Search results for 'AZ'

How Brazilian Big Agriculture is Destroying the Brazilian Amazon

By Maria Dampman

Published 1 years, 3 months ago

The rampant deforestation of the Amazon began in the 1970s when the government of Brazil determined they needed to build over 9,000 miles of roads help integrate the rainforest with the populated bordering areas... Farmers, loggers and cattle ranchers cleared forest to create grazing land as well as to grow highly profitable crops like soy... Widespread contamination of Brazil’s soil and water, the marked decrease of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere and the extinction of countless plants and animals made scientists extremely concerned about the planet’s future... At its worst, Brazilian deforestation claimed over 11,000 square miles a year. With education, advocacy, and widespread support of the Brazilian government, the destruction of the vital forests dropped 84% to 1,700 square miles in 2012...

Direct Driller Magazine Issue 3 is out now...

By Chris Fellows

Published 8 months ago

Direct Driller Issue 3 Issue 3 Of Direct Driller magazine. The conservation agriculture magazine created by farmers for farmers... com/register/ All the magazines have been sent out to the farmers on the distribution list... 47 Grazing Cropped Land ... A PDF of the Magazine is also available to download here:...

Categories: Cover Crops

Direct Driller Magazine Issue 4 is out now

By Chris Fellows

Published 5 months ago

Direct Driller Magazine Issue 4 Direct Driller Issue 4 is out now! You can read the digital version here: Direct Driller - Issue 4 - January 2019 The first 3 issues have had a great reception and we hope that Issue 4 keeps the standard high... Here are some of the articles in the Winter edition: Soil Calcium and Soil Heath – the connection? Getting the best out of a 750A Field Pea Demonstration Trial Options to improve water-use efficiency Featured Farmer: Mark Lea Pushing Performance with Biostimulants Companion Cropping Boosts No-Till Profits Farmer Focus: Steve Lear Grazing Cropped Land Lifting Whole Farm Profits at Howick Using Temporary Electric Fencing Soil and Water Creating a Smarter Water Catchment What's most important in your soil Plowman's Folly: Part 2 Farmer Focus: Clive Bailye AHDB: Why Does Healthy Soil Matter AHDB: Aphids and BYDV management AHDB: Assessing Machinery Policy 3000ha per Year with a 3m Drill Comparison of “standard row“ and “wide row“ ADAS - How to do an on Farm Trial Project Xaver Overbury Estate Open Day Calcium Conference Highlights NOCC 2018 Visit to Victors Disc Verses Tine Lessons from STAR and NFS We want this to be a magazine that you actually want to read, content heavy and something that challenges you, a magazine you keep on your shelf and refer back to at a later date... PDF Version We have also had some requests from our overseas readers to be able to download a PDF version of the magazine so they can print it out for themselves. So here is the link to the PDF: PDF Version of Direct Driller Issue 4 Register for the MagazineIf you would like the magazine delivered to your door or to your inbox then please register using the link below... The Ethos As a new farming magazine, Direct Driller has been designed by farmers for farmers to educate and inform ourselves and the industry about soil health and systems of reduced tillage...

Categories: Cover Crops

A New Era of Farm Employees: Farm Technicians vs. Farm Hands?

By Gregory Heilers

Published 1 years, 3 weeks ago

Traditional agricultural skills that made civilization possible are still alive and in use today. At the same time, hundreds of farm technician job listings across the US, and the rise of precision agriculture and software, clearly evidence the need for technologically-savvy farm technicians in the 21st century agricultural industry. It’s no surprise that tech-friendly millennials interested in farming are encouraged by these developments, which may make farming less labor intensive than in generations past. Technology may even be the antidote to a number of ills plaguing modern agriculture, which have led to a drastic decrease in the number of farms across the United States. Satellite technology provides a broader view of agricultureTo assess the current state of affairs across the globe, I solicited the expert advice from one of the preeminent farmers in the United States, Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farm, and John Fargher, co-founder and COO of Australia-based cutting-edge farm management software, AgriWebb...

How Yield Champions Use Cover Crops for Growing Higher Bushels

By Laura Barrera

Published 1 years, 3 weeks ago

There are many factors that can influence corn yield. In fact, Fred Below, a plant physiologist at the University of Illinois, identified seven of them, which he dubbed the “Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World. ”The seven wonders, ranked in order of most influence on yield, are:WeatherNitrogenHybridPrevious cropPlant populationTillageGrowth regulatorsWhile Below was referring to the cash crop rotation in the fourth wonder, some farmers are taking it one step further by seeding cover crops. The benefit of added crop diversity along with improvements to soil health is paying off, as some of these farmers are achieving the highest yields in the country... He only made one pass on the crop, which included his burndown application of gramoxone, atrazine and simazine, while also topdressing nitrogen...

Celebrate national dairy month with Nationwide

By Nationwide Farm Insurance

Published 1 month ago

Celebrate national dairy month by creating a safe dairy operation This June, dairy leaders, farmers and communities from across America will celebrate National Dairy Month. What began 76 years ago as a way to stabilize dairy demand when production was at a surplus, has evolved into an annual traditional of celebrating the important contributions of the dairy industry. While we take time to honor the dairy producers in our communities, Nationwide encourages producers to mark the occasion by considering the safety of their operations. Dairy workers can have a high injury rate, says Jerry Hillard, AVP of Farm Sales, Nationwide, Des Moines, IA... The checklist covers:Buildings and structuresAnimal facilitiesElectricalFire protectionFuels and chemicalsMachinery and farm equipmentTo get you started, here are a few safety tips from each category:Buildings and structuresKeep doors and gates to hazardous areas closed and securedProtect outside ramps and steps to prevent rain or other liquids from freezingTest backup generators regularlyMake first aid kits available and post emergency numbers in every building Animal facilitiesTrain employees on the safe operation of power crowd gates and entry/exit gatesEnsure fences, gates and other confining devices are in good working orderDon't allow children to play in or around barns, pens or feedlotsElectricalMake sure electrical panel covers are in place on circuit breaker boxes, junction boxes and control panels to prevent dust accumulation and exposure to weatherEnsure workers know the locations of the electrical main, gas and water valves and release valves for hot water heatersUse electrical connections in dry areas onlyFire protectionInstall a 10-pound or larger ABC (all-purpose) fire extinguisher in all buildings and barnsPut in place a maintenance schedule for checking fire extinguishersEquip individual ventilation fans in each building with their own circuits and current safety devices...

Categories: Agribusiness

4 Steps to Building Soil Organic Matter in the South

By Laura Barrera

Published 11 months ago

As we learn more about what goes on in the world beneath our feet, increased attention has been placed on soil organic matter. And for good reason. While it only makes up a small percentage of most soils, the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) says it’s the “very foundation for healthy and productive soils” — and the more organic matter there is, the better the results. Consider the following findings from SARE and the NRCS:A study of soils in Michigan demonstrated potential crop-yield increases of about 12% for every 1% organic matter. When organic matter increased from 0...

Early Cover Crop Benefits: What Can You Expect in the First Year?

By Laura Barrera

Published 1 years, 1 month ago

In 1995, Pennsylvania farmer Steve Groff was speaking at an event when he asked the audience the question: Do cover crops pay off?His thinking at the time was that he had been no-tilling since 1982, and maybe if he no-tilled long enough, he wouldn’t need them. Ray Weil, a soil ecologist with the University of Maryland, happened to hear his question and approached Groff about doing a cover crop study on his farm. It turned into a 12-year project, from 1995 to 2007. It was in 1999, four years into it, Groff got the answer to his question. That was the year he had a drought, and the corn that was grown on previously cover-cropped ground out-yielded the corn on non-cover cropped ground by 28 bushels per acre...

Categories: Cover Crops

Amending vs. Fertilizing

By Accidental Agronomist

Published 1 years, 1 week ago

This past winter I spoke at the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture(PASA) and NOFA NJ 2018 Winter conferences. What an honor to be able to talk to so many enthusiastic like-minded people. In this article, which was initially published in Week 5 of the 52 Weeks of Agronomy Series, I talked about one of the things I presented on at those conferences. You can find it along with other articles at News | The Accidental Agronomist I spoke about the concept of amending vs... Some amendments include limes, aragonite, greensand, mulch, manures, composts, elemental sulfur, peat, coir, rice hulls, biochar, gypsum, Azomite, and cover crops...

What Farmers Need to Know About Mycorrhizae

By Laura Barrera

Published 8 months ago

If someone asked you, “How do plants take up the water and nutrients they need?” you’d probably tell them through the roots. But did you know that for many crops, those roots aren’t working alone?That’s because most plant species associate with mycorrhizal fungi. What is mycorrhizal fungi? University of Alberta biological scientist JC Cahill says that mycorrhizas are actually the interaction between a fungus and a plant. Although there are many different types of mycorrhizae, the only one crop farmers need to be concerned about is arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), as 65% of plant species associate with it. A microscopic view of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus growing on a corn root...

Categories: Cover Crops