Video: In this presentation, Keith Berns of Green Cover highlights “seven freebies” that organic farmers can harness: sunlight, rainfall, biological nitrogen fixation, soil biology, carbon from the air, on-farm diversity, and farmer creativity. He explains how cover crops and diverse rotations capture these no-cost resources to build soil health, reduce purchased inputs, and stabilize yields. Berns encourages growers to think like ecosystem managers, creatively stacking these freebies for highly profitable, resilient, and truly regenerative organic systems.
Published: Dec. 29, 2025
This program is funded under Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreement NR246740XXXXC008 between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA), to promote sustainable agriculture practices and environmental stewardship. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA or NRCS.