Farming

Over the years, American farms have become increasingly specialized. That’s been good for productivity but not necessarily for protecting farm profitability. Being too dependent on just a handful of crops -- or worse, a handful of buyers — puts farming operations in a precarious spot. Remember the old saying about having all your eggs in one basket? Sometimes the smart business move is to change up your offering to diversify your income stream. And if you can do it with resources, relationships, and knowledge you already have, all the better. Kelly Garrett discusses his budding direct-to-consumer meat enterprise. He explains his vision for retaining value that previously left the farm, how to exploit intentional congruencies, and how he once lost his shirt by getting too far out of his wheel house!

On average — and at current fertilizer prices — there is $125 worth of N,P& K in each acre of corn stalks post harvest. Are you getting that fertility buck back for your next crop? As fertilizer prices skyrocket, it’s more important than ever to harvest nutrients already in your fields for your next harvest. Not to mention the importance of proper residue management — too much residue prevents solid seed-to-soil contact come next planting. Biological products such as Extract maximize nutrient release from residue while also breaking down that residue. Brian Cornelious and Steve Sexton from Agricen join XtremeAg farmer Kelly Garrett to discuss the results they’re seeing.

In a no-till environment, residue is an issue. Dan jumps out of the combine to show you why he loves the Stalk Devastator™ from Yetter when it comes to that first step to achieving residue breakdown.

No-till farming creates an improved soil environment that is rich with biological activity all year long, but it also adds a blanket of residue that can make planting a challenge at times. Lee shows us what is happening underneath his layer of residue and discusses technique for ensuring seed to soil contact in a no-till environment.

Lee Lubbers of Lubbers Farms in Gregory, South Dakota was a no-till pioneer. In fact, he and his brother attempted to purchase no-till planting equipment back when it was so unpopular, the John Deere dealer refused to order it in for them! The farmers began no-tilling in the 1980s out of necessity — lack of labor, lack of money, lack of equipment. They also looked at it as a way to better utilize their farm land resource — leaving land fallow for a season to gain moisture was common at the time, and they needed a crop every year. Today Lubbers’ entire 17,000 acre operation is no-till. How do they do it, what are the benefits and pitfalls, and what do you need to know to succeed while avoiding tillage? Find out in this episode!

With bigger corn crops come more stover in the field, which can prevent proper seed-to- soil contact following planting. Biologicals such as ResidueRX eliminate this problem, along with preventing disease, maximizing nutrient utilization, and saving you time and money by allowing you to apply during your pre-emergent spray pass. In this episode we discuss residue management to attain bigger yields — especially while reducing planting population.

Fertilizer prices are doubling from last crop season as overall Ag input prices are increasing. Savvy farmers understand the need to squeeze every penny out of their input dollars. Biological products like TitanXC — a fertilizer coating — do just that by making phosphorous and potassium more available for crops. Studies show that as much as 60% of your phosphorous goes un-utilized. Can you afford to let that much of your purchase go unused? Brian and Steve from Agricen join Iowa producer Kelly Garrett to discuss the science and the financial return.

When your farm operates as a "one man band” you wear every hat, but as your operation expands you quickly realize the need to prioritize responsibilities based personality, interest, or aptitude. Nobody can be an expert at everything. Generally, some of us love production, while others of us gravitate to the business side of farming. Stuart Sanderson of Henderson Farms explains how their operation divides responsibilities for a success and harmony. And, no, “harmony” doesn’t mean a lack of disagreement!

We’re all guilty of being enamored with what’s shiny and beautiful. In farming, that means shiny new equipment, class A farm ground, and fancy facilities. But sometimes you can improve your bottom line by improving assets that are less than shiny. Depending on your capital position, age, and operation, you may have no choice but to do just that. Illinois XtremeAg farmer, Dan Luepkes wasn’t well capitalized, so he went about building his empire by turning trash into cash…or at least into nicely appreciated, improved assets. Dan shares his Agricultural business philosophy and provides a “how to" in this episode.