Fields that typically turn green after harvest looked more brown this fall, but farmers like Aaron Augustian hope appearances can be deceiving.

Farmers in Door and Kewaunee counties have used cover crops in recent years in an effort to control soil and water erosion. According to 2024 data from Peninsula Pride Farms, members planted more than 16,000 acres of cover crops to help build healthier soil and prevent important nutrients from being washed or blown away.

In some years, wet conditions keep farmers from getting back into the fields to plant cover crops. This year, however, the opposite was true.

Some farmers planted cover crops only to have Mother Nature fail to reward their efforts with rain and warm, sunny days. Much of the precipitation the area received this fall came in the form of snow, which does little to help cover crops grow.

While Augustian said he missed seeing the green this fall and winter, he hopes the cover crops are still doing their job below the surface.

Farmers are now busy finalizing their seed and nutrient plans for the spring planting season, which is still weeks away.