Text and Photos
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

CLUNETTE — Soil health, residue management, planting clinic, rainfall simulator and a local perspective of conservation topics were packed into a breakfast workshop for farmers and the general public Thursday, Feb. 16.

The event, which brought together approximately 70 people, was held at the Clunette Elevator.

Barry Fisher, Fisher Soil Health LLC, Greencastle; Chad Schotter, Natural Resource Conservation Services District Conservationist; and Russell Anderson, Anderson Farms, Syracuse, were speakers.

Fisher, the 2022 Certified Crop Advisor Conservationist of the Year Award recipient, is founder of Fisher Soil Health and former Central Region Leader for the NRCS National Soil Health Division. He has 40-plus years of crop advising experience.

Barry Fisher, 2022 Certified Crop Advisor Conservationist of the Year recipients and former Central Region Leader for the NRCS National Soil Health Division was keynote speaker.

His topic was unlocking the secrets in the soil, highlighting four soil health management principles; providing continuous living roots, minimizing disturbance, maximizing soil cover and maximizing biodiversity.

He talked about different strategies and goal planning and emphasized every seed needed to be at the same depth and in the same environment to avoid a 10% loss. “We should be able to get almost a perfect picket fence stand, no matter what we plant. That’s the beauty of today’s technology,” he stated, adding delaying planting could result in 8.9 bushels lost every day planting is delayed. “Later planting gets you less. You plant as early as you can, but missing by a week will not affect the yield.”

He challenged farmers, asking if every seed is planted in the exact same environment. He spoke of ground temperatures and planting in no-till fields versus conventional. Additionalyl, he noted the need for taking the time and capitalizing the capabilities with priority on equipment. He spoke of various no-till options, noting he preferred leaving stalks standing. “They act like a wick in the spring,” he noted, adding the different means of leaving crop residue on the field.

Residue management was highlighted during his presentation and he answered questions from those present. The group then moved to a visual display of planting equipment and the use of the various types of pieces available and which ones are the best.

Schotter set up a rainfall simulator he created, providing visual lessons on various types of crop cover as well as asphalt. The simulator showed the amount of runoff from each of the five examples, along with the amount of infiltration and back splatter. The results were simulated from a 2-inch rainfall.

Russell Anderson, Syracuse, shared his perspective of conservation.

The closing of the event was Anderson’s firsthand perspective of the conservation efforts on his farm fields in Noble, Kosciusko and Elkhart counties. Anderson shared his experiences in working with clay fields and the mistakes he made and learned from. He shared his experience using cover crops and feeding the soil with microbes. Anderson state, “There is no substitute in having this group in the soil. I think God made this a beautiful thing to be a part of it.”

He learned cover crops provided better crops, healthier soil and better water infiltration. Additionally he noted having to learn new things while “trying not to fall on my face,” adding “I’m taking it slow.”

Anderson stated he uses a 24 acre field for testing new ideas before increasing any practice onto other acreage. “I’m trying not to trip and fall. You can’t try it on every acre out of pure risk.”

He stated with the practices he has used, he has noticed more of a yield, although he admitted to not keeping track of how his practices have financially been beneficial. “My highest yield was last year with no till and (using as a cover crop) cereal rye. He also compared conventional farming to no-till management as being more intensive. “It’s like sliding over and letting mother nature get behind the wheel.”

Admitting he is not an overly trusting person, he is learning to trust the system.

The event was sponsored by Crossroads Bank and Ferguson Farms. Hosts for the morning included The Watershed Foundation, Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District, Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative, Clunette Elevator and Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation.