique opportunity to expose the Long Island Latinx community to educational and research opportunities, showing them that they can also play a role in the institutions that support agricultural development.

It was gratifying to see in attendance Long Island farm worker families and entrepreneurs looking to get started in agriculture. It was a joy to watch the children enjoying the scientific demonstrations and research, understanding the hows and whys behind the practices being shown. Most of the families had never had access to hands-on training opportunities, doing it in their own language and with high-level scientific information.

Cover crops are crops planted in rotation or at the same time as certain vegetables. The benefits of implementing cover crops in agricultural production include improving soil structure and protection during rain and runoff events, improving water filtration into the soil, helping with weed, pest and disease control, and increasing the availability of nutrients to the soil, among many other benefits.

The day was made possible through the collaborative effort of the Cornell Small Farms Program’s Futuro in Ag project and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Suffolk County, as well as support from the New York State Soil Health Program.

The Latinx population on Long Island is significant. According to the 2020 Census, more than 20 percent of Long Island identifies as Hispanic. This represents nearly 600,000 people. Because of this, education and research in Spanish continues to grow in importance.

During the event, more than 20 participants were able to hear information relevant to the use of summer cover crops and soil health, observe rainfall simulations and the results with different crops, as well as observe different cover crops. For many participants, it was the first time they had learned about cover crops, and receptivity was high related to the options and benefits of using cover crops in different scenarios.

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