Cover Crops: Growing More Than Vegetables

When most people picture our farm, they imagine rows of vegetables stretching across the fields — tomatoes blushing red in the sun, crisp lettuces tucked neatly into their beds, carrots and beets hidden underground. But not every plant we grow is destined for your dinner plate. Some of the most important crops on our farm are the ones that will never end up in a Farm Share box at all.

These are our cover crops.

What are cover crops?

Cover crops are plants we sow not for harvest, but for the health of the soil itself. Think of them as “green blankets” for the fields. Instead of leaving the soil bare after a crop of carrots or cabbage comes out, we quickly plant something new — rye, oats, buckwheat, peas, clover. These plants hold the soil in place, protect it from erosion, feed the soil microbes, and even help capture carbon from the atmosphere.

Why they matter to us

As a certified organic, soil-first farm, we believe soil is our greatest investment. Cover crops are a way of giving back to the land that sustains us. Their roots open up pathways in the soil, creating space for water and air. Their foliage shades out weeds before they even sprout. When we eventually mow them down and turn them into the soil, they become a green manure — adding fertility that nourishes the vegetables that follow.

Some cover crops are chosen for specific purposes. Clover, for example, “fixes” nitrogen from the air and adds it directly into the soil, which means next year’s kale or cabbage has natural fertility waiting for it. Rye grows thick and tall, creating a dense mat that suppresses weeds and adds organic matter. Buckwheat grows quickly, offering nectar for pollinators and covering ground in just a few weeks. Together, they’re part of a carefully designed system that keeps our fields thriving year after year.

The bigger picture

To us, cover crops are a reminder that farming isn’t just about this season’s harvest. It’s about building resilience — in the soil, in the farm ecosystem, and in our community of eaters. By planting cover crops, we’re investing in healthier vegetables today and in healthier fields for the years to come.

So the next time you bite into one of our carrots or tomatoes, know that a quiet partner helped bring them to life: a humble cover crop, working behind the scenes to make our soil richer, our farm more sustainable, and our vegetables more nourishing.

Kitchen Guide: Sheet Pan Meals

Our Guide: 6 Steps to  Fabulous Sheet Pan Meals

Step 1: PREPARE THE PAN
Choose a rimmed baking sheet pan and line it with foil or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place empty sheet pan in the oven to preheat for 10 minutes.

Step 2: CHOOSE YOUR VEGETABLES
Choose hearty vegetables that can stand up to high heat. Options: potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, zucchini, summer squash, beets, carrots, cabbage, kale, bell peppers, broccoli and green beans.
Other Veggie Options: More tender vegetables like cherry tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms and asparagus, can also be used, but just be sure to add them later in the process so they don't overcook. 

Step 3: CHOOSE YOUR PROTEIN
Add your meat to the pan. You may want to separate the meat to one side of the pan or on a separate piece of foil to keep the juices from running together. If you're not a meat eater you can try experimenting with a larger variety of vegetables, cooked beans, tofu or tempeh
Good Protein Options: boneless chicken breasts or thighs, chicken drumsticks, pork chops, smaller cuts of beef, salmon or other fish, shrimp, and kielbasa/sausage.

Step 4: CHOOSE YOUR SEASONINGS 
Use spices, oil, or glaze. Ideally, season everything before it goes onto the sheet pan. Use kosher salt and freshly ground pepper as a basic start. Drizzle with olive oil or other glaze and toss in a large bowl before arranging on the sheet pan. Be creative! Seasoning options: extra virgin olive oil, thyme, oregano, basil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, Cajun seasoning, Dijon mustard sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, garlic, ginger, cumin, hoisin, soy sauce, chili powder.

Step 5: BAKE at 400°F FOR 35-45 MINUTES
Temperatures range from 400-450°F for sheet pan meals. Depending on the vegetables and protein you've chosen, it may take anywhere from 35-45 minutes to cook thoroughly. Remember if you've chosen something you know will overcook in that period, you want to add it in later on in the cooking time. Check the protein and heartier veggies at 35-40 minutes to see if they are done.

Step 6: ADD SOME CRUNCH FOR FLOURISH.
This is an optional step. Sprinkle something on top once your meal is cooked!
Think greens: arugula, spinach, micro-greens, pea shoots and sprouts are all good options. Toasted nuts like shaved almonds, cashews or pine nuts also work well.

PRO TIPS:
+ For easy clean up in a flash, line the pan with foil or parchment paper before coating with non-stick cooking spray. After cooking, simply lift off the foil/paper and discard.
+ Note: Sheet pans, baking sheets, and jelly roll pans are often confused with each other. Sheet pans are made from aluminum or stainless steel, have a deep rim, and measure 18x13 inches. Avoid nonstick sheet pans if you can. Although they're easier to clean up, they don't give a lot of colour to roasted chicken or vegetables.
+ Understanding the amount of time it takes for specific ingredients to cook is the key to a great sheet pan dinner. Either choose items with similar cooking times, or group your ingredients by their rate of cooking and add these groupings to the pan in stages. Also, take care to cut vegetables into similarly-sized pieces for more even cooking.
+ Don't overcrowd the pan, or you'll steam the veggies instead of roasting them. If necessary, use two pans.
+ Add any glazes before you cook, and again toward the end of cooking. Stir or flip food at least once during cooking.
+ Turn up the edges of a piece of foil to make a rectangular tray if you need to keep items separate from each other — especially if their juices may be overpowering.
+ Not every component of the meal has to be cooked on the pan. The majority of your meal may be cooked on one pan, but it may need another component. For example, you might make the fajita fixings all on one pan and then add them to the tortillas at the table. You could also create an Asian themed sheet meal that you may add on top of rice.
+ Preheat the pan. Placing the sheet pan into the oven as it preheats will give you that sizzling surface for your veggies and lead to a beautiful (and delicious) browned crust.
+ Position your food wisely. Try to put the meat in the centre of the sheet pan so it can absorb the most heat, and scatter the veggies around the sides.
+ Keep out the moisture. Excess water is the enemy for sheet pan meals! The oven has to work that much harder to evaporate it so it can brown your food. Pat your meat and veggies dry with a paper towel before roasting.

Regeneration Canada + Joyfully Organic Farm

As regenerative farmers, we are stewards of our land and believe that we can be a part of the climate change solution. That’s why we are so proud to have joined a community of like-minded producers. You can now find us in the company of other change makers on the map of @regenerationcan. Check us and the map out here!

Organic Farms are good for Communities

Eat Locally: Protect our health, our climate & our community

Local farmers care. We take the long way because shortcuts don’t sit well with us. Our practices take more time, more labor than many of our counterparts, but we’ve opted for organic practices because these practices contribute to the health of our customers, our community, and our climate, instead of detracting from them. And we care about that.

Organic practices contribute to the climate resiliency of our communities, too. We improve our soil, water, and air quality with practices like crop rotation, cover crops, and composting. By nourishing the soil, we sequester carbon, reduce harmful waste runoff, and help ensure that our farmland will continue to be fertile and productive into the future. Our farms are more resilient to the increased rain and flooding we expect to see as a result of climate change. All that to say: we’re in it for the long haul—come drought or high water, we’re better equipped to provide food for our communities, and our practices ensure they’ll be more resilient to the effects of climate change, too.

Lastly, the presence of local, resilient farms is at the heart of community self-sufficiency–a trait that is likely to prove critical in climate resilience. Towns and regions able to produce their own necessities (ahem…food!) will be far more resilient to the disruptions and losses of climate change than those reliant on faraway providers and producers. And in the meantime, organic farms create 21% more jobs than conventional farms, helping to sustain viable communities. Eating with our farm keeps money in the local economy.

When you eat with Joyfully Organic Farm you’re investing in local–local food, local communities, local resilience. And we are so grateful for that support, which makes it all possible. Now that’s a virtuous cycle!