Friday on the Farm

 

It was a busy Friday on the farm. We were able to get quite a bit of work done on a nice fall day.

We have very happy cows. Two herds of cows are now grazing cornstalks. After corn is harvested, we open up fields for cows to graze. Grazing cornstalks ( stover ) in fields extends the grazing season through fall. The cows eat the corn residue ( husks and leaves ) and grass in the waterways.
 

[ view agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

conservation

On our family farm, conservation and stewardship have always been important.

 

 

take care of the land, and the and will take care of you - Hugh Hammond Bennett

My grandpa believed in conservation and being a steward of the land. He passed along  the passion for agriculture, farming, conservation, and stewardship to us.

My dad has been farming for over 50 years. And over those years, he has utilized numerous conservation practices on the farm. For more than 35 years,  he has farmed using no-till. That has proven to be very beneficial to the soil health on our farms. He has improved the farms with grassed waterways and tile to safely move surface and subsurface water off fields. Vegetative filter strips along crop fields border creeks also offer protection from erosion. My dad has used crop rotation ( corn, soybeans, hay ) and planted along contours of fields. Cover crops ( rye, oats, turnips, millet ) are planted to protect the soil, improve soil fertility, and for our cows to graze as high quality forage.

Permanent pasture where our cattle graze is on soil that is more sensitive to erosion. Installing rip rap along creek banks for stream bank stabilization has protected creeks in pastures from erosion. Pastures, hay fields, and fence rows provide great habitat for wildlife. We often see wildlife among our cow herds... deer, turtles, rabbits, bees, butterflies, quail, and a variety of other birds. It makes my heart happy.       

This sign was installed on the farm. And, it means so much to me. My grandpa would be so proud.

Friday on the Farm

 

The double cropped soybeans are emerging. These soybeans were planted on June 1. Rye was chopped and bagged as feed for cows to then plant soybeans. The planting conditions were excellent. The soil moisture was perfect for planting, and we have had plenty of sunshine.   

Friday morning, it rained. It was great timing for the crops. We finished rolling up our first crop hay yesterday, so it was perfect. This rain will be incredibly beneficial for the young field of soybeans.

 

[ agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

Last Thursday, we chopped and bagged a field of rye to use as feed for our cows. This afternoon, we no-till planted soybeans into that field. Residue from the harvested rye and corn from the previous crop year remain protecting the soil. We planted into nice soil conditions with having rain on Thursday and Tuesday. With the soil moisture and warm temperatures, the soybeans should germinate quickly.  

[ view agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

fall forage for grazing: week 6

It is week #6 in the field!

It has been six weeks since the fields were aerial seeded with turnips, rye, and oats. I have very much enjoyed watching the seeding grow by each week. It has been so amazing! Every time I drive by the seeded fields, I smile. The fall forage is beautiful!

10.19.16

We finished harvesting corn early Monday evening! When we finished harvesting corn on the acres seeded with turnips, rye, and oats, it let us fully see the seeding. Amazing!

10.14.16

It is unbelievable how quickly the seeding grew after the corn was harvested. We had sunny, warm weather that was perfect for the turnips, rye, and oats to rapidly grow. From a distance, you can now see the corn fields turning green.    

It will not be long before the corn residue will be covered by the fall forage. Our cow herds will soon be grazing the luscious fields of turnips, rye, and oats!

corn residue rests along the turnips, rye, and oats

 

Friday on the Farm

turnips, rye, and oats in corn residue

This afternoon, we started harvesting corn in one of the two fields seeded with turnips, rye, and oats. While riding in the Gleaner with my dad, it was so neat viewing the seeding from the combine cab. It was so pretty...emerald green growth among the dried corn field! Corn residue covered the ground with the turnips, rye, and oats were peaking through towards the sun. After riding along in the combine, I continued to haul corn to the grain bin to unload. Cows in the pasture watched as the combine rolled through the field...it is time for them to graze.   

checking in on the rye



rye



Six acres of corn were chopped and bagged as silage for our cattle on September 19. The acres that were chopped were then seeded to rye on October 3 to protect the soil from possible erosion.

 

This morning, we checked in on the rye that was no-till drilled.  It is looking nice! The rye emerged quickly and started growing on these sunny days. It is amazing how much the rye grew in just a couple days. With rain this afternoon, the rye will continue to grow well.

rye

Rye is emerging!

 

As I walked out to the pasture this evening, I decided to scout the field chopped for silage and seeded with rye. On Monday afternoon, we no-till drilled rye for cover over the winter. I was excited to see the rye emerging from the soil. 

63 pounds per acre of rye was seeded over 6 acres. The soil was perfect for seeding that afternoon. And on Wednesday evening, we received 1 3/4 inches of rain.

seeding rye

Today we no-till drilled rye into a corn field that was chopped and bagged for silage. Chopping corn for silage uses the entire corn plant. It therefore removes the plant material that would be residue. The lack of residue can leave soil vulnerable. The rye will protect the soil from possible erosion caused by wind or water.

Six acres chopped for silage were planted to rye. Dad used the rate of 63 pounds of rye per acre. The conditions were perfect to seed this afternoon. Weather should be ideal for germination.  

I look forward to seeing the rye grow!

fall forage for grazing

aerial application

 

In August, I decided to have two fields aerial applied with seeding...one field at each farm. This seeding will produce forage for our cows to graze through this fall and winter. After much thought, I decided to seed the fields with turnips, rye, and oats. Speaking with the agronomist at River Valley Cooperative, I arranged to have the fields seeded when the corn was at the perfect stage for the seeds to make contact with the soil. Driving home after cattle chores this morning, I pleasantly surprised to find a plane flying over our farms. I turned around and drove to a field to watch the seeding applied. It was so neat hearing the seeds fall onto the corn field!   

 

turnip, rye, and oat seeds rest on top of the soil

 

This afternoon, my dad and I went to the field to check out the seeding. The turnip, rye, and oat seeds were resting on top of the soil. It was amazing seeing the new crop among the standing corn to be harvested. Perfect timing...it rained this afternoon and is raining this evening! The rain will be extremely beneficial for the seeds to germinate well.

 

I have been wanting to seed fields as fall forage for a few years, so I am pretty excited to actually get this done. This is our future cow chow! I am looking forward to seeing the turnips, rye, and oats grow through this coming fall! And, I am hoping our cows enjoy their fall forage!

Friday on the Farm

soybean residue

 

 

Soybeans have been harvested. Residue rests in the soybean fields after harvest. No-till farming has been utilized on our farm for over 30 years. My dad has carried on the tradition of being a conservationist and steward of the land. He is a caretaker of our farm.

Crop residue serves many purposes. Residue covers bare soil and helps protect the soil from erosion by wind and rain. And, residue enriches soil. As crop residue decomposes, it is added to the soil as fertilizer.