Soil erosion and nutrient run offs are long known to be the major threats to our food systems. Soil conservation efforts are important to manage the threats and one of the most widely used strategies is cover cropping also known as “living mulch”. Despite the ecological benefits of using “living mulch” to mitigate the risk of soil erosion, the practice is not incorporated in the annual production plan of many farms due to several challenges including lack of equipment, timing of planting and terminating, and expense of seed.  We hope new varieties that can be harvested as vegetables solve some of these challenges.

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Pisum Sativum (winter pea) is one of the few legumes that can overwinter in Vermont. Winter pea as a cover crop fixes atmospheric nitrogen into the soil through its symbiotic relationship with Rhizobia bacteria. Winter pea cover crop also break weed, disease, and insect cycles. Identifying which winter hardy pea varieties with the quality attributes that fit the food/feed market requirement to plant is often difficult for growers, hence a variety testing program is crucial to evaluate the hardiness and edible qualities of new improved varieties in the northeastern US given the bioregion's specific traits.

Our hope is that our test findings will help growers make informed choices on the best varieties for the region.  Over time, we hope to provide information on dual-use peas, which serve the ecological function of a winter cover crop, but can be harvested as vegetables (fresh pods, sprouts and microgreens).