By Gabe Brown

I want to start by telling everyone up front that I am not a soil scientist. I am a farmer/rancher who has spent the last 20 years working to improve the soil resource on my operation.

I have tried doing this in a myriad of ways, with some successes and many “learning experiences.” What I am going to do is share some of my experiences and observations, using my own operation to illustrate the concepts I follow. Realize that every operation is different. Each has its unique set of circumstances, and it is up to the operator to determine what works best on his or her own farm. Continue reading “Our five-step plan for healthier soils”

Gabe Brown isn’t afraid to put 25 species in the seed box

Bismarck, North Dakota — Gabe Brown acknowledges that no planted crop will build soil health as quickly and completely as a well-managed and very diverse perennial pasture. But that doesn’t mean he can’t try.

And boy, does he try. Gabe says the seed boxes on his no-till drill often contain 15 to 25 species at any one time, chosen from a wide variety of warm and cool season grasses and broadleaf crops. Buckwheat, barley, turnips, hairy vetch — you name it, Gabe plants it in mixes that give new meaning to the word “variety.” And he’s ready to use that seed at almost any time when winter isn’t ruling the northern Plains. Continue reading “Plant diversity as the key to soil health”

By Daniel Olson

Lena, Wisconsin — Most of you have seen those “growing curves” for perennial, cool-season grasses. The curves spike in mid-spring, crash in the summer heat and revive in time for the early-fall grazing period. The biology of this is that a perennial can’t afford to put all of its energy into production, as it needs to survive the heat of summer and the cold of winter in order to live to reproduce again next year.

Advanced management has helped us graziers cope with the curve. Longer rest periods and stockpiled forage reduce the impact of the summer slump while extending the grazing season well beyond the growing season. The downside to such stockpiling is that much of the forage is not dairy quality, and thus limits animal performance. Continue reading “Options for adding annuals to your operation”