Ag 101 Week 26

Six Steps to Planning a Dinner Party - Cont'd

Setting the Table

Miss Kitty and The Kitchen Table 

That’s a picture of our kitchen table. It’s put together from three different sets and painted so it would all match. Nothing fancy but gets the job done.

Sometimes we do everything but eat at it.

We hold family meetings, do art projects and science experiments, re-pot plants, pit cherries, write blog posts, decorate cookies, and even cry there. I’ve taught both our kids’ reading, writing, and math at it.

When we all have time to have a meal together, we pray over burnt offerings otherwise known as dinner at it.

It’s old, well used, and now and then we have to tighten the legs. It should be repainted but has not been a priority. That doesn’t affect how well it works; only its’ looks.

Generally, we use paper plates - do not judge. I know the environmental implications and take steps to balance it out in other areas to offset them. Is it a perfect system?  No. However, I know my schedule and what it takes to make our empire spin, and there are tradeoffs. I bet there are some in your home, or on your farm, as well. We all have to make management decisions based on our situation. For us sometimes it’s paper. If not paper and much to my moms’ dismay, I use all my depression glass and china from my grandparents. My philosophy is, if I have it, I’m going to use it and enjoy it until someone breaks it.

I’m using our kitchen table and our dishes, as an illustration, to talk about the next two steps in the Six Steps to Planning a Dinner Party that I started last week

If you recall, the first two are

1.    Pick a Venue – Your Farm

2.    Make a Guest List – Crops and Insects

This week we’re going to talk about steps three and four

What Types of Tables – Soil

Choosing the place setting – Management and inputs

3.    Choosing the Tables – Soil

When you’re planning a dinner party, you get to pick the type of tables you want, and the seating arrangement can be based on the types of tables at your venue.

The tables can be extended, short, round, tall, or any combination of all.

Maybe the venue comes with tables, and they are already chosen for you by default, similar to buying a farm or land.

Maybe like our kitchen table, it is a miss-matched set put together for function over style.

Whether you are looking to purchase or have been farming the same ground for years, you need to invest time getting to know the type of soil you are working with or reacquainting yourself with it. My best suggestions are

-Go to the Soil Survey Website. I wrote about it back in Week 3.

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/1/13/ag-101-week-3

This is the direct link

ttps://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm

Just as making the seating arrangement at your dinner party can be based on the types of tables. Your crop rotations, amendment/fertilizer choices, and types of management such as tillage options are based on the amounts of sand, silt, and clay present in the soil.

Like we work with our old rickety table, some farmers I work with have marginal land but have overcome it with a sound fertility plan taking into consideration the soil type and test results. 

Using a free resource like the Soil Survey Web can give you insights as to where to start in making those decisions.

-Get a complete soil test

I wrote about this in Week 24 – Six Things Every Soil Test Should Include

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/6/11/ag-101-week-24

I say completely because far too often it’s not that farmers aren’t getting them done, its that they don’t get all the information they need to make complete decisions. Keep in mind when choosing a lab, read what each test package includes and fill the form out accordingly. In doubt and before submitting the sample call the lab if necessary.

-Get out and walk your fields

It goes beyond planting, spraying, and harvesting. Take some time and walk your fields with your soil survey and soil test results. Take notes of the physical characteristics of the soil in each field and compare it to the map and results. In some cases, you could be surprised at what the soil will tell you as opposed to the maps and tests. I've looked at soil tests at my desk and gone out to the field to either have my thoughts proven or disproven. But without physically looking with my own eyes, it was a mere educated guess. Soil and plants will tell you things you just have to be willing to look for it. 

4.    Chose the Place Setting – Management/Inputs

Just has my choice to use paper plates or depression glass for our table setting, how you manage your farm can be based on several factors. They can range from soil type, crop choice, financial limitation, regulatory requirements, or philosophical and moral views. A few farms I work with had to create management zones due to the types of crops they grow and to make it easier for employees to understand. 

Whatever the case may be for your situation having good management plans in place and practicing them will go a long way to ensuring a successful season. I wrote a post titled - You Can’t Out Fertilize Poor Management, Week 13

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/2/15/you-cant-out-fertilize-poor-management

My husband read it and said I had been harsh. As much as I don’t like saying it, it’s true. Think of it as one of the legs of our kitchen table I spoke about earlier. Sometimes I need to tighten it to stay functional. Sometimes you need to manage the resources you have to be profitable.

Inputs need to be viewed much the same. Basing them off of the soil type, test results, and crops will ensure the right choice to produce a quality high yielding product. Managing them using principles suggested in the 4 R’s covered in weeks 6 and ten will provide financial and environmental benefits.

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/2/5/ag-101-week-6 

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/2/25/ag-101-week-10

Ag 101 Week 25

Six Steps to Planning A Dinner Party

Don’t worry; you’re not planning a dinner party.

Last week while standing in a field with a farmer, I found myself saying-

“You have to start thinking about your next growing season now. In fact, depending on your cropping system you have to be thinking about the next crop before the current one is harvested.”

As I said that, he turned around only to look at like me like I was crazy. Since I have been saying this a lot recently, I thought to myself, “How can I make all of this not so overwhelming but get my point across?” I told the farmer to think of it as if they were planning a dinner party. Silly I know, but who doesn’t love a good party with a great meal? Your crops are no different. So, over the course of the visit, we broke it down into manageable size tasks that weren’t as overwhelming.

All that being said, I’m using the analogy of planning a dinner party for the next several weeks in the Ag 101 52 Weeks of Agronomy Series.

I also realize you are in the thick of this season and for most, it has been tremendously difficult due to the fact most of the northeasts spring was wet and cold. And that is why I’m telling you this now because I want you to have a successful sustainable farm. To do that you have to be taking care of this year while planning for next.

It is like a revolving dinner party where you are the host and are setting the table for what and who comes next. Your previous amending, fertilizing, management practices, and most importantly the crops that were grown or currently growing are all factors as to what happens next. You are setting the table for what’s to follow in a field, raised bed, or hoop house.

If we are planning a dinner party, and break it down into smaller management decisions, it isn’t as daunting as you might think. A party should be enjoyable whether hosting or attending. You are ultimately doing it to get some satisfaction out of it. If you lay out manageable steps ahead of time when things come up unexpected like crop failure, weather issues, etc., there is no need to panic because you have a plan.

So, if I were to plan my next dinner party, I would use the following six steps as a guide-

1.     Pick the venue – your farm or land you’re farming

2.     Make the guest list – crops/insects

3.     What type of tables – the soil

4.     Choose a place setting – management/inputs

5.     Create the menu – soil fertility

6.     Then party like it’s 1999 or till the cows come home – harvesting, taking to market, planting the next crop

This week I’ll talk about the first two

1.     Pick the Venue- Your Farm or Land You're Farming

There’s not much to say about this step; you probably already have land you are currently farming unless moving or add additional land. If you still are looking for property and have options, I strongly suggest you look at the Soil Survey Website. It is full of information regarding soil type, hydrology, etc. that is beneficial in narrowing options. If at all possible I suggest considering what is already growing there or what the land is currently being used. This type of information will help you determine if it is suitable for what you want to do.

For the sake of our conversation, I’m going to assume you have land and that is what you have to work with.

2.     Making The Guest List – Picking Crops and Insects

Next, picking crops should be based on the lands capabilities and market demand.

If you have land that can only grow blueberries, cranberries, or currents, but you desperately want to grow celery, cucumbers, and cauliflower, you might want to adjust your plans. Or tailor the rest of your dinner party to accommodate those crops in the form of amending and fertilizing. This option can be financially prohibitive depending on your situation.

But if you don’t have a market for any of the previously listed crops, you need to invest in research as to what will sell, what could potentially sell, or how you could create a market and demand for what you can or want to grow.

You may have to find a happy medium in the center, growing what works best on your land while incorporating a few things you desperately want to grow, and producing things to accommodate the existing market. The possibilities are limitless but finding what works to keep your farm profitable may take some trial and error. I’m your go-to resource for what will grow, what could grow, or how to make what you want to grow all work, but marketing is not my forte.

 I leave market strategy up to other experts.

The following are some tremendous resources I've come across that have been valuable for growers I work with-

BootStrap Farmer Business Network

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1145901065556241/

3 Cow Marketing

https://www.3cowmarketing.com/

Mercaris

https://mercaris.com/

Current crops need to be taken into consideration because they are the ones already eating at the party. They are one of the primary determining factors of the next crop because you will have to replace what has already eaten or used. If you grew potatoes last year and want to grow potatoes again in the same place you need to replace or fertilize to have the nutrients that crop needs to produce and yield successfully. This is just an example, not a suggestion. Each crop you plant needs a specific ratio of nutrients. This is why soil testing, rotating and keeping records are crucial for a farms sustainability. Knowing a crops nutrient removal and requirements are vital pieces of information when making rotation decisions.

One of the best resources I have come across is the book-

Crop Rotations on Organic Farms edited by Charles L. Mohler & Sue Ellen Johnson

It is free at the following link

https://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Crop-Rotation-on-Organic-Farms

The reason I put insects in this category is due to the fact often we unintentionally invite guests we didn’t want. Whether this happens because we over applied manures, miss used fertilizers, or missed an opportunity with cover cropping the balance between the soil and the plant has been altered, and insects know it. Overall it weakens the plant's immune system making it more attractive to the unwanted guests such as aphids, thrips, beetles, etc. Just as our health is reliant on the efficiency and effectiveness of our immune system, so is a plant’s. If it is compromised due to malnutrition, the plant then becomes more susceptible to insect pressure ultimately leading to increased disease pressure. The following is an excellent illustration of the three factors that determine a plants vulnerability to diseases.

When it comes to insect and disease management, think of it regarding who you’re inviting to the dinner party. The use of previous management types, inputs, and crops dictate whether you are inviting troublemakers or welcome guests that will benefit and you want to have over more often. Are you fertilizing at appropriate rates, overwatering, are you clearing debris for proper ventilation, and so on?  A lot of times you will hear me refer to them as good cultural practices.

Typically, an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs include seven steps-

Step 1: Scouting regularly. This is the cornerstone of an effective IPM program

Step 2: Preventive Action. This includes what I previously mentioned, overuse of manures, miss use of fertilizers, or just not paying attention to the overall nutritional needs of the plant

Step 3: Identification. The proper ID of insects is critical to being able to determine the appropriate course of action

Step 4: Analysis. What needs to be done to irradiate or discourage the pest in the first place

Step 5: Treatment Selection. Choosing what is the best product to use or can it be handled with cultural practices such as weed control, hand picking, etc.

Step 6: Monitoring. Keep scouting

Step 7: Documentation. Take pictures and make field notes

You’ve picked your venue and made the guest list; this means you are a quarter of the way to having a successful dinner party. Next week we’ll talk about the fun stuff- what type of tables and place setting you want.

Ag 101 Week 24

Six Things Every Soil Test Should Include

Last week I wrote about four things your agronomist should know about you. One critical piece of information when working with an agronomist is having a soil test. It is the starting point for them to be able to build a fertility plan that makes financial and environmental sense for you and your farming system.

One challenge I face when working with farmers is not that they haven’t gotten a soil test done. However, the results are missing critical pieces of information that are needed to make the best recommendations tailored to their specific situation. Soil test results are a snapshot of what was happening than when it was collected. However, without the entire picture making the best fertility choices can cost you financially and have unforeseen environmental impacts both on and off your farm. Investing a few minutes and dollars can ensure you get all the necessary information that will save you in the long run.

1.     pH

pH is the potential amount or concentration of hydrogen ions in the soil. It is represented by a negative logarithmic scale, zero through 14. Acidic soils, represented by a pH of below 7.0, have a higher concentration of hydrogen ions available. Alkaline soils, represented by a pH above 7.0, have a lower concentration of hydrogen ions available. It is how many hydrogen ions are in that particular soil. – Talk to the Blueberries

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2017/4/1/talk-to-the-blueberries-they-will-explain-it-to-you

pH is the foundation of all soil chemistry. In which it plays a role in microbial activity that drives nutrient reactions in the soil directly affecting plant health and yields.

2.     Organic Matter (OM)

Often, I refer OM to being the pantry that microbes have access to, where nutrients are stored that plants need. Due to the fact this fraction of the soil acts as a holding area, or pantry, for several nutrients, it is essential to know what percentage makes up the soil in a given sample. 

OM plays a role in storing a vital nutrient, such as nitrogen. The estimated amount of nitrogen (lbs./ac) that can be released or ENR that can potentially be available over the growing season is relative to the percentage of OM present in a soil. The decomposition of organic matter can release about 20 lb. N/acre/year for each percent of organic matter. Knowing these amounts can help to adjust nitrogen inputs throughout the growing season leading to better cover crop choices, more productive crop rotations, and increase the efficiency of a fertility program.

Depending on the lab, this may not be included in a standard package and can often be overlooked. Pay close attention to the soil sample submittal form, making sure it is tested for each sample.

3.     Cation Exchange Capacity

If OM is the pantry where the nutrients can be stored, cation exchange capacity or CEC is the number of shelves or sites you have to store nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and other positively charged ions.

Say, for example, I have two pantries’ in our home, one with eight shelves and a smaller pantry with two shelves. That gives me a total of ten shelves to place food on for storage. Clay, which is predominantly negatively charged, could potentially be the pantry with eight shelves and be able to store nutrients that have a positive charge. OM could be the pantry with two shelves, being made up of both negatively and positively charged ions, can store either. In the case of nutrient storage in soil, how much and where it is relative to the amount of clay and OM, and the sum is referred to as the Total Cation Exchange Capacity (TCEC).

4.     Base Saturation

Base Saturation is a percentage of a nutrient, or cation makes up the TCEC. How much shelf space in the pantry that particular cation is occupying in relationship to the total size of the pantry.  When it comes to balancing soil nutrients, there is a school of thought that uses percent base saturation results. Whether that is the measure you are using to adjust nutrients or not, it is still a good overview as to the ratios nutrients are present in the soil. And can be used to help determine the most useful input to achieve the desired balance of nutrients based on other factors as well.

Nutrients that should be included are

Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Hydrogen (H), and Sodium (Na)

5.     MacrONutrients

For this post, which is to make sure farmers get the appropriate test results for an agronomist to make sound and relevant recommendations, I am listing nutrients that a standard soil test should include, and as they are categorized by most labs across the country. For example, I could go into more detail talking at length regarding Nitrate testing and the categorization of sulfur being a micronutrient as opposed to a macro. But that’s not the point of this post.  What a farmer needs to have reported in the results are the following essential nutrients that make up the majority of a plants diet including-

Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Phosphorus

6.     MicrONutrients

Sometimes referred to as trace elements, due to the fact they are required in smaller amounts than the previously listed macronutrients.

These should include sulfur, zinc, boron, copper, manganese, and iron. Depending on the lab, sodium could be reported under this category as well. I’ve listed them in importance for how and why I make fertility recommendations. Farmers need to note that some labs charge per element or as a group. You have to be diligent when filling out the soil sample submittal form, including ones that are pertinent to your situation.

Don’t let a few extra minutes or a couple of extra dollars keep you from getting-

The Six Things Every Soil Test Should Include

Ag 101 Week 23

Four Things Your Agronomist Should Know About You

I’ve been doing a lot of farm visits lately. I wish I could get to everyone I work with and meet them one on one and walk all their fields. The reality is, there is only one of me. So, until I can convince the boss to let me hire another one of me, I will continue to take on new clients in other states and do my best to build a relationship with them with the aid of Skype, Zoom, email, texting, pictures, etc. I’m grateful technology has made working remotely with farmers possible, but nothing can replace seeing it with my own eyes.

As I was driving home from a farm visit last night, I got to thinking…

What can I, or any agronomist do to make a relationship work with a farmer whether I can be on the farm regularly or not?

It dawned on me-

I need all the information I can get about every aspect of their farm, their fields, and their crops.

The farm I was driving home from is in Maryland. I spent a couple of hours walking their fields, talking with them, and answering questions. As we were wrapping the tour up during a short walk to my car I learned more about what they had done in the past seven years to two of their fields, then I had when we were out in them.

I work with a farmer in New York. I can tell what field they are talking about without even knowing the assigned field name or looking at the map. I know their fields by the way they describe what is going on, what the challenges are, what the crops are, and so on. I know what equipment they have and what fertilizer recommendations I can make based on it. I know all of this because I have spent five years asking questions, keeping notes, and listening to every detail.

When I work with a farmer, I am in a constant state of getting to know them and their farm or as I like to call it -dating.

Not actually ‘dating,’ like we’re a couple. But dating in the sense that I have to be genuinely interested in their farm. I also have to take an interest in them as a person to get all the information I need to help them be or stay the farmer they want to be.

So, I broke the information down into four things your agronomist should know about you to successfully build a relationship that will help elevate you as a farmer. But just like any other relationship, it takes time and a desire to want the relationship to work. To be honest, this probably won’t be a complete list either, each farm and farmer are unique, and what I need to know about one, I might not need to know about another. These are good starting points to work from.

I want to know…

1. The Past-  Field History

Previous crops

Previous amendments/fertilizers

Previous insecticides/herbicides/fungicides

Previous soil/tissue or other analytical testing results

Previous crop failures/yield results

2. Your Present – Current Field/Farm Conditions

Current field/crop conditions

Current amendments/fertilizers applied to that field

Current challenges/concerns

Current yield goals/expectations for that crop

Available equipment/labor/resources

3..Your Future – Next Intended Crop

Crop rotation plan

Crop yield goals

Any future testing, i.e., soil sampling

4. Your Farming Style – Management Practices

This list is endless

Farming style may sound funny but, hear me out. I work with every type of farmer imaginable. Each one has their vision, i.e. goals or expectations, for their farm and how they want to achieve them. Each one has its own set of limitations or resources available.  I have to know and understand all of that to give advice and make recommendations that apply to that farm and farmer, not the other guy down the road doing things differently. This includes information as to

Do you farm certified organic, certified naturally grown, bio-dynamically, etc.?

Any grazing or tillage methods, etc.

The time commitment you’re willing, can, or want to make to farming

I’ve said before; agronomy is science applied practically. All the science and product knowledge mean nothing if a farmer can’t use it. The only way I can do that is to get to know how and why you are farming. Like as if we are dating, and I am always asking questions to get to know you.