Where Do I Put My Crops? A Quick Guide To Planning A Vegetable Crop Rotation

 

Starting up a new vegetable farm requires a lot of planning. One of the biggest challenges involves crop planning: deciding which crops to grow, where to put them, and how to gain from the benefits of a proper crop rotation over years of production. A new video available from Penn State Extension can help you plan a good vegetable crop rotation from the start.

 

Maybe you are new to growing vegetable crops, or maybe you have purchased or leased a new farm to expand your current production. In any case, a critical question you are facing is--where do I put my crops?

 

Crop rotation is one of the most fundamental best management practices we know of in crop farming. Planting the same vegetable crops in the same place year after year reduces soil quality and builds pest populations. Having a good crop rotation is key to farm sustainability. But a good crop rotation doesn't happen on its own, and it certainly doesn't happen on the fly during the busy planting season. A good crop rotation starts with a solid plan.

 

Penn State Extension's new video, "Where Do I Put My Crops" outlines the basic steps you can take to plan a vegetable crop rotation that fits your own farm. Learn how you can setting goals, create a farm map, generate crop lists, plan rotational groups, and link rotational maps to other recordkeeping tools through this short video.

 

Video: Independent Seed, National Impact | On The Brink: Episode 9

A survey of 200 independent seed businesses reveals what Canada's seed sector actually contributes — and what it stands to lose.

On the Brink, Justin Funk, a third-generation agri-marketer, shares the findings of a national survey conducted in early 2026. The numbers reframe the conversation: independent seed companies in Canada represent upwards of $1.7 billion in dedicated seed infrastructure, approximately 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs in rural communities, and an estimated $20 million in annual community contributions. And roughly 90% of Canada's cereals, pulses, and other small pollinated crops flow through them.

The survey also asked how dependent these businesses are on public plant breeding to survive. The answer was unambiguous. For policymakers evaluating the future of publicly funded breeding programs, Funk argues the economic case for this sector and the case for public plant breeding are the same argument.

On the Brink is a cross-country video series exploring the future of plant breeding in Canada. Each episode features voices from across the industry in an open, ongoing conversation about innovation and long-term investment in Canadian agriculture.