Focus on the Front End and Quit Putting Out Fires
Cleaning drinking water, mitigating flooding, removal of sediment, and installing erosion control structures are some of the activities that receive large amounts of funding to complete. These activities are a result of multiple sources and we aren’t always treating the causes, we’re mitigating their effects. Instead of paying on the back end, pay on the […]
Integrating Livestock…Without Having Livestock or Getting More Land to Graze
Are you wanting to get the benefits of livestock on your acres but not ready or wanting to have livestock of your own? Growing cover crops that would make wonderful forage? Use the Cropland Grazing Exchange! This is a tool that networks farmers with ground to graze with farmers with livestock. It allows you to […]
Who is Soil Health For?
Is soil health solely the responsibility of our farmers? Absolutely not! We all have an impact on the quality of our soils. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the products we buy, our lawns and gardens all have an impact on soil health. Farmers implementing soil health practices are protecting our drinking water, […]
Forest Farming – It’s Not Just for the Birds
What is forest farming? It’s growing of edible, medicinal, or decorative specialty crops in the understory of woodland that are managed for both tree and crop production. This can provide an additional revenue source of high value products while providing natural resource benefits. What native plants are growing in your forest currently? What type of […]
Obstacles to Implementation
We hear a lot about farmers that have implemented soil health practices and all of the benefits they get from doing so. Could it really work on your farm? Below are considerations for implementing soil health practices when we’re on the fence. · My current management is working · Current tight margins and adding risk · Long term […]
Produce More Under the Covers
Cover crops provide a variety of benefits-but we thought we’d keep it short and sweet. Here’s a quick highlight of 3 great benefits of cover crops for farming operations 1. Reduce Erosion – Cover crops protect the soil from raindrop impact and keep soil in place with cover and roots protecting it from wind and […]
Applying Manure on Cover Crops
Winter is coming or is already here, it’s time to clean up and haul manure out in the fields. We’ve had several wet falls making harvest and spreading difficult and storage isn’t endless, we can’t wait until spring to spread. Using cover crops to benefit your current management can work with manure. Applying manure on […]
Farmer Mentor Program
Have you wondered what others are doing to implement soil health practices? Have you wanted to bounce ideas around, trouble shoot issues, and have an opportunity to ask questions of others using soil health practices? Our farmer mentors are here to help with questions, a sounding board, and to provide first hand information about the logistics […]
Silvopasture
Agroforestry is a system that combines trees, shrubs, or perennial vines with other agricultural crops and/or livestock. Diversifying operations can have benefits to the grower to mitigate market fluctuations as well as having diversity on the ground. It allows to better harness natural processes can benefit production as in nutrients, weed control, pest control, and building […]
Grazing Cover Crops AFter Harvest
Grazing cover crops in late fall, winter, and spring are great options to improve your soils by reaping the benefits of livestock saliva, manure, urine, and milk seep but also increasing forage availability. Many cover crop species can handle cold temperatures and provide excellent nutrition. Some of the cover crops that can handle lower temperatures […]