Cover Crops

From Forage to Fertilizer: Iowa Farmers Turn Cover Crops Into A Profit Engine

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:37:00 GMT

Where the borders of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois converge above the Mississippi River, Jack and Maria Smith, alongside their sons Nick and Ted, have turned cover crops into the strategic backbone of their diversified farming operation.

Based in eastern Dubuque County, Iowa, the family combines no-till corn and soybeans with a 420-head beef operation. They utilize a spring and fall calving schedule to produce registered seedstock and yearling bulls, while also finishing select calves.

One of the things that makes their farm unique, Nick Smith says, is how completely they’ve integrated cover crops in all aspects of their operation.

“We cover crop every single acre now. We’ve been able to do that for the last five, six, seven years, somewhere in there,” he told Andrew McCrea, during their recent discussion on Farming The Countryside.

Smith Family Farms got its start in 1853. In addition to their conservation efforts, the family is dedicated to preserving the state’s history through the Iowa Barn Foundation, which has saved more than 300 barns.

(Environmental Stewardship Award Video)

Matching Cover Crops To Cattle And Terrain

Because their land is prone to erosion, the Smiths first used cover crops to protect the soil from heavy rains. However, the practice quickly became a “no-brainer” feed source for their beef herd.

On their steepest slopes, the family often uses a two-year rotation centered on covers. They plant a spring cover crop to graze or harvest, then follow it with a diverse “summer cocktail” that is harvested once and grazed in the fall. This rotation prepares the fields for no-till corn the following year.

“With some of our steepest slopes, that’s what we typically do,” Smith says. “On ground that’s not as steep, we grow more continuous corn.”

Cattle graze the rolling hills that make up a significant percentage of the land the Smiths own in Dubuque County, Iowa.

(Environmental Stewardship Award Video)

Most of the family’s cover crop acres are grazed by cattle at some point.

“In the fall, I would say we’re grazing all of them,” Smith says. He notes that distance and accessibility sometimes limit spring grazing. “Probably 50-plus percent of the acres do get grazed in the spring. It just depends on the weather. You can’t really have the cattle out there if it’s wet.”

Custom “Cocktails” For Summer And Fall

Smith chooses different cover crop mixes based on the season and the next crop in the rotation. For summer covers, he prefers diverse blends based on sorghum-sudangrass.

“We love that stuff,” he says. “It’s really hard to screw it up. It’ll grow pretty much anywhere, and it grows quickly. It’s great feed; cows love it.”

He typically adds legumes like clover and buckwheat to those summer mixes. For fall and winter grazing, the farm relies on small grains and brassicas, including triticale, cereal rye, turnips, and oats. These fall covers are usually seeded in August and September.

The Smiths use a corn-soybean rotation along with some continuous corn. Cover crops help fuel the family’s row crops and feed their cattle herd.

(Environmental Stewardship Award Video)

Smith adjusts his seeding rates based on the upcoming row crop. If a field is headed to soybeans, he seeds cereal rye at a heavier rate.

“Beans like cereal rye,” he said. “If we’ve got a thicker stand out there, that’s not going to bother me.”

If he is planting corn the next year, he uses a lighter rate of cereal rye, especially on fields that won’t be grazed in the spring. The family has also experimented with camelina ahead of corn to add more diversity.

From Planes To Drones — And The Combine

Smith’s father, Jack, began aerial seeding cover crops more than 15 years ago, but the rolling terrain made it difficult to get consistent results.

“In our topography, we haven’t had great success with that,” Smith says. “It’s hard to get good coverage over every acre.”

In recent years, the Smiths have used drones for more precise seeding, especially to drop oats, radishes, or turnips into standing corn to create high-quality fall forage.

“We’ve had years where we’ve had knee-high oats while we’re harvesting corn,” Smith says, though he notes success depends on timely rain.

One of the most significant changes the family made was five years ago when they decided to mount a Gandy air seeder on their combine to plant cereal rye during the corn harvest.

“It’s hydraulically powered and blows the seed so it drops right at or through the header, just before the residue goes through the snapping rolls on the corn head,” Smith says. “As that material goes down through the corn head, it basically covers the seed up and helps trap a little bit more moisture there for it to get going.”

Smith can seed about 15 acres per fill. He dismisses concerns that the practice slows down the harvest.

“Everybody’s excuse is, ‘I don’t want to stop harvest,’” he says. “You can refill in 5 minutes with the right kind of tender. We’re saving a whole other trip, saving a lot of fuel, and we’re getting more growth because it’s done earlier.”

Soil Health And Nitrogen Efficiency

Smith credits no-till and consistent cover cropping with improving his soil function. He has observed faster residue breakdown, more earthworm activity, and higher microbial activity.

Earthworms are the only tillage tool on Smith Family Farms operation in northeast Iowa.

(Environmental Stewardship Award)

“The pace of the increases in organic matter have gone up a lot since we started using the combine, because we’re getting seed in every square foot of every acre, and we’re doing it on a consistent basis,” he reports.

Grazing cover crops has also allowed the family to reduce commercial nitrogen rates over the last six or seven years, even as corn yields have increased.

“From an efficiency standpoint, we’re way more efficient as far as pounds of commercial nitrogen applied per bushel of corn,” Smith says. He attributes this to cattle returning nutrients to the soil via manure, though the exact fertilizer value is hard to quantify.

Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) has played a central role in helping the Smiths refine these systems. Nick says he uses the organization’s website, events, and on-farm trials to guide experimentation with new cover mixes.

Labor And The “Cheat Code” Of Cows

Smith says labor is the biggest barrier for most farmers considering cover crops. However, he argues that seeding during harvest removes that hurdle.

“That’s where the combine’s a no-brainer, because that’s not labor — you’re saving time,” he notes.

He also acknowledges that having cattle makes the financial risk much lower.

“Compared to other farmers, we’ve got a mulligan, if something doesn’t work,” Smith says. “If you’re a cash-grain farmer only and you’re spending money on some cover crops and it doesn’t really work, it’s hard to stomach that cost. For us, if we have something that’s a failure, we can still recover some of that cost — and in a lot of years, way more than recover the cost. The cows are a little bit of a ‘cheat code’ for us in that aspect.”

The Smith Family Farms received the 2025 Regional Environmental Stewardship Award for their efforts in sustainability, which were highlighted during the CattleCon 2026 conference.

Listen to the complete discussion between Nick Smith and Andrew McCrae on Farming The Countryside here .

4 Ways to Boost Profitability Through Soil Health

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 13:25:46 GMT

In ranching, there are no easy buttons — certainly none exist to achieve overall profitability — but there may be one factor that can come close.

Adaptive grazing practices on ranch, which means using forage observations to determine the best time to move cattle, can be a key that unlocks higher productivity.

“Adaptive grazing to accomplish better grazing distribution across the ranch will almost always result in higher plant productivity, higher carrying capacity and higher profits,” says Josh Gaskamp, associate director of outreach and partnerships for Noble Research Institute.

Gaskamp has seen the practice in action on Noble’s ranches.

“On Noble’s ranches, bare ground averaged 13% in 2019 and is close to zero now,” he says. “We got 13% of a ranch for free, and now it is productive for our livestock.”

He adds: “It’s not always about finding the best forage, the best livestock or the best market; management for soil health does pay.”

Gaskamp says healthy soils can boost bottom-line productivity and profitability. He encourages producers to consider these tips and how some simple moves can translate to cost benefits on the ranch:

1. More Grass = More Cows + Less Feed Cost

Overgrazing, either through continuous grazing or not achieving full pasture recovery between grazing events, can limit a plant’s ability to grow.

“The ultimate result is less grass,” Gaskamp says. “When a rancher more closely follows the full potential of their forages’ growth across the growing season by implementing timely, intentional grazing, they not only put more of that grass in the cow, but they also grow more grass.”

It’s not hard to follow the direct line between more grass and more cows.

“Growing more grass means improving the carrying capacity of the ranch, and that means more money,” he says.

The significant savings, according to Gaskamp, comes in avoiding substitution feeding costs — feeding hay in times of the year when forage would normally be available. Improving your pastures’ ability to grow grass limits the amount of feed you purchase out of pocket.

2. More Ground = More Cows + Less Maintenance

Better-performing forage can be the key to gaining more “ground” on a ranch, but making the most of marginalized areas can boost productivity as well.

Certainly there are areas where cattle simply don’t want to be. Gaskamp says that adaptive grazing can be the investment those areas need to flip them to optimization.

“Underperforming areas of the ranch can often be improved by bringing livestock, nutrients, organic matter and proper recovery times to them,” he says.

Two ways to attract cattle to marginalized areas on ranch are:

Planting cover crops to graze
Bale grazing

“When followed by appropriate rest and recovery, these hotspots of organic matter and animal density are revitalized,” Gaskamp says.

“When energy is flowing through our soils through photosynthetic solar capture rather than coming out of them through overgrazing, soil is building and biological communities are thriving. It’s great that these impacts also come with greater forage production,” says Josh Gaskamp of the Noble Research Institute.

(Noble Research Institute)

3. More Diversity = More Cows + More Biodiversity

There are a variety of benefits to having diversity in forage.

“Diversity provides resilience to weather and climate extremes (with more days having living roots in the soil), and when cover crops are developed to complement available forages on the ranch, they drastically extend the number of grazing days,” Gaskamp says.

Many ranchers capitalize on diversity by implementing cover crops, especially in marginalized lands or in diversified operations. Pragmatically, cover crops can cover a lot of ground, including:

Keep supplementation costs down by extending grazing.
Break up compacted soil.
Finish livestock on high quality forages for human consumption.
Provide a supplemental forage that has good quality when other plans are dormant.
Provide habitat for wildlife.

4. More Investment = More Opportunity

While the goal is to use soil health as a profit-generating strategy in and of itself on-ranch, there are opportunities to cash in on healthy soils that can present additional opportunity to enhance the bottom line.

“There are a number of established ecosystem services and carbon markets that can help ranchers capture value from the improvements they make to the land under their management for soil health,” Gaskamp says. “These provide an opportunity for ranchers within the right context.”

These opportunities may not work for all, and Gaskamp recommends that you do your homework to find the right partner, but he considers them “icing on the cake” for the proper soil health investments.

Farm Journal’s Trust In Beef™ and Noble Research Institute partner to share information about how investing in your soil health can build profitability and legacy on your ranch. Visit www.TrustInBeef.com or www.Noble.org for additional resources or to tap into Noble’s education opportunities on this topic and others.

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Unexpected Blessings: How Regenerative Cattle Production Shaped One Family's Faith Journey

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 04:32:31 GMT

Dawn and Grant Breitkreutz’s journey into regenerative agriculture started nearly 25 years ago on their cattle and farming operation, Stoney Creek Farm, located near Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Their use of regenerative practices has lowered their costs and improved their profitability, but its also shaped their faith journey.

Regenerative Journey at Stoney Creek Started With Cattle
Grant Breitkreutz says their first leap of faith into regenerative farming started with their cow herd. “We were going for more grass, more grazing days, and we really didn’t even think about it being regenerative at that time.”

They transitioned to rotational grazing, plus utilization of crop residue and cover crops. So, their herd is grazing at least nine, but weather dependent, up to 11 months a year, which Grant says has lowered their feed costs. “If the cows can be out here doing it on their own and we can provide them cover crops and stalks and crop residues and let them feed themselves. It’s money in the bank.”

Thankful for Record Cattle Prices in 2025
While 2025 has offered cattle prices they never thought they’d see in their lifetime, Grant says these practices allowed them to be profitable when cattle prices were low. “The cattle operation on our farm has pulled us through the lows. To be honest the cattle operation is subsidizing the crop production right now,” he remarks.

So, they have a lot to be thankful for, especially as they can now use some of their profits to build for the future including some long overdue infrastructure upgrades, including new fences and additional water facilities. “Yeah, they pulled us through the bad times, but there was never enough profit there to spend money on machinery. I mean, you did what you had to do. You bought feed wagons, you bought loaders, you did that kind of thing. Now we can actually take the profits from these cattle and really do some stuff that we should have been doing all along.”

Cattle Help Improve Soil Health
The cattle are also helping them improve the soil health on their farm says Grant. “We firmly believe that a cow can speed up the rebuilding of biology and a soil by about two years.” And the cattle are part of their regenerative cropping system.

Dawn describes the breadth of their regenerative operation, which follows the basic soil health principles. “We are a hundred percent no till operation so that we promote the biology and the soil. Adding diversity back into it in seed and in cows and livestock and all that sort of thing is bringing that health back.,” she says.

Cutting Costs
As a result they’ve been able to cut fertilizer and pesticide cost, which is a tall order as Stoney Creek farm is located in central Minnesota and the heart of row crop country. Grant says, “I’d say we’re saving about $140 to $160 an acre on, say, for example, a corn crop. We’ve figured out how to spoon feed the crop.”

Getting Back to Mother Nature
Dawn says another goal was to raise cattle and crops the way Mother Nature intended. “So, our soil health is vital to our livestock, to the crops that we grow, to the food that we grow, and to the humans that we’re growing.”

And she says that has led to their own branded products. “We’re selling chickens and eggs and beef and pork.
All of our stock that we finish or feed on our farm are raised on grains that are only produced here on our land.”

Regenerative Farming Shaped Faith Journey
However, their regenerative farming journey also provided an unexpected blessing as it made the Breitkreutz’s more aware of their spiritual connection to Mother Nature and the land.

Dawn says she never realized how much the Bible has to do with farming. “But you can’t be out here and pay attention to all the details and all the complications and chaos that’s in perfect harmony and not believe in a higher power that put this all together.”

On the office wall of Stoney Creek Farm are several bible verses and Dawn’s favorite is listed at the top. “I think I have three boards now that have Bible verses on them that, you know, they seem to appear at just the right time. And I’ll stop what I’m doing and I’ll find a place on the board to add to it.”

So on Thanksgiving and every day she says they feel blessed to be able to farm the way nature intended. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be able to take care of God’s creation.” And to bring their kids back into the operation to keep that legacy alive.

Discover the Benefits of Reduced Input Costs with Prolonged Grazing

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 15:30:59 GMT

Regardless of location, more days spent grazing is something more and more ranchers continue to push for. However, ranchers in northern climates with harsh weather especially appreciate extended grazing seasons to reduce input costs.

Luke Ressler farms and ranches alongside his wife, Elli, and her parents in northeastern North Dakota’s Red River Valley. Together, they farm, feed cattle and have a cow-calf operation. In 2019, Luke and Elli decided to place more emphasis on soil health and integrating cattle onto the crop land.

Ressler says: “With land prices being so high, I want to protect the soil by keeping more residue out there, adding cover crops and having a living root to keep the soil in place.”

This integration has offered numerous benefits to land and profitability of the operation.

“Cattle fit into the farming operation by helping us manage excess moisture, cycle nutrients and add value through grazing,” Ressler says. “We’ve really pushed adding more cover crops since 2019, experimenting with them and trying to get cattle out to graze.”

Keeping in mind the nutrient and moisture requirements of subsequent crops is a key factor of making this integration work.

He says: “I try to keep seeding rates balanced — enough to get good biomass for grazing, but not so much that it takes too much moisture away from my cash crop.”

Ressler has also learned to be cognizant of which cover crop mixes might cause challenges during the next cash crop planting or harvest season.

“One thing I’ve learned is purple top turnips might go to seed in the spring instead of fall, which creates challenges if we come in the next year with beans,” Ressler says. “They are hard to kill and create problems when you have to cut low to the ground during harvest.”

After he finishes small grain harvest in mid- to late-August, Ressler plants a blend of rye, kale and peas in these fields. Once plants get to about 4" to 6" tall, he puts a single poly wire around and turns the cattle out to graze.

“Having cows out grazing until January 1^st last year was awesome,” Ressler says. “Less time feeding cows in the tractor means more time focusing on profitability and other parts of the operation.”

Always Have a Back-up Plan

Water, of course, is a limiting factor, so he hauls water out to fields until Mother Nature signals it is time to bring cattle home.

“Snow is less likely to slow us down than ice,” Ressler says. “Cows will rummage through snow for forage, but ice inhibits grazing and the functionality of our poly wire fence.”

Thus, a plan B is always necessary.

“My backup plan if grazing doesn’t work is to move to bale grazing, focusing it on areas that need more residue,” he explains.

Bale grazing itself has offered benefits to the operation.

“It seems to take our ground about two years to cycle residue nutrients,” Ressler says. “Some people see waste with bale grazing, but in my eyes, I’m feeding my soil. Two years later, you can see lush grass growth in those spots.”

Impact on Calving and Weaning

The increased availability of grazing days throughout the year also changed another big management decision – calving season.

“We experience spring blizzards and flooding which always required us moving cattle to dry lot instead of calving on pasture,” Ressler says. “We moved our calving season to the early fall to avoid mud and harsh weather conditions.”

The nutrient availability from the cover crops has been beneficial to the pregnancy rates of his cow herd, which also impacts profitability.

“Being able to graze covers in the fall has really helped with pregnancy rates — those cows are on high-protein, good forage going into breeding season,” Ressler says.

One unforeseen benefit he saw was reduced stress at weaning.

“I’ve noticed the calves learn how to graze from their mothers in these systems, which reduces stress at weaning and makes them hit the bunk faster,” he explains.

Improving soil health, increasing profits and extending grazing seasons has no one-size-fits-all approach.

“Every year I try something different. It’s about adapting, learning and figuring out what works best for both soil health and profitability,” Ressler says.

And of course, the big picture is the most important thing to remember.

He adds: “Cover crops and bale grazing aren’t just about feed — they’re about soil health, reducing labor and lowering input costs over time.”

This means patience and persistence is required — just like with any change.

“It’s a long game. Improving pastures and soils doesn’t happen overnight, but you see slow, steady improvements year after year.”

You can listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

Grazing Cover Crops Adds Value

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:13:36 GMT

For Charlie and Jeremy Kootz, a father-son team farming near the Kannapolis Reservoir in Ellsworth County, Kansas, cover crops are more than conservation. For them, it’s about building healthier soils, reducing erosion, protecting water supplies, improving profitability, and extending the grazing season into fall and winter.

“We’re trying to incorporate cover crops to boost soil health and then integrate livestock as much as we can with it,” Jeremy says. “It’s about getting the best of both worlds — stacking enterprises so we’re improving infiltration and soil biology while also cycling nutrients with cattle.”

His father, Charlie, has seen the difference during dry years. “Most of it is for grazing cattle and soil health support. We’ve seen less erosion these past couple years, even when it’s been so dry. That’s been a huge benefit,” he says.

Those on-the-ground experiences line up with research from Kansas State University. A two-year study in Russell County tested how different grazing strategies on cover crops influenced soil conditions, grain yields and overall farm profitability.

K-State Researchers compared ungrazed plots, the widely recommended “take-half-leave-half” approach, and a more aggressive “graze-out” strategy where up to 90% of cover crop biomass was consumed.

While heavy grazing has often raised concerns about soil degradation, this short-term study found that higher grazing intensities did not significantly reduce soil health indicators under the conditions observed. Soil organic carbon, nutrient cycling, and water infiltration remained stable, and subsequent grain sorghum yields averaged 83 bushels per acre for ungrazed plots and 89 bushels per acre for both moderate and high grazing treatments.

“That’s an important finding for farmers in water-limited regions,” says Logan Simon, K-State agronomist. “We know cover crops can improve soil structure and reduce erosion, but adoption has been slow because of costs and concerns about yield drag. Grazing adds another layer of value. It helps make cover crops profitable.”

Residue amount and plant height were reduced under grazing, but soil surface cover — critical for conserving soil water and reducing erosion — remained similar to ungrazed plots. Even at the higher “graze-out” level, such indicators of soil health as aggregate stability and time-to-runoff were unaffected, showing that the soil protective functions of cover crops persisted despite heavier utilization.

For the Kootz family, the bottom line matters as much as soil health.

“You may not see it in the short term as much as you’d like, but the hope is long term we’ll see soil health improvements and profitability,” Jeremy says. “The cattle are part of that cycle. They’re nutrient cyclers, and they let us make better use of what we’re growing.”

The Kootz family began experimenting with no-till years ago, then gradually added cover crops with support from conservation initiatives like the Kansas Reservoir Protection Initiative, a cost-share program supported by the Kansas Water Office in cooperation with the Ellsworth County Conservation District. By adding grazing, they’ve been able to offset input costs while also protecting water quality downstream.

That connection to water is where K-State watershed specialist Stacie Minson sees cover crops playing a larger role. Working with producers near Kannapolis Reservoir, she helps farmers adopt practices that keep nutrients and sediment on the land rather than washing into streams and lakes.

“If we have a living root in the soil for more days out of the year, we keep sediment and nutrients on the field,” Minson explains. “That helps with water quality protection, but it also helps the farmer. By bringing in cattle, farmers can cover their bottom line while improving water infiltration and reducing the need to feed hay in winter.”

Research co-author Augustine Obour, K-State soil scientist, says those synergies are what make integrated crop-livestock systems so promising.

“We didn’t see reductions in yield, and soil health indicators remained stable even under higher grazing intensities,” Obour says. “That gives farmers more confidence to adopt practices that regenerate soils, conserve water and improve profitability.”

While the findings are encouraging, researchers cautioned that the study was conducted during an exceptional drought, when soils were less vulnerable to compaction from cattle traffic. They emphasized the need for further testing under average or wetter years, when hoof pressure could have different effects.

Still, the short-term results provide hope for farmers navigating thin margins and unpredictable rainfall. By extending grazing seasons, reducing reliance on stored feed, resting rangeland, and keeping more living roots in the soil, cover crops with livestock integration can help Kansas farms become more resilient.

“Any year is different, and we just keep learning,” Jeremy Coats says. “But the goal is long term — improving soil health and keeping the operation sustainable for the next generation.”

K-State’s research supports broader water quality and soil health goals across Kansas, including efforts to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s 9 Element Watershed Plan benchmarks developed by Minson, who also serves at the Big Creek Middle Smoky Hill River Watersheds Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) coordinator.

This project works in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Watershed Management Section. By proving that grazing and conservation can coexist, K-State’s work is helping farmers balance stewardship with profitability.

The full report, Cover Crop Biomass Removal Rates to Optimize Livestock Production and Soil Health in Dryland Cropping Systems , is available through the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports.

Researchers Seek Environmental Solutions Through Cover Cropping

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:05:39 GMT

Cattle producers and researchers are always considering new approaches to production systems that are economically beneficial and ideally have an environmental benefit as well.

“The industry is making great progress with improving methane emissions from beef cattle, but we are lacking in improvement with nitrogen emissions,” says Andrew Foote, Oklahoma State University animal and food sciences associate professor.

In a recent release distributed by OSU, it was announced that a multidisciplinary group of scientists are teaming up to research how cover crops can improve the environmental impacts of cattle foraging.

Fertilizing crops and cattle foraging on harvested cropland cause methane and nitrogen emissions.

“That’s why we came up with this research project to look at using legume cover crops in the summer to fix nitrogen in the soil to minimize the amount of fertilizer producers need to put down for planting wheat in the fall,” Foote explains. “We want to see if we can better use wheat cropland between harvesting winter wheat in the spring and planting it again in the fall. On the economic side, could you get another grazing period over the summer or more hay using these four-season cover crops? Then there is the environmental benefit of fixing the nitrogen into the soil.”

The research team includes Mary Foltz, OSU School of Civil and Environmental Engineering assistant professor, and Josh Lofton, OSU plant and soil sciences associate professor and Extension specialist for cropping systems.

Lofton recently planted legume cover crops in wheat fields to grow during the summer. Legumes place nitrogen into the soil through a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria in their roots.

Foltz’s team is placing chambers to capture and measure carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions in wheat fields with different combinations of cover cropping, fertilizer and cattle grazing treatments to determine if the cover crops decrease overall greenhouse gas emissions.

“Hopefully, we are going to be able to assess the impact of grazing, cover cropping and fertilizer on these different gas emissions with the biggest focus on nitrous oxide, as it is the most potent of the greenhouse gases,” Foltz explains. “The ideal scenario is that applying the cover crops will reduce the dependence on synthetic fertilizers and increase soil stability by decreasing soil erosion.”

Foote says OSU Extension will offer forage analysis to producers using summer cover crops when they provide forage samples, and the group will eventually host field days to demonstrate the research results.

The next step will include OSU agricultural economics faculty developing a spreadsheet-based budgeting tool to help producers figure out the economics of their production system and how the cover crops could work for them.

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Cover Crop Grazing Conference Scheduled for Nov. 6 in North Platte

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 18:47:12 GMT

Producers can learn more about the benefits of cover crop grazing and practical management strategies to optimize productivity from both University of Nebraska educators as well as producers during the 2024 Cover Crop Grazing Conference.

The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (CT) at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center in North Platte.

“The Cover Crop Grazing Conference is designed to give producers timely, practical information they can immediately apply to their operations,” said Mary Drewnoski, UNL beef Extension specialist who will be presenting about her research findings at UNL. “With expert insights, up-to-date research, and producer perspectives, attendees will not only gain valuable knowledge but also have the chance to interact directly with both industry leaders and fellow producers. Whether you’re just starting with cover crops or looking to fine-tune your system, this event will be worth your time,” she said.

The event will include a trade show, presentations about annual forages for winter grazing, selecting and using temporary fence, planting dates and forage production, and insights from a producer who has effectively incorporated cover crops into his farming and ranching business.

“Cover crops and annual forages are becoming increasingly important tools for cattle producers looking to maximize the productivity of their land while improving soil health,” Drewnoski said. “This conference provides a great opportunity to learn about new research-backed strategies and real-world practices that can boost profitability and sustainability.”

Registration is $40 and includes lunch. Please register at go.unl.edu/CCGrazing24 by Monday, Nov. 4. Payment via cash, check or credit card will be accepted at the conference.

For more information contact Connor Biehler, UNL beef Extension educator at cbiehler2@unl.edu or 402-624-8030, or Mary Drewnoski, UNLbeef systems specialist, at mary.drewnoski@unl.edu or 402-472-6289.

Corn Maverick: Cracking the Mystery of 60-Inch Rows

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:21:50 GMT

Terra incognita. When Bob Recker turned off every other row on his no-till planter, doubled the plant population, and punched seed into Iowa soil, he crossed into the uncharted territory of 60” row corn. Success or failure, Recker was about to bathe his corn—and weeds—in sunlight, and attempt to maintain yield with only half the growing space.

In 2017, Recker kicked open the door on 60” row corn, and exposed a ton of questions on sunlight capture, weed suppression, cover crops, and much more. According to Recker’s triune agricultural gospel, or triple bottom line, every farmer must make money, grow food and take care of the soil—and he believes 60” row corn could become an avenue toward improving all three facets on the right operation, without trimming yield.

A Jug of Sunshine

Recker’s question: If every other row is a zero yield, can a corn field gobble enough sunshine to reach equivalent yield, as compared with standard 30” rows? The query is typically rendered by most growers as a snowflake-in-hell proposition—i.e., it ain’t happening.

However, Recker pays little mind to the confines of consensus. A retired John Deere engineer, Recker has fueled a post-machinery career as an independent researcher with an increasingly large sustainable bone. Owner and founder of Cedar Valley Innovation in Waterloo, Iowa, Recker is intensely focused on improving farming’s triple bottom line—money, food and soil: “I retired in 2008, knowing that I wanted to give something back to the American farmer for feeding me for so many years. I started studying and became more interested in smaller data sets, even down to the yield of a single corn plant.”

Recker’s initial approach to 60” rows was a combination of heavy experimentation with a mix of configurations, and a heavy focus on photosynthesis and the edge effect. In a field of corn, the outside row, along with the on-deck row, both see significant yield benefits from sunlight. However, go inside beyond those two rows, and the shaded plants generally revert to broad acre yields.

“Randy Dowdy is correct: You can’t buy a jug of sunshine,” Recker explains, “but you can still leverage corn’s ability to use sunshine because it is universally available.”

Experimenting with narrow corn strips, Recker tried 12-, 8-, 6-, 4-, and 2-row corn, particularly noting the promise of 4-row corn: “Maybe God meant for corn to be grown 4 rows wide on 30” rows, with a skipped row on either side.”

“Whatever the configuration, we all know the edges always yield so well. Even discounting the fanciness on variety, fertility and population, the edge rows always yield big. I’m trying to figure out how to harvest sunlight and that’s where the 60” rows came from. I was challenged by a friend to try wide rows, and it seemed crazy, but I was willing to try and find out what would happen.”

Nature Abhors a Vacuum

Prior to 2017, Recker tried alternate 20” and 40” rows, noting a slight yield increase. In 2017, he planted eight varieties on 16 half-mile rows, each separated by 60” (almost five acres total), on commercial corn production land in Iowa. Accounting for the adjoining 30” corn planted at a 34,000 population, Recker doubled all the 60” corn to a 68,000 in-row population to accomplish the same field population.

“American farmers have scar tissue from people promoting things that don’t work, so I wanted to avoid claiming a yield benefit or drag due to a different population. I kept the elements simple, treating one variable at a time. My corn got all the same treatments as the adjoining commercial corn and we planted the same day. My commercial grower/collaborator is excellent and highly vigilant in weed control, and that made a big difference.”

Recker’s 2017 60” corn, with half the ground space empty, produced a surprising result—statistically equivalent in yield to the rest of the field. “It started gaining interest from farmers because it was so easy to do, required no equipment changes and provided easy equipment access to the corn,” Recker describes.

Yet, as corn surges on sunshine, weeds thrive on solar power all the more: Nature abhors a vacuum. “Yes, you’re giving weeds a great chance to get established in the open space,” Recker says. “You must have a residue base already in place or a good weed control strategy.”

For a grower solely focused on growing corn, Recker recommends adherence to 30” rows, but for someone interested in taking advantage of the open row space, Recker urges consideration of cover crops, companion crops or grazing potential. “No BS. Do 30” if you only want corn, and don’t do 60” without something in between the rows. Done right, you can get much healthier crop dividends, and a grazing opportunity may be the biggest bonus.”

In 2018, Recker recorded 30 growers trialing 60” corn across nine states. He obtained results from seven plots without cover crops, and five plots utilizing cover crops. All told, the 12 plots showed an overall yield decrease of 5%, with a plus/minus of 10%, according to Recker. “If you’re enthusiastic about cover crops or grazing, the results are very interesting. Or if you think this could be fine-tuned and done better, it also grabs your attention.”

“I’m not expanding my 60” row research. I’m just encouraging people to do their own experiments and urging them to adapt and adopt this to fit their system, rather than me tell them how to farm. It could be a big deal for cover guys on the right farm. I’m convinced sustainable practices are the right thing, but they must be profitable and not a logistics nightmare.”

Jack Boyer

Practical Farmers of Iowa ( PFI ) seized on Recker’s proposition in 2018, conducting trials on four farms to see if yields would keep pace with conventional 30” rows, and determine if 60” rows could reap significant biomass growth from interseeded cover crops. Results of the trial were mixed on yield. At two locations, farmers saw equal yields between 30” and 60” rows; at two other locations, farmers observed yield declines. Most of the 60” ground showed heavy cover crop growth, but weed control was a challenge, and possibly contributed to lower yields.

(See here for a pdf download of the PFI study.)

Tama County producer Jack Boyer participated in the PFI study, and has also worked with Recker on multiple research projects. Boyer grows corn, seed corn and soybeans, and is 100% no till: “I’ve been working on 30” rows, trying to get cover crops planted earlier, like at sidedress in June. But 60” rows caught my eye because they allow a diverse crop mix and plenty of sunshine.”

As part of the PFI corn study, Boyer planted four segregated strips of 12 30” rows and four strips of 6 60” rows (eight strips covered roughly 3 acres). The overall results were equivalent, with the 60” rows (205 bpa) outperforming the 30” rows (200 bpa) by 5 bu.

In between the 60” rows, Boyer planted cow peas (warm season species), anticipating fast movement and weed suppression, but the weather dipped and the peas sat tight. In addition, the pea presence (legume) ensured Boyer couldn’t use a herbicide without killing the cover—complicating his management. When waterhemp emerged, Boyer pulled the handbrake, came back with a herbicide, killed the covers, and replanted with a multi-species mix after burndown, finally wrangling a degree of good weed control.

“The weeds love sunshine, too, and unchecked, they’ll proliferate with a vengeance. You have to pick a cover crop combination that comes up quickly and spreads quickly to make sure weed seed can’t get started,” Boyer says.

“Overall, the 60” covers grew 10 times the aboveground biomass of the 30”, and the amount of nitrogen captured by the 60” was 10 times that of the 30”. My advice to other growers is to stay with 30”, unless you are really interested in grazing cattle after harvest or improving soil health,” Boyer adds.

In 2019, Boyer has an 10-acre plot of replicated 30” and 60” corn, and has utilized the weed lessons from 2018. “I applied a half-rate of chemicals with a short half-life so the covers wouldn’t be bothered, and later went in with a no-residual cleanup herbicide, planted covers, and got decent weed control.”

Boyer’s consistent plot research has revealed data which may move him away from future 60” study. A mix of annual ryegrass, cow peas and rape seed has performed well under a 30” canopy, according to Boyer. “As individual covers, they didn’t work, but together they appear to have some kind of synergy, and they may be an ideal cover situation for 30” rows. All I’m doing is experimenting and learning. I don’t have cattle so extra biomass is not important to me. Again, if you’ve got cattle, grazing covers could be a serious reason to look into 60”.”

Loran Steinlage

On 750 acres of Fayette County ground, Loran Steinlage perpetually breaks the mold, and has moved his operation toward regenerative practices, on a trajectory from interseeding to companion cropping to relay cropping, with an eye on space for livestock despite a lack of pasture ground. Steinlage, explains Recker, is a “real deal” farmer and doesn’t adhere to convention: “Loran is willing to try stuff and always has something unique going on. You’re not going to find anyone exactly like him and he’ll always tell it like it is.”

In 2017, Steinlage planted a plot with alternating corn rows of 30” and 60”, with cover crops in between. He noted standard cover crop growth in the 30”, but lush, knee-deep biomass in the 60”. “It’s pretty clear to me that if you’ve got livestock, 60” is the perfect opportunity to get a post-harvest grazing option very quick. We can maintain yield from what we’ve seen, and get good tonnage for livestock the very day we harvest,” he says.

Steinlage is all no till and 100% interseeded on corn acreage. Once again, in 2019, Steinlage is testing a 60” plot. “I do something different each year and I’ll push even with minimal success. Right now, we’ve seen phenomenal no till organic corn on corn with almost zero purchased inputs,” he describes. “I hope to bring livestock back on the farm, but minimizing inputs is my focus at present.”

“I try to set up everything for relay cropping in the fall, but Mother Nature unfolds her hand in the spring, and we really don’t know our rotation sometimes until June 1.”

Steve Walder

Steve Walder grows a mix of conventional and organic crops in Vermilion County, Ill., in addition to fulltime work as an engineering manager at RhinoAg . Walder has consistent giant ragweed control issues in organic corn. “I heard about 60” rows and controlling these weeds was my initial thought because I knew I’d be able to get between the rows much easier and have 50% fewer rows with weeds. Secondarily, cover benefits were a factor that would help keep organic inspectors satisfied and build soil health and nutrient levels, which are particularly important in organic crops.”

Walder planted 12 acres of 60” organic corn in 2018, and noted a 20% reduction in yield. “Normally I’m at 34,000-36,000 planting population, but part of the yield problem was my populations were off because my planter can’t go up high enough to accommodate a doubling. In the past I have seen similar yield loss on these acres from the giant ragweed pressure.”

In 2019, Walder tried 5 acres of 60” plots, adjusting planting population to 25,500 on 30” and 51,000 on 60”. “This year after harvest I’ll know better if my yield comes close to the 5% percent average drop that others have seen.”

Walder intends to try 60” rows again in 2020: “It takes multiple growing seasons to get a real idea. There are so many variables with weather and you can’t rely on just a couple of years of data. Long term, with the right hybrids and optimal population, and the right cover crops, that 5% yield drag may disappear. This takes time and years of research to get it right.”

Easy to Kill

Beyond 60” rows, Recker urges growers to constantly tinker and experiment on a small percentage of a given operation. For example, he advocates taking a 4% chunk (40 acres) of a 1,000-acre farm and trying unique management. Further, within the 40 acres, he recommends using 4 acres for any outside-the-box growing practice—even if deemed bizarre by conventional agriculture. “Understanding comes from failure. Do the research on a small piece of ground, and then ask the right questions. What does it do for income? What does it do for the total output of the farm? What does it do for the soil?”

Recker isn’t wed to 60” rows—he’s wed to sunlight harvest. “If we find a cover crop or companion combination along with a yield increase, people will adopt any configuration. I’m not there yet. I don’t know what configuration is ideal, but maybe it’s 30”-60” or something else. I’ve done some crazy stuff that usually doesn’t work, but I’m not afraid to go find answers. I’m convinced that in the near future, the yield winners across the country are going to be using different row configurations.”

“Somewhere out there is a soil scientist or agronomist, that is just like me, wanting to do more and leverage their abilities into this,” he continues. “My network of farmers and researchers is often the crazy bunch because they are willing to listen and think about what might be possible.”

As automation and driverless technology increase across agriculture, Recker says the importance of row configurations will become prominent. Smaller equipment, he believes, may be a catalyst. “Things are going to change; they always do,” he adds. “Autonomous vehicles will be the economic, agronomic and sociological winners. The vineyard industry already uses automated equipment to get up and down the rows, and is already close to 60” spacing. That tells me something about what may happen with row crops.”

Recker never sugarcoats his findings, welcomes criticism from all corners, and coats his reflections with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, but the maverick researcher has little patience for the incurious: “What have you got to lose? Do something no one else is trying and pay attention to the details. Don’t listen to the crowd because an idea is like a young plant just sprouting—it’s very easy to kill.”

For more, see:

Descent Into Hell: Farmer Escapes Corn Tomb Death

Against All Odds: Farmer Survives Epic Ordeal

Killing Hogzilla: Hunting a Monster Wild Pig

Breaking Bad: Chasing the Wildest Con Artist in Farming History

Blood And Dirt: A Farmer’s 30-Year Fight With The Feds

American Farmer Snuffed Out Saddam Hussein

Future Shock: Farmers Exposed By US-China Long Game

Wild Pig Wars: Controversy Over Hunting, Trapping in Missouri

Agriculture’s Darkest Fraud Hidden Under Dirt and Lies

In the Blood: Hunting Deer Antlers with a Legendary Shed Whisperer

Secy. Vilsack Unpacks Build Back Better and What it Means for Ag

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 20:51:55 GMT

The House passed the Build Back Better (BBB) framework last Friday, allocating roughly $2.2 trillion to climate change, health and child care, among others.

On Tuesday, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack rang in on AgriTalk to share agriculture’s angle in the BBB plan with host Chip Flory.

Conservation

According to Vilsack, the historic $27 billion conservation investment will impact as much as 100 million acres of cropland, providing conservation assistance to roughly 200,000 farms across the country on an annual basis.

Vilsack says these funds will offer better farm income, healthier soils and cleaner water and will increase rural jobs by, “providing premiums to farmers who are investing in cover crop production, the ability to convert agricultural waste into a variety of products, creating new revenue streams for farmers and also reducing the greenhouse gas impact of agriculture.”

Cover Crop Incentives

The American Rescue Plan, which offered farmers a $5 per acre discount on crop insurance, proved favorable in farm country. Vilsack says this success led to the BBB’s $25 per acre cover crop incentive.

“I think the point of this is farmers are ready,” Vilsack says. “They just need to be provided the incentives and the economic value to do what they want to do and what they’ve been doing forever, which is to be good stewards of the land and water.”

Ramping Up Rural Energy

Assistance to rural electric cooperatives makes up $9.7 billion in the BBB. Vilsack says these dollars will allow farmers to work with their co-ops to reduce overall energy costs.

Carbon credits were purposefully omitted from the rural energy section of the BBB, according to Vilsack. He says credits will instead be addressed in the Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership initiative framework, which will explain pilot and demonstration resources when released in coming months.

Paying the Toll

Capital gains tax provisions have not been included in the BBB, keeping rural America clear of paying the bill. Vilsack ensures corporations that, “have not paid a single dime on billions of dollars of profit will now have to pay a minimum tax” to cover the BBB price tag.

“Individuals who are making more than $5, $10 or $20 million may face a little higher income tax from the bill, while there are tax cuts for families with children,” Vilsack says. “This creates opportunities for farm families to benefit from relief in early childhood expenses while lowering health insurance premiums.”

House Agriculture Committee’s Glenn Thompson (R-PA) disagrees with Vilsack, saying the “unpopular” bill jeopardizes America’s economy.

“Congressional Democrats spent months crafting this massive legislation behind closed doors, ignoring input from the Agriculture Committee, our members and, most importantly, the communities we serve,” Thompson says. “This bill includes harmful tax increases and billions of dollars in new ideological spending as we face record inflation for everyday Americans and farm families.”

The BBB bill will now move to the Senate who aims to approve it before Christmas.

In the Blood: Hunting Deer Antlers with a Legendary Shed Whisperer

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 20:12:33 GMT

Where kudzu-covered bluffs meet bayous and cypress limbs drip Spanish moss, Jimmy Cassell is on the hunt for deer antlers. Perched behind the wheel of a John Deere side-by-side, Cassell patiently scans the horizon for an alabaster anomaly hiding in a sea of green. Eyes narrowing and neck tightening, he spots a pale speck 150 yards across an open field, and begins rolling toward a white gleam jutting just above a stand of early March ryegrass. Seconds later, heart pounding with anticipation, he picks up a stout 5-point trophy—one more shed to add to a stunning collection of deer antlers. At play in the fields of his youth, the search for sheds never gets old for Cassell, even after 30 years and over 1,500 specimens.

Shed hunting is a late winter and spring sport for millions of landowners and outdoorsmen in the United States, yet, few hunters can match Cassell’s consistent totals or antler size. Humble and self-effacing, he shakes off personal “bloodhound” credit and insists the key to prolific shed success rests on twin pillars of geography and deer management. Bouncing from the science of genetics to the purest juvenile joy, Cassell is the rarest of hunters—a genuine shed whisperer.

For the Love of Sheds

Just outside Port Gibson, roughly 45 miles northeast of Natchez, Miss., Cassell runs cattle on 1,000 acres of windblown, loess soil that rub against the Mississippi River in Claiborne County. In the mid-1970s, intent on following the farming footsteps of his father and grandfather, Cassell earned an animal science degree at Mississippi State University, but jumped tracks when the Port Gibson co-op called. Thirty-one years later, in 2005, Cassell retired as co-op manager, and went home to full-time farming. (Cassell’s family also grows corn and soybeans at a separate location.)

Although a fixture on the hunt, Jack is not a trained shed-dog, but does drag an occasional shed from the woods. Photo by Chris Bennett

However, shed hunting began in 1989, when Cassell built a house on the farm and began removing sheds as a means to protect tractors and hay equipment. “In the very beginning, I started this to keep our tires intact. It was either get out there and pick’em up or deal with equipment damage.”

Essentially, Cassell’s land sits on high ground, atop a peninsula surrounded on three sides by bayous. He plants 120 acres of ryegrass in the pastures and extensive food plots (mixed with clover and turnips) beyond the livestock fencing. “Once the rye dies in May, the clover is there to carry the deer further, and we’ve also got a whole lot of acorn trees and plenty of kudzu. For deer to grow good horns, you have to be sure they can get all they want to eat. Otherwise, deer won’t grow the horns to their full genetic capability.”

“If a big shed is laying up right, you’re liable to see it from 200 yards and that’ll make your heart jump. You’re looking for a white pattern, but so much of the time you’ve got to be within feet before you can see it, even in a green pasture. In the woods, you’re dealing with the heavy camo of sticks and leaves, and that’s why I stick to trails and bedding areas.”

Cassell insists the key to prolific shed success rests on twin pillars of geography and deer management. Photo by Chris Bennett

Cassell pays close attention to paths connecting woods and pastures. With 13 trail cameras providing a steady stream of visual data, he knows the rough location of particular bucks. “I’ll eventually check their bedding areas, but not too early because mature bucks don’t like to get bounced. It’s pretty simple; the horns are all gonna fall and it’s a matter of whether you can find them.”

An Ever-Climbing Tower

Depending on location, whitetail deer typically lose antlers from January to April, and grow a new set over the summer months. After the rut and a diminishment in testosterone levels, the antler drop window begins shortly afterward, all in a cyclical direction toward regeneration and a brand-new set of antlers. For Cassell, the drop window generally is heaviest between Feb. 1 to March 15. In early February, he begins riding fields, looking for the first signs of shed season. “I get excited to see the first one. Then I get sparked and start looking every day.”

A matched pair from 2018: “If it’s a big shed, I work hard to find the other. Generally, I look in a 200-yard radius because that’s likely where the match got dropped.” Photo by Chris Bennett

He averages 50-60 sheds a season and sometimes locates a few bonus sheds in April while looking for lost cows in the woods, or finds a pasture-deposited shed in mid-summer, thanks to transport by a foraging coyote.

Cassell turns his cows in on ryegrass every morning and takes them off each afternoon. Translation: He checks at least some pastures for sheds twice a day. Cassell loads up Jack, his white Labrador retriever, into the bed of the side-by-side, moves the cows, and then starts the daily hunts in the fields or along the edge of the tree line. (Although a fixture on the hunt, Jack is not a trained shed-dog, but does drag an occasional shed from the woods.) After winter wear, deer hammer Cassell’s ryegrass to replenish weight, spend the night inside his pastures after eating, and consistently drop antlers.

“If a big shed is laying up right, you’re liable to see it from 200 yards and that’ll make your heart jump.” Photo by Chris Bennett

A hunt with no finds is rare for Cassell. He usually returns to his shop with two to five sheds and deposits the haul into a 30-gallon black tub spilling over with antlers from the season. Once the drop window closes, some antlers are given away, or become knife handles, trinkets, lamps, and furniture, or are added to a massive shed tower in the corner of Cassell’s trophy room. The ever-climbing tower is an outstanding tangle of antlers—7’ high and 5’ wide at the base.

Cassell keeps an eye out for matched sets. “If it’s a big shed, I work hard to find the other. Generally, I look in a 200-yard radius because that’s likely where the match got dropped. Sometimes, even way after the rut, two bucks get together and bump horns, and that’s when you might find a matched pair laying very close.”

Every day of shed-hunting season, Cassell and Jack move cows, and then start a daily hunt in the fields or along the edges of tree lines. Photo by Chris Bennett

“People always tell me they can’t even find a single shed, but if you want good sheds, you’ve got to have mature bucks. If you shoot every 8-point you see with a rifle, then you’re not going to find any sheds. We’ve got a very unique situation going on here.”

Unique situation, indeed. Cassell estimates a deer population of 250-300, frequently spiking during high water. He culls 30 does per year, resulting in a doe-to-buck ratio close to 1:1. In addition, Cassell only kills (strictly bowhunting) bucks at 5½ years or older, sometimes a maximum of three to five per year. “We try not to kill anything young except management bucks. If a deer is only six points at 3½ or 4½, we’ll probably go ahead and shoot. Growth is the key and you have to recognize what’s going on and act accordingly. We also only bowhunt and that means deer are much harder to kill.”

Antler Pyramid: Cassell’s ever-climbing tower is an outstanding tangle of sheds—7’ high and 5’ wide at the base. Photo by Chris Bennett

In addition, Cassell is “blessed” with good neighbors. “If you’re in an area where your neighbor shoots everything, you’re not going to find many sheds. No bucks means no sheds. We’re so fortunate to have great neighbors that care about management.”

Mike Easley, a long-time friend and hunting partner, says although Cassell is “humble” in all areas of life, his knowledge of sheds is remarkable. Cassell’s ability is entirely unique, Easley describes: “He’s in the perfect spot, but I still can’t believe how many sheds he finds. Even when we’re squirrel hunting, he might come up with two or three sheds, and he saves each one. Frankly, I can’t figure out how he finds so many, especially the matched pairs.”

“At least in our area of the country, I’ve never heard of or met anyone who finds this many sheds,” Easley continues. “One corner of his game room is packed to the ceiling with sheds, and that’s just part of what he’s found.”

Acorn Tip

According to Cassell, the recipe for plentiful sheds equates to proper deer management, great soil, ryegrass, clover, kudzu, and bountiful oak trees (acorns). “Basically, you have to maximize the genetics,” he notes.

Mississippi consistently ranks highest in mature buck harvests, according to Quality Deer Management Association ( QDMA ) statistics. The QDMA Whitetail Report 2019 places Mississippi at No. 1 in the U.S., harvesting 77% of 2017-2018 bucks at 3½ or older.

Acorn Tip is a management blueprint: “Acorn Tip’s sheds might just be the most enjoyable ones I’ve ever found, and that really says something about letting a buck mature,

“I never stop learning and I love to watch a deer mature from year to year. I pick up the sheds from the same bucks over and over, and I really learn a lot about which deer made it through the season.”

Case in point: Acorn Tip, a buck killed by a bowhunting neighbor at 7½. In prior years, as management trophies, Cassel found Acorn Tip’s sheds at 2½, 3½, 4½, 5½, and 6½. Acorn Tip was a straight 8-point all the way to 6½, and then jumped to 10 at 7½. He was 150” at 4½; 160” at 5½; 165” at 6½; and 170”-plus at 7½. “Acorn Tip grew a little knot in his third year and earned his name. A 170” deer is something else, especially when you’ve got all his growth right in front of you. Acorn Tip’s sheds might just be the most enjoyable ones I’ve ever found, and that really says something about letting a buck mature.”

Three-Year Progression: Behind Cassell, Acorn Tip is mounted left at 7½. Acorn Tip’s 6½ sheds are featured on a transplant mount on the right. Cassell holds Acorn Tip’s 5½ sheds. Photo by Chris Bennett

When Cassell collects a clearly defined chain of antlers, he often gifts the sheds to whoever kills the associated buck. With Acorn Tip, Cassell provided his neighbor with the 6½ set. “Just look at Acorn Tip that Jimmy followed for so many years in a row,” Easley describes. “He gave those antlers to the hunter and that’s the kind of guy Jimmy is. He’ll do anything for you; he’ll help people in a second.”

Wild Pig Troubles

The advantages of Cassell’s farm location also carry a serious detriment to a healthy deer population, related to competition for food and destruction of pastureland— wild pigs . Over the past several years, Cassell has been forced to trap and night-hunt with an AR-15 (thermal), killing approximately 150 wild pigs per year. The number of kills appears high, but in reality, the tally merely keeps the wild pig population in check.

“I pick up the sheds from the same bucks over and over, and I really learn a lot about which deer made it through the season,” Cassell says. Photo by Chris Bennett

However, recent changes to Mississippi hunting regulations allow for deer baiting, a switch that’s produced significant benefits for Cassell: “We deal with Russian-type hogs, not the spotted crossbreeds, and the Russians are much, much harder to trap. Right now, we’ve finally got the hog numbers in check, and that’s because so many people around us kill hogs on feeders set up for deer. We don’t shoot deer over bait, but many neighbors do and that has really cut down on hog numbers. Baiting laws have definitely helped with hog control, at least on our farm.”

The Shine of a Shed

Over the years, Cassell’s pursuit of sheds has gained an edge over his zeal for deer hunting , and he now leaves the buck harvest for younger relatives. What started as a necessary chore to protect equipment has developed into a consuming passion for nature. “I guess I’d rather find sheds than kill a deer. It’s pure enjoyment to see how a deer progressed in life. A lot of the time when someone kills a deer out here, I recognize that I found that same deer’s sheds right in the same vicinity where the kill was made. Sure, a buck moves all over the place during rut, but otherwise they shed in the same locations.”

Snatching a deer shed found by Cassell, Jack runs for the side-by-side, ready to make a deposit. Photo by Chris Bennett

Every shed carries its own chronicle, Cassell emphasizes. “Some years back, a 14-point dropped his horns right at my ladder stand, just to laugh at me and remind me I wasn’t able to kill him. We never got that deer and he died of old age. He was just too smart and too nocturnal for us. I never forget stories like that.”

Despite his prowess, Cassell contends he has no shed-finding ability beyond the norm. Plainly stated, the secret to sheds boils down to buck presence, he insists: “I guess I’ve never met anyone around here that’s found more sheds, but I know guys out West find a whole lot. I’m no better than anyone at this and I have no sixth sense. I just know that so many clubs and hunters kill all their bucks and then can’t figure out where the sheds are.”

“When I see the sun reflecting off a nice shed in the distance, my heart goes to thumping, and I guess that proves how much I truly love this,” Cassell adds. Photo by Chris Bennett

Cassell was “meant” to hunt sheds, according to Easley: “Jimmy knows that ground like the back of his hand and he knows where those deer are at. This is in Jimmy’s blood, and as long as he is able in life, you’re gonna see him out there finding sheds like nobody else. He’ll be doing this forever.”

It takes a large beast of a buck to get Cassell’s attention, but the tiny distant shine of a hidden shed is enough to excite him to the core. “When I see the sun reflecting off a nice shed in the distance, my heart goes to thumping, and I guess that proves how much I truly love this.”

“In a way, it brings out a natural joy and makes me feel like a kid,” Cassell adds. “I’ll always have to pick’em up to protect my tires, but the truth is I just love sheds and watching deer grow. There’s something special because every shed tells its own story.”

For more, see:

Killing Hogzilla: Hunting a Monster Wild Pig

The Living and the Dead: Black Vultures Expand, Farmers Pay Cost

Agriculture’s Darkest Fraud Hidden Under Dirt and Lies

Blood And Dirt: A Farmer’s 30-Year Fight With The Feds

Living the Dream: Honoring A Fallen Farmer

Pigs Don’t Fly: Feral Hog Spread Is A Man-Made Mess

Who Killed the Finest Soybean Soil in the World?

Hemp Fraud Hits Farmer With Clone Scam

Seeds of Discord: Crossing the Great Cover Crop Divide

Bald Eagles a Farmer’s Nightmare

Cover Crops And Cattle Are Cash

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 20:10:43 GMT

Mikey Taylor felt like a slave to soil testing.

In a battle against hardened ground and poor soil quality on some of his east Arkansas farmland, Taylor turned to soil testing and NPK. But instead of answers, he found contradiction. Representative soil samples sent to multiple labs across the United States produced different results – separate and entirely unequal. Salvation in a soil sample? Not for Taylor.

He was chasing a remedy that put him on the trail of a cover crop solution. Initially planting cover crops solely for erosion protection, Taylor transitioned to soil health covers, and recently to grazing covers in tandem with cattle rotation. On Taylor’s ground in Phillips County, Ark., livestock are the vehicle to building high-potential soils.

Taylor, 38, farms with his father Mike at Long Lake Plantation -- a family operation dating to 1938. Taylor’s standard crop roster includes corn, cotton, grain sorghum, peanuts and soybeans. In 2010, he got an unexpected soil surprise after planting corn and soybeans on 250 acres of cleared, high-ground hardwood in three blocks. The dryland corn yielded 200-plus bu. per acre and the dryland soybeans tallied 80-plus bu. per acre. Directly across the road on old farming ground, the yields weren’t hitting such high rates.

For more on soil health, see Heart of Delta Hides Visionary Farmer

The first producers to clear ground at Long Lake followed the contours of soil types. The high ground never flooded and carried a presumption of inferiority. When Taylor first cleared the 250 acres, he decided to replant in hardwood and let his children reap the benefits. But safe from flooding, the high ground drove his decision to plant corn and soybeans. When the yields jumped, he strongly suspected the formerly wooded acreage was reaping the benefits of nature’s cover crop.

Producer Mikey Taylor, with son, Wells, and daughter, Merrie Leigh, is using cover crops in tandem with cattle rotation.

© Chris Benentt

Taylor had already put ground in cover crops for several years, initially planting cereal rye to keep soil down during winter rains and spring winds. His cover crop usage progressed toward building organic matter and maintaining soil health. In 2014, Taylor’s growing interest in cover benefits pushed him to seek out Doug Peterson , a soil health specialist for Iowa and Missouri, with the National Resources Conservation Service. “I came home from the meeting with Doug and sat down with a plan to implement a cattle and cover crop to soybean system,” Taylor says.

Grazing cover crops with cattle is an old practice. Cows faded out of the row crop picture, but with the integration of cover crops, cattle are returning. “You’re essentially turning the cover crops into a cash crop,” Peterson explains. “In this system, cover crops offer soil health benefits and manure that add a financial incentive to row crops, and they also turn into cash as livestock fodder.”

On June 16, 2015, the day after he began cutting wheat, Taylor planted a 13-way blend cover of legumes and grasses into the stubble. The cover combination grew phenomenally fast, and 45 days later it was head-high and ready for cattle rotation. Taylor runs 100-head of cattle on a single acre for 24 hours and moves the herd each day to a new acre. Once grazed, an acre is typically ready for rotation again in 40 days. “Keeping the cows on a single acre is key and spreads the manure evenly,” Taylor explains. “Turn 100 head loose on 150 acres and they’ll graze in patches. The ground will get uneven manure distribution.”

On a solitary acre, cattle eat in a concentrated pattern. The result is a 150-acre checkerboard field. Taylor moves cattle acre by acre until October, and then moves them to the opposite side of Long Lake on acreage with winter cover crops planted behind grain sorghum. On the land the herd has exited, Taylor plants cereal rye as a winter cover. He kills the cereal rye in spring and plants soybeans into the mat in April. The system constantly shifts ground over multiple years.

On fresh ground, the cattle transition from a warm season summer cover to a cool season winter cover. Because the cycle is bigger and the grass doesn’t last as long, Taylor breaks the system into 15-acre paddies over three days. “Some of it may be my laziness, but you don’t have to move them each day,” he says.

On its face, the continuous effort to move fence to accommodate cattle rotation is a logistical nightmare. Not so, explains Taylor. The cows anticipate fresh grass and move themselves to the gate, waiting for the next pasture. He runs a high-tensile electric fence around the block perimeter. The acreage cutoffs are done with temporary, highly visible polytape fencing on 660’ spools. “The white polytape basically spins off a big fishing reel and connects to posts 50’ apart. Total labor takes two men a couple of hours each day,” Taylor says.

Merrie Leigh Taylor follows her father, Mikey, and brother, Wells, to check on the herd at Long Lake Plantation, Phillips County, Ark.

© Chris Benentt

Once infrastructure and water are in place, labor is time consistent regardless of herd size, explains Peterson, who maintains a grazing operation in northern Missouri. “Most of this ground hasn’t had a livestock presence in decades, so water and fence systems have to be put in. But fencing technology has jumped dramatically and polywire’s braided conductivity and easy visibility makes it a great, simple product to contain livestock.”

In the off-season, the cover crop and cattle system increases organic matter and the potential for stronger row crops. The soil builds nutrients instead of lying idle and dormant. In Taylor’s case, crop fields have been exposed to years of tillage, resulting in reduced biological activity. But packed with biological organisms, cattle manure serves as an antidote, particularly with the consistent and even spread provided by the fencing system. In tandem with manure, cattle saliva releases biological activity into the ground as cows feed, according to Peterson. “This system is beneficial to the soil, but also to the animals. Giving them a fresh plate of grass every day ensures they’re at the highest level of health. Some farmers move them twice daily, enhancing health even more. Taken over the course of a season, the herd is drastically improved.”

For more on Taylor, see Field of Greens: Cover Crops Turn Into Picker Blessing

Prior to cattle rotation, Taylor was planting cool season covers at roughly $20 per acre. “We added to the quality and it’s now costing about $35-$40 for a winter-graze mix,” he says. For his warm season covers, Taylor’s seed company devised a mix specifically for Long Lake’s rotation. During summer, Taylor waters the warm season covers with pivots and polypipe. In fall 2015, he watered his winter cover with pivots during an eight-week drought.

Wells Taylor, and sister, Merrie Leigh, check on 200 head of cattle fenced in a 15-acre paddy planted with cereal rye and tillage radish.

© Chris Benentt

Livestock is a new facet of the Long Lake operation, and Taylor has learned on his feet. He buys cattle from Clayton Zeerschke, Batesville, Miss., who purchases the cows at auction and conditions them, before delivery to Taylor 38 to 45 days later. “I couldn’t manage my cattle without Clayton. I’m blessed with tremendous help. I’m also blessed to farm and involve my children in farming on a daily basis.”

Taylor’s cover journey has moved from erosion control and soil health to cash crop. “Livestock are the ultimate means to building high-potential soils,” he adds. “I treat my covers like row crops because my cows depend on them and so does my ground.”

So You Want To Grow Cover Crops: 3 Questions to Ask Before You Start

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:49:23 GMT

By Jim Johnson , Soils and Crops Consultant, Noble Research Institute

Cover crops have gained a great deal of popularity in the past several years. Many producers contact us wanting information about which cover crop they should grow. Before we can give a good answer, we must first ask and answer a multitude of other questions.

Wondering what cover crop to grow? Three key questions must be answered before a cover crop is planted.

1. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE COVER CROP?

This is the first and most important consideration.

Are you growing a cover crop to keep the soil covered, provide living roots, provide habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, fix nitrogen in the soil, break a compacted soil layer, provide pest control, or some combination of these or many other potential goals?

Answering this question helps determine if a cover crop is the right tool to use and which cover crop plant species could be most beneficial.

2. WHAT HERBICIDES WILL YOU USE?

In order of importance, herbicide use is probably the second most important factor when considering cover crops. Many herbicides can have residual activity that will prevent some cover crops from germinating or growing well. Grazing restrictions from herbicides may be an issue too. Always read and follow all label directions.

Thought should also be given to what pesticides may be needed to control pests in the cover crop and how the cover crop will be terminated. If the cover crop has a tendency to come back as a volunteer stand, how will it be controlled and prevented from becoming a future weed problem?

3. WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU HAVE?

Before you decide to grow a cover crop, inventory your resources to determine what is feasible. Consider:

What are your soils and weather like?
Can an appropriate seedbed be prepared, and are planters or seed drills available?
What is your knowledge level, skill set, time availability and management ability?
Do you have sufficient financial assets to purchase seed and pay for other management inputs?
Are the appropriate seeds available locally or will they need to be ordered and shipped in?

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

For some growers, crop insurance and government farm programs may limit cover crop activities. Other complications may arise from lenders, partners or, in the case of tenant farmers, landowners. These challenges don’t necessarily rule out the use of cover crops. A cover crop just needs to be well planned to work it into a crop rotation without decreasing subsequent crop yields.

Thinking through all of these considerations ahead of time will help determine if cover crops are right for you.

Join a National Discussion on Cover Crops and Soil Health

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 21:29:30 GMT

By: Dean Baas, Michigan State University Extension

Interest in cover crops and their contribution to soil health has been on the rise nationally, statewide and locally. There are many benefits in adding cover crops in farming systems including erosion control, nutrient sourcing and management, weed and pest control, building soil organic matter and reducing soil compaction. Now is a good time to be thinking about how cover crops fit into your rotations this coming year, what cover crops will provide the benefits you are looking for, seed sources for those cover crops and when and how to plant them. The Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC) website has information and tools to assist you in making cover crop decisions.

On Feb. 18, 2014, farmers have an opportunity to learn from one another while exploring local and national perspectives on cover crops. You are invited to attend a free, live broadcast of the National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health and discuss how to build soil health, improve yields, curb erosion, manage pests and build resilience in your farming system. On Feb. 18, locations in every state across the country will host Cover Crops and Soil Health Forums concurrent with the National Cover Crop and Soil Health Conference in Omaha, Neb.

The national conference is sponsored by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and will bring together key leaders, researchers, innovators and policymakers in American agriculture to examine the benefits, opportunities and challenges associated with improving the health and function of our soils through the adoption of soil health management systems.

The forums will open with live video Internet-stream from the national conference and will feature Secretary Tom Vilsack (invited) and Howard G. Buffett, followed by panel presentations from leading cover crop farmers from across the nation. Approximately 200 concurrent forum locations throughout the country will provide farmers, NRCS and our conservation partners and stakeholders with a unique opportunity to experience the conference and discuss ways we can more fully organize and energize our efforts to enable the soil health movement—at the grassroots level.

6 Cover Crops Your Cows Can Graze This Fall and Winter

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 00:12:00 GMT

After a year of drought and weather challenges, some cattle farmers are putting in extra cover crops this fall to ease the forage burden. Here’s the top six cover crops Midwest cattle farmers are using to stretch fall and winter grazing.

Cereal grass

Cereal rye is one of the top cover crops used in the U.S. for both agronomic and grazing. It is popular because it is cold-hardy and can be planted later in fall than other crops, and it provides excellent erosion control and incredible growth in spring. It’s also easy to graze. The key is to know exactly the goal you want to accomplish. How long do you need to graze it, and what is your crop plan for that field in the spring ? A potential drawback is that when rye is used on poorly drained soils that stay cool and wet in the spring, such as claypan soils, the decaying rye can sometimes slow corn establishment. Another caution is that the rapid spring growth of rye can take first-time users by surprise and create a slight risk of complications with spring planting. In many cases, even 5’-tall rye can be killed with glyphosate or by rolling.

Come see these cows grazing covers crops after wheat crop on October 25th in Omemee area with @Adam4Bent and @Shea_8
Talk to @OReilly_Ag for more info.@OntarioBeef @GrainFarmers #ontag https://t.co/ciwuNhBF54
— Adam Shea (@FarmingForYou) September 24, 2018

Annual ryegrass

Annual ryegrass is a completely different plant than cereal rye, with fine blades and smaller stature more like a turfgrass (ryegrass is often sold in turf mixes). Annual ryegrass is fast-growing and easier to establish by broadcast seeding than other grass cover crops. It needs to be planted earlier than cereal rye to get good fall cover. Ryegrass is conducive to interseeding applications in corn or soybean as it is relatively shade-tolerant. Annual ryegrass turns brown over the winter, but depending on planting date, location and winter conditions, will generally regrow in the spring. Where it does overwinter, timely herbicide application in spring is needed to terminate it. Use of a cover crop–specific variety will make spring termination easier. Annual ryegrass makes a good forage and, as a cover crop, is known for rooting deeply in the soil and providing good erosion control.

We are very excited to welcome these pairs to the Fairview Research Farm! These gals will be grazing some standing cocktail Cover crops and some swath grazing. We will be measuring the nutrient benefit in a grain cropping system! pic.twitter.com/PBMgGnlnkx
— Peace Country Beef & Forage Association (@PCBFA) September 18, 2018

Radishes

Oilseed radishes have become a popular cover crop due to their rapid fall growth, deep taproot , good fall soil coverage (if planted early enough). Radishes normally winterkill in Missouri. They establish relatively easily when broadcast seeded, which is good because radishes often need to be aerial seeded in late August or early September to achieve adequate fall growth. Review the residual herbicides applied to the preceding commodity crop to make sure none will affect radish establishment.

Cover crops of fodder radish and mustard planted straight into S wheat stubble with Guttler Supermax. Might come in useful for some winter grazing as a result of #drought18 #organic #COGs pic.twitter.com/gk6d4ar5pA
— Macaroni Farm (@MacaroniOrganic) August 10, 2018

Forage Turnips

Like radishes, forage turnips are a member of the Brassica family that does best if planted in early fall. Although not as vigorous in growth as some oilseed radish varieties, turnips are superior for grazing. Both the leafy top-growth and the tuber are good forage . Turnip top-growth typically dies by late December. Turnips are often mixed with another forage species, such as cereal grass.

Teaching the little one about turnips and enjoying the cattle grazing our cover crops. pic.twitter.com/dDVH0COd3m
— Michelle Karlsbraaten (@karlsbraaten) August 17, 2018

Oats

Widely available and normally spring-planted for grain , oats have the advantage of strong fall growth as a cover crop. Many first-time users of cover crops appreciate that oats will winterkill and require no special management in spring. However, the erosion control provided by oats in late winter and spring is less than that from overwintering cereals such as cereal rye, triticale and wheat.

Considering planting annual forages/cover crops for some fall forage? This is a mixture of rye and oats (left plot) and rye and turnips (right plot) in late September. Planting was in mid-August. #beef #grazing https://t.co/Hb5PN2JFQH pic.twitter.com/nTzzBFAXi8
— UNL Beef (@UNLBeef) August 3, 2018

Triticale

A cross between wheat and cereal rye, triticale has some of the hardiness of rye but the shorter stature of wheat. Considered a good cover for erosion control and for grazing , it works well in combination with other cover crops , particularly legumes.

Check out these full season cover crops planted the middle/end of June! @MHoenhause @ResslerLuke read more about grazing #covercrops https://t.co/PifKHY5Pru pic.twitter.com/u4IGnMvClz
— Dr. Abbey Wick (@NDsoilhealth) August 6, 2018

Are your cows munching on clover or turnips this fall? Find more information about cover crop mixes and suggested seeding rates and read these common Q&A about covers.

Send me a note what mix is working well for your forage needs this year, and any tips you’re willing to share in future articles, by emailing sbrown@farmjournal.com .