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%!
Soil Health Applied w/ Brian and Jamie Johnson (1/6)
Brian and Jamie Johnson run an operation in Frankfort, South Dakota where corn-soybeans are the standard rotation. So why do the Johnsons like small grains in their rotation? How do they profit from the small grains both as a cash crop and as a yield booster to their corn and soybeans? Find out in the…
Integrated Systems w/ Doug Sieck – Livestock Integration (5/7)
Livestock integration is a serious tool to offset financial risk. If we aren’t using it, we’re missing out on a litany of benefits! Does this mean it doesn’t come with it’s own concerns, though? No! Pugging and compaction, fencing, water, and for some, a shortage of livestock can be serious obstacles to overcome. As Doug…
Integrated Systems w/ Doug Sieck – No-till and Equipment (4/7)
Here’s the reality: a transition to no-till is most likely going to require a change in equipment – but the role of equipment is no the only consideration As Doug Sieck says in our latest video, “The equipment is important (to get started), but at a certain point, the more important part becomes how are…
Integrated Systems w/ Doug Sieck – Holistic Mindset (2/7)
When it comes to farming, “holistic” is often a word that gets a bad wrap. Walworth County farmer Doug Sieck knows this first hand. He had his own reservations when it came to the term, but that has all changed. In the second video in our 7-part series, Doug shares with us his insights on…
SD Cropcast 02: Dwayne Beck
15 Trillion Laborers (Microbes) w/ Dr. Lehman – Intro (1/3)
We met with Research Microbiologist Dr. Mike Lehman (ARS) on the research station in Brookings, South Dakota to talk soil microbes. Dr. Lehman isn’t just a well-respected scientist, it turns out that he’s also a great communicator. In this and the next two videos, Dr. Lehman takes a shovel full of soil and talks about…
Merit or Myth: Season 2
In our first Merit or Myth season, we discussed the issue of no-till in the context of residue management, soil water (mainly infiltration), soil temperature, weeds and economics. In reality, a companion between no-till an conventional till system is very difficult to compare is one only looks at one factor (e.g., residue). When we spoke…
Soil Resilience and Water Holding Capacity
In a lot of ways, farming success comes down to efficiency How efficiently can a farmer make use of his time? How efficiently can he make use of his inputs? How efficiently can he make use of his available resources? When it comes specifically to those available resources, there is one that stands above the…
Economics: Jorgensen Land and Cattle Case Study (Part 3)
In our previous video of the Jorgensen Land and Cattle Economics Case Study, Nick Jorgensen discussed some of the economic savings they were able to realize in their long-term, no-till fields where typically Organic Matter measured over three percent. What the Jorgensen land and cattle operation was able to do in this analysis was save…