When an Indiana farm family picked up its “Conservationist of the Year” award it looked to the Northwest, specifically the mid-valley, when it was handing out thank yous.

There were plenty of reasons that Jim Scott of Pierceton, Ind., picked up the honor from the American Soybean Association, but one of the keys to his success was Oregon-grown annual ryegrass.

Over the winter he covered more than 1,200 acres with annual ryegrass implementing a no-till process.

Along with the primary benefit of erosion control, Scott said he got improvements in soil structure, oxygen content and water infiltration.

“I think this is an important turning point,” said Oregon State University extension agent Mark Mellbye, who was instrumental in establishing the new Midwest market, geared to corn and soybean farmers.

Mellbye and local grass seed farmers Don Wirth and Tim VanLeeuwen were regular Midwest visitors in the late 90s, conducting field trials and providing information.

Their efforts along with the work of the Oregon Ryegrass Growers Seed Commission helped create the cover crop market which has seen production jump from less than 1,000 planted acres to more than 600,000.

The Ryegrass Commission provided an aggressive approach in its marketing effort. Through the use of extension agents and grants to Midwest universities for research and trials the program got its initial boost.

“The Midwest could be a valuable new market niche for Oregon ryegrass producers,” stressed Mellbye.

“The results were excellent,” added Wirth. “Now hopefully, we’ll see some increased sales.”

Mellbye, who worked with extension agents in the Midwest during the field trials also noted the benefit to the environmental good.

Although Mellbye says there are “some challenges” ahead, results have been impressive. The ryegrass has shown to improve soil, build soil tilth and benefit yields in drought years.

Mellbye noted that 60 percent of the Oregon ryegrass still goes to Southern states for pasture usage but the cover crop market has the potential to provide an additional outlet for farmers.

The Scott family was also cited for other conservation efforts, including creating buffer grass strips, planting acres of trees and providing ponds for waterfowl.