Soil health: Mother Nature’s way of growing healthy crops! ‘Since about 1988 we look back at the soil tests and we’ve just about doubled the organic matter level.’ Special thanks to Practical Farmers of Iowa for contributing footage and Jack Boyer and Fred Abels for lending their fields!
SD Cropcast 04: Agronomist Kurt Dagel
The Most Powerful Question in Agriculture
What does Mother Nature want? As farmers, we do a lot to fight her. If the soil is hard, we till it. If our crops have weeds, we spray them. If the land doesn’t have the right amount of nutrients, we inject them. This has been the way to farm for the past 50 years….
Extended Rotations, Cover Crops And A Change In Perspective (Dagel 4/4)
“We’ve sparked a lot of curiosity. People are interested in what we’re doing [and] when I’m working with land owners I just tell them what they’re gaining for their land. It’s going to be in a better condition based on extended rotations and cover crops.” Check out the final video in our four-part series with…
Increasing Organic Matter, Reducing Costs (Dagel 3/4)
What Our Underwear Have to Tell Us
The past few videos, we’ve been unpacking what this ‘tighty whities’ experiment is all about. In this video, we get another farmer and district conservationist’s take on the process and what they learned along the way!
A Minute w/ Jeff Hemenway: Infiltration Test – Part 1 (4/6)
Does management affect infiltration? In this video, Soil Health Specialist Jeff Hemenway tests the performance of one soil series under two different management practices!
Soil Health Applied – Soil Health and Economics (5/6)
“The farm economy is hard,” says South Dakota soil health advocate Jamie Johnson. “It’s a hard life to make ends meet and [crop] diversity helps keep things even as far as income and expenses… you’re spreading out your risk, you’re spreading out your wealth, and you end up with a higher return.” Less risk? Additional…
Soil Health Applied – Crop Diversity and Weed Suppression (3/6)
“On our farm we really don’t have a lot of problems with [weeds] and that can be attributed to using the small grains in [our] rotation and keeping it diverse.” Crop diversity is one of the greatest tools a farmer has at their disposal. Hear how Brian and Jamie Johnson continue to experience the benefits…
Soil Health Applied – Small Grain, Covers, & Economics (2/6)
As displayed in our last video, small grains don’t tend to be all that profitable… but Brian and Jamie Johnson swear by them. Find out how these farmers use small grains to increase their corn and soybean yields up to 15%!