Although harvest is over, some fields may still have noticeable vegetation. That greenery is likely a cover crop. Planting cover crops is a longstanding practice, and is one of the options outlined in Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy for reducing erosion and the amount of nutrients making it into waterways. Washington County farmer Jim Cuddeback says he plants cereal rye on the hillier portions of his land that are prone to erosion. He adds that in addition to absorbing excess nitrates in the soil, it benefits the soil when it decomposes in the spring.