© Leslie Michel, WSDA
Soil Health Ambassador: Scott Chichester – Mowing Cover Crops
Learn from Scott Chichester about growing and mowing cover crops on a Western WA organic farm.
December 5, 2025
Author: Leslie Michel, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Quotes from Scott Chichester
On the northern edge of Sequim, tucked between the mountains and the sound, Scott Chichester has been farming vegetables for over two decades. Today he manages Chi’s Farm, a ten-acre organic operation selling produce through a farm stand, CSA, restaurants, and a local natural foods store. Scott started the farm ten years ago after years of apprenticing and managing vegetable fields nearby. “I’ve been farming in this area for about 25 years now,” he said. “All vegetables, all the time.”
For Scott, healthy soil is the backbone of successful vegetable farming, and cover crops are one of the most important tools he has to protect and improve that foundation. “Cover crops are something I plant when I’m not growing a cash crop,” he explained. “They absorb leftover nutrients, protect the soil from winter rains, and, most importantly for me now, grow a lot of organic matter in place. Getting carbon back into the soil is huge.”
Scott shares his experience incorporating cover crops at Chi’s Farm. (Video by Leslie Michel, WSDA)
How do cover crops fit into your crop rotation, and how has it changed over time?
Most of Scott’s cover cropping happens in the fall, when summer crops come out of rotation. By late August, he begins tilling in crop residue and seeding mixtures, usually rye and vetch, sourced locally with cost share from the Sustainable Farms and Fields program. “If we can get them established and irrigated before we lose water in mid-September, we get a great stand,” he said. That stand protects soil through the rainy winter months, anchors nutrients, and sets up a massive flush of growth, in February, when the days get longer.
The spring flush is where Scott sees the biggest gains. “Once the light changes, the plants shoot up and put on a ton of biomass,” he said. “Typically before June, we’re mowing and incorporating them.”
Scott didn’t always mow cover crops the way he does now. Early recommendations emphasized incorporating crops early, knee-high or so, to avoid nitrogen tie-up and stay on schedule. But Scott began wondering what would happen if he let the cover crop grow much larger before incorporation.
The answer required a flail mower.
“If you let cover crops get big and stemmy, typical tools just don’t handle it well,” he said. “A flail mower breaks everything into tiny pieces so the tiller can handle it. Once I saw other farmers using them, it clicked.”
Over time, Scott has pushed the system further: bigger cover crops, more biomass, and more organic matter going into the soil.
“We’re growing them taller every season and figuring out
how far in advance we need to mow to avoid nutrient tie-up.
The results have been amazing.”
What benefits have you seen since you started using cover crops?
Even in a short time, Scott has noticed clear improvements in the soil, especially in the sandier fields.
“The biggest benefit is the increase in organic matter,” he said. “This field started with low nutrients and low organic matter. After just the first season of mowing and incorporating tall cover crops, we could see the residue still breaking down in late winter, with soil is filled with all sorts of beneficial bugs.”
The improved structure was obvious when they harvested carrots. “They were beautiful,” he said. “The soil aggregated well, even though it's sandy. That was a big sign we were on the right track.”
Healthy soils translate directly into healthier crops. “When plants are in good soil, they just do better. Better yield, better quality, and they taste better. Customers notice. The best part is hearing that the food tastes good because the soil is healthy.”
He also sees improvements in shelf life, something rarely talked about but deeply important. “If I take something home and forget it in the fridge, it’s still good weeks later. That’s soil health.”
What have been some of the challenges in growing and mowing cover crops?
Mowing a tall cover crop does come with challenges. Scotts biggest challenge is nitrogen tie-up from the large amount of organic matter.
“It’s very real,” Scott said. “When you put that much carbon into the soil, microbes grab nitrogen to break it down. If I don’t give it enough time, transplants sit there doing nothing.”
That’s why he starts the mowing and incorporation process about a month before planting. Once the microbes break down enough residue, plants take off.
Time is another challenge, it takes a bit of time to plan, mow, and incorporate the cover crop. But for Scott, it’s non-negotiable. “The soils are just better afterward. It’s worth the time, the seed, the fuel.”
What would you tell other farmers interested in cover crops?
Scott believes every farm should include cover crops.
“I’ve seen people do this on less than an acre with walk-behind equipment,” he said. “And big farms have more tools for their scale. There’s always a slot where you can fit cover crops in if you look for it.”
His biggest advice is simply to start.
“Cover cropping is one of the easiest, lowest-cost ways to build soil health.
There are lots of approaches. Mine isn’t the only one. Just find what works for your system.”
He also encourages farmers to pay attention to innovators and neighbors trying new things, especially with funding available through cost share programs like Sustainable Farms and Fields, which provided Scott with cover crop seeds. “The support has been great from the Conservation District. It makes it easier to try things.”
Looking ahead
After 25 years of growing vegetables, Scott still finds magic in healthy soil.
“It’s incredible that we put a seed in the ground and grow good food. As an organic farmer, knowing we’re doing our best to build the soil is exciting. Healthy soil makes healthy plants, and everything gets easier and tastier from there.”
Cover crops, he says, are only the beginning. “I haven’t figured it all out yet. This is just what’s working so far. I’m excited to see what else we can try, maybe different crops, different timings, better mixes. There’s always room to learn.”
To learn more about Chi’s Farm and other resources:
- Visit Chi’s Farm website
- Follow Chi’s Farm on Instagram or Facebook
- Learn more about the Clallam Conservation District
- And check out the Sustainable Farms and Fields program to see if it would be a good fit for your operation.
If you or someone you know would like to participate in our Soil Health Ambassador Program, email Leslie Michel at lmichel@agr.wa.gov
Want to connect with Scott?
As a Soil Health Ambassador, Scott has agreed to help other producers interested in cover cropping and experimenting on their farms. To get in touch with Scott, email WaSHI@agr.wa.gov
Leslie Michel
Leslie works with counties on the Voluntary Stewardship Program through the Washington State Department of Agricutlure, providing technical support on their monitoring plans. She also assists with the Washington Soil Health Initiative and Sustainable Farms and Fields program by providing support for soil sampling.
This article was published by the Washington Soil Health Initiative. For more information, visit wasoilhealth.org. To have these posts delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to the WaSHI newsletter. To find a soil science technical service provider, visit the Washington State University Extension website or the Washington State Conservation District website.