Mustard
For most of us, mustard is either the sunny, tangy condiment we put on hot dogs, or the weeds we try to keep out of our fields. Some farmers, though, look forward to seeing mustard crop up in their fields. Because they planted it there.
Morgan Oie is the president of Hanrahan Farms, near Scobey, Montana, which is on the northeastern end of the state. On the farm he works with his father-in-law, Dave Hanrahan, they grow small grains–durum, canola, peas, lentils, flax and mustard. They use a rotation to help with weed control, as they’ve been completely no-till for more than 20 years.
Ruth Wiechmann, for Tri-State Livestock News
Removing nutrients from the soil without replacing them can cause plant health and productivity to decline over time. Photo by Linda Teahon.
HayfieldLindaTeahon
Nature has provided the perfect patterns for renewal of the soil; as animals graze, they return “recycled” plant material rich in nitrogen to the ground in the form of manure. They trample some grasses as they graze as well, and this also adds to soil health. Rain and snow also nitrogen to the ground, and roots of legumes such as alfalfa fix nitrogen in the soil.
What happens when we interrupt this process by removing a crop mechanically, year after year, without putting anything back? Should hay producers fertilize? If so, when and how much?
North Dakota farmland rental rates survey shows statewide variation
The new 2021 survey on North Dakota farmland rental rates, funded by the state Department of Land Trusts, finds varied results across the state. Some agricultural producers and landlords use the survey to help them decide on the rental rate on land for which they re negotiating. 11:57 am, Apr. 9, 2021 ×
Erin Ehnle Brown / Grand Vale Creative LLC Going into 2021, experts best guess was that newly negotiated farmland rental rates across the region would be a mixed bag: some staying the same, some moving higher, some dropping.
That s the case in North Dakota, according to a new 2021 report funded by the North Dakota Department of Land Trusts. Some agricultural producers and landowners use the annual report as an impartial, third-party source to help determine the the price that the producers pay to rent nonirrigated cropland, nonirrigated pasture and nonirrigated tame hay land. Tame hay
Calving season well underway in the Upper Midwest
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The Upper Midwest has enjoyed a dry and mild calving season so far. (Haley Miles / Grand Vale Creative LLC)
The Upper Midwest calving season is well underway. While drought conditions have brought an abundance of problems, some producers have enjoyed calving in the drier weather.
“Drought-like conditions are kind of favorable for calving. Since it is nice and dry and you don’t have to deal with all the mud,” Whitney Klasna said.
North Dakota farmland rental rates survey shows statewide variation
The new 2021 survey on North Dakota farmland rental rates, funded by the state Department of Land Trusts, finds varied results across the state. Some agricultural producers and landlords use the survey to help them decide on the rental rate on land for which they re negotiating. 5:30 am, Apr. 8, 2021 ×
Erin Ehnle Brown / Grand Vale Creative LLC Going into 2021, experts best guess was that newly negotiated farmland rental rates across the region would be a mixed bag: some staying the same, some moving higher, some dropping.
That s the case in North Dakota, according to a new 2021 report funded by the North Dakota Department of Land Trusts. Some agricultural producers and landowners use the annual report as an impartial, third-party source to help determine the the price that the producers pay to rent nonirrigated cropland, nonirrigated pasture and nonirrigated tame hay land. Tame hay