Getting the most out of what you’ve got is a goal that most producers have, and during last week’s Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., the value of using cover crops to boost a bottom line was shown. Mike Plumer is a retired University of Illinois Extension educator in agriculture and natural resources and currently a consultant …
Communication Key to Cooperation in CTIC Tour
Cooperation is key for successful conservation practices in agriculture, and the key to that cooperation is good communication among all the players. That was the message attendees of the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., heard. “If you want to go back to a simple recipe for success, cooperation among many industries, many individuals and many …
CTIC Panel Addresses Soil Quality, Nitrate Levels
One of the best parts about the Conservation Technology Information Center tour is the conversations that come up, either through formal panels or just informal talks. On the more formal side, local Livingston County, Ill., farmer Marcus Maier (pictured seated, holding the microphone) sat on a panel during the tour that addressed soil health and the issue of nitrate runoff …
Conservation Work Helps Farmers Avoid Regulations
Getting caught up in government regulations and red tape is something any farmer wants to avoid, and attendees of the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., heard how they can avoid more of that with voluntary programs, such as the one on display on the tour. Marcia Willhite, the Chief of the Bureau of Water with …
CTIC: Soil Health Key to Crop Health
Attendees of the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., heard about the importance of soil health and how it can pay big dividends back to producers … and the consequences of not taking care of the soil. “We have really degraded our soils in the Midwest,” explained Hans Kok (on the right, pointing to his demonstration …
High Flying Seeds Ground Cover
One of the “high”lights of the recent Conservation Technology Information Center tour in Livingston County, Ill., was a demonstration of using a crop duster to seed ground cover on a field still growing corn. Eric Smith with Pontiac Flying Service explained shortly after one of his pilots (in fact, Scott Petersen, the company’s owner/operations manager) flew over the field and …
GROWMARK: CTIC Support is Being Good Stewards
The Conservation Technology Information Center tour just completed with a theme of “Community 4 Conservation” this year. Dan Maggart with GROWMARK (pictured to the right, talking to bus load on the tour about what GROWMARK offers in way of agronomic services) explained why his company sees itself as such a good fit as a sponsor for the tour and its …
Making Sense of Precision Ag’s Alphabet Soup
Precision farming tools are designed to simplify things for growers, and yet the terminology used in precision farming isn’t always so simple. But have no fear. The following definitions will guide you through the mysterious twists and terms found in the world of GPS (Psst … that stands for Global Positioning System). GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System is a navigation …
John Deere Introduces FlexFuel Mower
John Deere has introduced a brand new riding mower that can run on up to 85% percent ethanol blended fuel. The mower is a new Flex Fuel model of John Deere’s popular line of ZTrak mowers. The new, industry exclusive, Z925M Flex Fuel gives landscape contractors and customers with large acreage to mow a new alternative fuel option for their …
Upcoming AgBiz of Kansas City Meeting
The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City will hold a July meeting on the 18th from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. The meeting will feature Brian Klippenstein, Protect the Harvest. Protect The Harvest was created to fight back and defend American families, farmers, hunters and animal owners from the growing threat posed by the radical animal rights movement. Brian will outline …