Hello fellow gardeners,

As we think about putting our garden beds to rest for the winter, remember that you can pick up some free cover crop seed from our office! The Mercer County OSU Extension Office, in collaboration with the Mercer County Soil and Water Conservation District, are providing free Fall cover crop seed to vegetable gardens in the county. Any Mercer County resident can receive up to 3 pounds of a cover crop seed mix for their vegetable garden. Residents should know their garden size and can come to our office Monday through Friday from 8:30AM to 4:00PM. The office is located at 4978 Mud Pike, Suite 1. It is recommended to plant the cover crop seed as soon as vegetable gardens are cleaned up and put to rest for the season. Seeding should occur before mid-October for best results.

Planting a cover crop can reduce soil erosion, suppress weed seeds, maintain soil nutrient levels, and increase earthworm activity for their vegetable gardens. Farmers have been utilizing cover crops for many of these same reasons and plan to continue planting cover crop seeds for numerous soil health benefits. If you have questions about the cover crop program, please call Mercer County OSU Extension at (419) 586-2179.