Cover Crop
Our forage seeds have been professionally selected for the Mid-Atlantic region and are intended for high yields and low management, increasing our customer’s profitability while ensuring a thoroughly reliable foraging crop.
Our region-specific pasture formulations and mixes feature durable seed varieties intended to supply the nutrition your livestock needs while holding up to today’s intensive grazing methods year after year.
We specialize in custom formulations.
Chesapeake Valley Seed... saving the bay, one seed at a time.
Not All Cover Crop Seeds are Created Equal
The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s cover crop program offers a unique opportunity to improve your soil health, earn some extra revenue, and help protect the Chesapeake Bay, but consider carefully the seeds you choose.
Chesapeake Valley Seed provides uncoated radish, crimson clover, hairy vetch, and a range of other cover crop seed and mixtures. Why uncoated? Because we know our farmers don’t have time for filler in their daily schedule, neither should they in their seed.
When you pay for 100 pounds of seed, you should expect 100 pounds of seed. The math is pretty simple, and we like it that way.
Annual Ryegrass aka Italian Ryegrass is a cool-season annual. It is dense-rooted and tolerates compacted soils. N catch crop for heavier ground.
Annual Ryegrass
Barley
Buckwheat is a short season annual. It establishes quickly for temporary cover for weed suppression and biomass.
Buckwheat
Crimson Clover is a good N fixer, is easy to incorporate and is less likely to become a weed.
Crimson Clover
Custom Forage & Cover Crop Seed Mixes
Brassica. Biomass and deep penetrating root improves compaction. Daikon Radish is a good N catch crop.
Daikon Radish
Egyptian Wheat
Hairy Vetch is a hardy winter legume. It's used for hay, pasture or for erosion control and is commonly planted with cereal grains.
Hairy Vetch
Brassica. Biomass. Good N catch crop.
Mustard
Oats
Brassica. Purple Top Turnip improves compaction, water infiltration and weed suppression.
Purple Top Turnip
Brassica. Rape (Canola) improves compaction, water infiltration, and suppresses weeds.
Rape (Canola)
Red Clover is a short-lived legume and is an excellent N fixer.
Red Clover
Rye Grain
Sorghum Sudangrass
Wheat
Yellow Sweetclover establishes well in dryer conditions.