Farmers plant cover crops to prevent erosion and to help rejuvenate the soil. Cover crops can also be planted in small back yard gardens for the same purpose. By going to your local feed or garden supply store, you can most likely purchase seed in as small a quantity as you would like. There are many choices for cover crops. This year I chose buckwheat to fill in some bare patches. It grows quickly, tolerates poor soil conditions, and will not overtake the garden. An added benefit is its pretty white flowers which pollinators love. I planted some seed in my old strawberry patch amongst sunflowers. This time of year it is about three feet tall, looks pretty and has helped reduce other weeds.
Although I am not a fan of buckwheat flour and have never liked kasha,(roasted buckwheat groats) I learned some interesting facts about the usefulness of this crop (Fagopyrum esculentum.) Buckwheat has been cultivated as a crop for around 8000 years. Buckwheat seeds resemble a smaller version of beech tree seeds and are sometimes called "beech wheat." As a cereal grain, it is rich in zinc, manganese, copper and potassium. There have also been numerous studies on the health benefits of buckwheat from lowering blood glucose levels to lowering blood pressure. It can also be used in baking as an alternative flour for people with gluten sensitivity.
There is a Northeast Buckwheat Growers Association through Cornell University. If you want to learn more about growing buckwheat not just as a cover crop, you can attend the 2014 Buckwheat Field Day August 27th in Groveland, New York; or, to experience its culinary history, you can attend the Festival Sarrasin, October 3-12 in Louiseville, Quebec.
Source: Whole Grains Council.org and Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the
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| Buckwheat only a few days old |
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| Buckwheat at four weeks |
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