Spring Farm Update

At Ralston Family Farms, each season quietly prepares the way for the next. Long before we plant our rice in the spring, our fields are already alive with cover crops like radish, clover, winter peas, black oats, and flowering vetch growing through the cooler months.

These plants help us keep living roots in the soil year-round, which is an important part of regenerative farming.

Each cover crop plays a role in caring for the land. Radishes send deep roots into the soil, naturally loosening and aerating the ground. Clover, peas, and vetch capture nitrogen from the air, returning valuable nutrients to the soil for the next crop. Black oats add organic matter and a strong root structure, helping improve soil structure and water infiltration.

Above the soil, these flowering plants also support life on the farm. Bees and other pollinators are drawn to the blooms, while beneath the surface, the roots and plant residue feed earthworms and beneficial soil microbes, creating a thriving underground ecosystem.

By the time spring arrives, these cover crops have already done months of quiet work—protecting the soil, building fertility, and preparing the land for the next rice crop.

Rather than starting from bare ground, we are often able to plant directly into the cover crop residue, allowing the organic matter to continue nourishing the soil while minimizing disturbance to the land.

For us, this is the rhythm of farming—one season caring for the next. And every bowl of rice begins with that living soil beneath our feet.

Thank you for supporting a family farm committed to stewarding the land through every season.