Search results for 'FL'

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

By Gregory Heilers

Published 1 years, 4 months 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... Compost still grows grass; chickens still like fly larvae...

How Yield Champions Use Cover Crops for Growing Higher Bushels

By Laura Barrera

Published 1 years, 4 months ago

There are many factors that can influence corn yield... ”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... Dee River Ranch's cover crop of tillage radishes, flown on at a rate of 4 pounds per acre in July before corn harvest... Winterkill and weed suppression saves bigMore flies his radishes and turnips on at a rate of 4 and 3 pounds per acre, respectively, into his standing corn crop in July before harvesting the corn, while the three-way blend is seeded after soybeans in mid September... Forage turnips are also flown into standing corn in July at a rate of 3 pounds per acre...

What Farmers Need to Know About Mycorrhizae

By Laura Barrera

Published 11 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... In fact, an influx of phosphorus in roots colonized by mycorrhizal fungi can be three to five times higher than in non-mycorrhizal roots, according to the article “Phosphorus Uptake by Plants: From Soil to Cell... He also likes to see flax and sunflowers in the mix, noting they both have excellent mycorrhizal hosting capabilities...

Categories: Cover Crops

4 Steps to Building Soil Organic Matter in the South

By Laura Barrera

Published 1 years, 2 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... He knows one farmer who decided to grow a mix of sorghum sudangrass, sunn hemp, daikon radish, sunflower and cowpeas right after his corn crop, before planting winter wheat...

Categories: Cover Crops

How to Use the SmartMix Calculator to Create the Perfect Cover Crop Mix

By Laura Barrera

Published 2 weeks ago

When it comes to creating a cover crop mix, the options are endless. You need to determine what kind of species you’ll use, how many you’ll use, and at what seeding rates. For anyone new to cover crop blends, these decisions can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are several free tools available today that can guide both new and experienced cover crop users through the process of developing their own mix. One of those is Green Cover Seed’s SmartMix Calculator...

Categories: Cover Crops

Why Hemp Isn’t Going to Save the US Farmer (But How It Could)

By The Crossover

Published 1 month ago

In late 2018, a new farm bill was passed that legalized the production of hemp as an agricultural commodity while also removing it from the list of “controlled substances”. The Gold Rush of the modern farming era was on... Also, I’m concerned that hemp production is positioning itself as a “get rich quick” scheme for agriculture, and is attracting the same hucksters that flock to any new fad that they think they can exploit for a dollar... Plenty of new crops in the past have introduced some fly-by-night characters who were happy to sign a contract with you guaranteeing that they would purchase your crop... The new farm bill blew the doors off of that and opened the floodgates for the commoditization of hemp...

Categories: Agribusiness, Marketing, Specialty/Vegetable

Get livestock insurance from Nationwide

By Nationwide Farm Insurance

Published 4 months ago

When you get an AgriChoice® farm insurance policy from Nationwide, you’re also getting protection for your livestock and poultry. That means your cows, bulls, swine, goats, lambs and sheep are covered. So are turkeys and other birds. What livestock insurance coversLivestock insurance covers broad causes of loss protection, including:Accidental shootingsAttacks by dogs or wild animals (except to sheep)EarthquakesElectrocutionFloodsLoading and unloading accidentsSudden and accidental collisions causing deathKeep in mind that there may be a limit on the value of any one animal, although higher limits may be available. Know your optionsThe maximum amount payable per head is determined by how your livestock are insured:IndividualBlanketHerdIndividual coverageYou can schedule each animal individually...

Categories: Agribusiness

Ten Ways to Increase Your Farm's Profits in 2019

By AgFuse Exclusive Content

Published 11 months ago

Part 1: Know Your True Cost of Production Why Your TCOP Matters How to Calculate Your TCOP Part 2: Take the Emotions Out of Your Marketing Plan Why You Need a Plan How to Create a Marketing Matrix How to Determine Your Marketable Inventory How to Use a Marketing Matrix Why You Need an Accountability Partner Part 3: Replace Dead Assets What Are Dead Assets? What Are Productive Assets? Part 4: Manage Your Cash Flow Conversion Cycle What a Cash Flow Conversion Cycle Is How to Speed Up Incoming Flows How to Postpone Outgoing Flows How to Minimize Paying Interest Part 5: Start Using Cover Crops ... You’ll want to take a pen and mark up the budgets, adjusting things to make them reflect your operation... Note such differences and then update your crop budget to reflect your particular operation... Are your interest costs way out of line compared to the university’s budgets? That may be a red flag... Part 4: Manage Your Cash Flow Conversion Cycle What do tech startups and farm operations have in common? They both have very unpredictable cash flow cycles...

Categories: Agribusiness, Marketing, Cover Crops

What’s the function of Mycorrhiza?

By Darren Chan

Published 9 months ago

Introduction of MycorrhizaExcessive dependence on chemical fertilizers can result in the destruction of a large number of beneficial microbial communities in the soil and a decrease in soil activity. To improve the current soil ecosystem with serious damage and improve soil fertility, it is imperative to supplement soil beneficial microorganisms... It is estimated that plants with mycorrhiza account for about 97% among the known flowering plants in the world... Mycorrhiza increases the absorption of phosphorus by plantsPhosphorus is the least easily decomposed and flowing element... The growth hormone secreted by mycorrhizal fungi plays an important role in regulating plant nutrition, accelerating the transportation and flow of substances, promoting the differentiation and growth of plants and their roots, and accelerating the formation of chlorophyll...

Categories: Agribusiness, Beef Cattle, Corn

Celebrate national dairy month with Nationwide

By Nationwide Farm Insurance

Published 4 months 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... Farm and ranch products are not available in: Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oklahoma...

Categories: Agribusiness