2022-02-01SUCCESSFUL FARMING

February 2022

THE STATE OF EROSION ON FARMS P.36
SOIL TESTING CAN OFFER ANSWERS P.40

GAINING

GROUND

EYES IN THE SKIES

UAVs help with crop scouting P. 48
Get the most out of aerial imagery P. 50

For families who make farming and ranching their business® | Vol. 120 | No. 2 | Agriculture.com





/February 2022

Gleanings Q&A: The Successful The Bottom Line
Useful tidbits about the Interview Retirement plan

world of agriculture Sam Eathington options to consider

10 11 18

Can Their Problem WHAT’S Machinery Insider™
Be Solved? INSIDE Shopping for Used Sprayers
The bargains are gone, but
Should we wait for clarity on
midterm election results sprayers can be found at
before planning? reasonable rates.

26 30

Losing Ground, Soil Sleuthing All Around the Farm®
Gaining Ground Unlock the secrets in Ideas from farmers
The state of erosion on farms since 1929
soil test data.
36 75
40

3 Across the Editor’s Desk® 18 The Bottom Line 45 Carbon Farming
4 Agriculture.com™ 22 Your Profit 48 Digital Labor

6 15 Minutes With a Farmer 26 Can Their Problem Be Solved? 50 Precision Pointers
10 Gleanings 28 Weather Trends 54 Acreage Battle
58 Dairy Insider™
11 Q&A: Sam Eathington 30 Machinery Insider™ 62 Family
12 They Said It 36 Cover Story:
75 All Around the Farm®
14 In Case You Missed It Losing Ground, Gaining Ground
40 Soil Sleuthing

Successful Farming magazine serves the diverse business, production, and family information needs of families who make farming
and ranching their business. Our passion is to help you make money, save time, and grow your satisfaction in the farming business.

2 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Cover design: Matt Strelecki
Photography: Korovin, Getty Images

ACROSS THE
EDITOR'S DESK¨

¨

THE FARM HUG Editorial Machinery
Executive Editor Dave Mowitz
How do we in agriculture react when Successful Farming Magazine New Products Editor Alex Gray
someone says something that is wrong? 1716 Locust Street/LS257
Des Moines, IA 50309-3023 Crops Technology
Go ahead and Google the name “Kevin Folta.” He wants Email: [email protected] Executive Editor Gil Gullickson
you to. In fact, he told 900 farmers and investors at the Crops Editor Bill Spiegel
Land Investment Expo in January to Google his name, Editorial Content Director Dave Kurns Assistant Agronomy Editor
and read all of the results. Chelsea Dinterman
If you do search his name, you’ll see a spectrum of Art & Production
Creative Director Matt Strelecki Family
Design Apprentice Amanda O'Brien Family & Farmstead Editor
Editorial Production Manager Lisa Foust Prater
Diana Weesner
News & Business Audio & Video
Executive Editor Laurie Bedord Executive Producer &
Managing Editor - News Custom Solutions David Ekstrom
Natalina Sents Bausch Multimedia Editor Jodi Henke
Markets Editor Mike McGinnis
Digital Content Editor Megan Schilling Editors Emeritus Gene Johnston, Dan
Content Editor Paula Barbour Looker, Cheryl Tevis, John Walter
Digital Content Editor Madelyn Ostendorf Contributing Copy Editor Nancy Dietz
Contributing Editors Al Kluis,
responses to the online activities over the past several years of this Raylene Nickel, Shawn Williamson

University of Florida professor. He has been a passionate advo-

cate for American agriculture — and he has been pillaged for it Publishing Administration / Advertising Sales

by opponents (and even penalized by his own university). Sales & Marketing Director Marty Wolske
National Account Executives Tom Hosack, Ali Peltier,
Folta has defended GMOs, countered faulty opinions on
Brian Keane, Steve Dado
social media, and tried to correct misstatements Marketplace Executive Collin Coughlon
Director of Digital Strategy Jessie Scott
and errors with science. He has done this not Digital Services Manager Logan Pralle
Customer Experience Manager Jana Morrissey
by attacking people, but by setting the record Contracts and Billing Specialist Kat Lewis

straight. Trying to inform. Trying to educate. Custom Studio

Some of these online consumers are just shar- Content Director Justin Davey
Content Manager Kasey Riebel
ing bad information with a casual “Like” or
Consumer Marketing Manager Karlee Bahlmann
“Share.” Some are malicious and intentional. Kevin Folta Business Manager Darren Tollefson
Either way, it has taken a toll on Folta’s career Senior Production Manager Jim Nelson
Digital Imaging Specialist Christopher Sprague
and his personal reputation — all for trying to right the wrongs Director of Quality Joseph Kohler

on social media about the efforts of farmers and ranchers. Senior Vice President/Group Publisher Scott Mortimer

I’m not here to judge Folta right or wrong, but in our Q&A in-

terview with him on Agriculture.com by Natalina Sents Bausch,

our managing editor for news, he offers us a teachable moment

when getting attacked by uninformed people with an agenda.

How should we react when someone attacks? National Media Group

“I’ve got a couple of tips here,” Folta says. “First, don’t turn President, Meredith Digital Alysia Borsa
EVP, Strategic & Business Development Daphne Kwon
off your potential audience. Being angry or bitter toward oth- President, Consumer Products Tom Witschi

ers who disagree with you will do that.” Executive Vice Presidents

I know that biting my tongue can be hard. I feel it when a Senior Vice President, Human Resources Dina Nathanson
Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer Erica Jensen
reader posts an accusatory comment about our coverage on Chief Revenue Officer Michael Brownstein
Digital Sales Marla Newman
Facebook, for example. It’s hard not to get defensive. So what Finance Michael Riggs
Marketing & Integrated Communications Nancy Weber
should we do?
Senior Vice Presidents
Ever the teacher, Folta says, “Give people the farm hug. In
Consumer Marketing Steve Crowe Consumer Revenue Andy Wilson

a noisy room of insults, the person reaching out with kindness Corporate Sales Brian Kightlinger Foundry 360 Matt Petersen

Product & Technology Justin Law Research Solutions Britta Cleveland

really stands out.” Strategic Planning Amy Thind

Strategic Sourcing, Newsstand, Production Chuck Howell

It’s a great lesson for us all. Vice Presidents

Here’s to a successful February! Brand Licensing Toye Cody Finance Chris Susil

Business Planning & Analysis Rob Silverstone Strategic Partnerships Alicia Cervini

Strategic Development Kelsey Andersen

Vice President, Group Editorial Director Stephen Orr

Chief Digital Content Officer Amanda Dameron

Director, Editorial Operations & Finance Greg Kayko

Dave Kurns For Subscription Help: Visit Agriculture.com/myaccount,
Editorial Content Director
[email protected] email [email protected], or call 800/374-3276.
Twitter: @davekurns
Our subscriber list is occasionally made available to carefully selected firms whose
Follow us: Twitter: @ SuccessfulFarm • Facebook: @SuccessfulFarmingUSA products may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive information from these
companies by mail or by phone, please let us know. Send your request along with your
mailing label to Magazine Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508.

Photography: Provided February 2022 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 3

John Deere Dealers Tillage

See one of these dealers for a demonstration Agriculture.com/machinery/tillage

Alliance Tractor LLC Read about the newest tillage the need to reevaluate how to manage and
equipment, including strip-till slice through residue across seasons.
Casey, IL rigs, vertical-tillage implements,
Mattoon, IL rotary finishers, disk rippers, soil 5-point plan for peak tillage performance
Newton, IL conditioners, and field cultivators. A fortune is invested in tillage systems,
Vincennes, IN This section also highlights different but often a pittance on maximizing
tillage options, such as conservation performance.
Ag-Power, Inc.
tillage and no-till. Tillage tips
Bethany, MO All forms of tillage — even no-till — move soil.
Carrollton, MO Strip-till on a budget All forms have perks, but some have more
Centerview, MO An Iowa farmer builds a powerful strip-till
Easton, MO drawbacks than others.
Higginsville, MO system without breaking the bank.
Marshall, MO
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Richmond, MO
Sedalia, MO
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GreenMark Equipment, LLC

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Minnesota Equipment, Inc.

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P & K Midwest, Inc.

Mt. Vernon, IA

Preston Equipment Company

Preston, MN

Shiloh Valley Equipment Co.

Belleville, IL

Sydenstricker Nobbe Partners

Mexico, MO
Waterloo, IL

Valley Plains Equipment

Crookston, MN

The future of residue management Leveling the tillage tools
As crop genetics improve and the push for A uniform seedbed depends on
conservation tillage practices grow, so does
uniform soil preparation.

Hover your smartphone camera
over this link to learn more about
tillage at Agriculture.com.

STAY CONNECTED:

Successful Farming @SuccessfulFarm successful_farming successfulfarm

4 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Illustration: ilter42, Getty
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15 MINUTES
WITH A FARMER

CORTNEY WAGNER able to help bring a calf into
this world and nurture it is
As the first woman on the CHS board of directors, this Montana rewarding. We are building
rancher carries on two family legacies that date back to 1939. our operation for the future
and want to pass down
By Laurie Bedord SF: What do you enjoy most about being a those memories, lessons
Executive Editor, News & Technology learned, and lifestyle to the
[email protected] | @BedordLaurie rancher? next generation.

A first-generation rancher, Cortney CW: The way of life. I appreciate the feel- SF: You recently became a
Wagner has strong ties to agricul- ing of putting in a hard day’s work to reap
ture. She and husband Jeff raise the benefits it brings, from knowing you board member at CHS.
Black Angus cattle, quar-
ter horses, as well as are giving back to the communities What does this appoint-
grass and alfalfa in Big Horn we serve to placing food on every
County, Montana. table in the world authentically. ment mean to you?
“My husband and I are Ranching values align with
building our ranch for our what our family stands for. CW: I see it as my responsi-
children, Ashley, Taylor, bility to give a voice to the
Ty, and Walker, to call SF: As a rancher, what is producers, cooperatives, and
home with their families,” employees who have connec-
Wagner says. your biggest challenge? tions to CHS by honoring
Recently elected to the them and keeping them at
CHS Inc. board of direc- CW: Access to water the forefront of every decision
tors, Wagner is also is an ongoing chal- we make. We take the CHS
carrying on not one but lenge for our opera- purpose — creating connec-
two family legacies tion. With drought tions to empower agriculture
in the cooperative conditions, we’re — seriously. It’s top of mind
world that date back constantly thinking every day as we work indi-
to the 1930s. of unconventional vidually on behalf of CHS
“My great-grand- owners and as a board team.
father Olaf Essen was ways of getting
involved in the Farmers water to fields SF: What do you hope to
Union Cooperative in 1939, and pastures to
and my great-uncle Dean Essen sustain life. accomplish as a board
managed a cooperative in Westhope,
North Dakota,” she says. “My husband SF: Tell me about a member?
and my father-in-law, Gale Wagner, have
contributed 40 and 60 years, respectively, to favorite memory on CW: To lead by example
agriculture cooperative management.” while displaying how
Wagner talks about life on the ranch as the ranch. teamwork comes together to
well as her new role as a board member. create connections through
CW: One of my favorite trust and loyalty for our
memories is bringing a calf owners.
born during a blizzard back
to life after warming it in the entryway I want people to know
of our home. When a cow gives birth in that you don’t have to come
cold weather, we know it can be a matter from a typical farming
of life and death. It is our responsibility background to have an
to do everything we can to save it. Being impact on agriculture. If you
have a dream to work in
Background: Cortney Wagner Big Horn County, MT psychology at the University of the industry, it can be
was born and raised in a rural Population 13,124 North Dakota. Ranchers for eight achieved. I hope I can
town in the northwest part of years, Cortney and husband Jeff encourage others to step
North Dakota known for growing raise Black Angus cattle, quarter outside their comfort zone
durum and producing oil. She horses, grass, and alfalfa in Big and take that risk, set goals,
graduated from Williston State Horn County, Montana. The and achieve their dreams in
College with an associate in arts couple have four children and the industry. If I can
degree and studied finance and two grandsons. empower one person in this
journey, I will consider that
a success.

6 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Illustration: Lauren Crow

FUTURE FARMER.

We’re proud to work with generations
of American farmers in the most complex
and rewarding industry on earth.

Landon Sohre
Good Thunder, Minnesota

MADE TO GROWª

™ ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. © 2021 Corteva.

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GLEANINGS The Successful Farming team will see

you in New Orleans MARCH 10-12.

COMMODITY

Compiled by CLASSIC 2022
Megan Schilling
Digital Content Editor

STOP BY THE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS
THE 2022
COMMODITY
CLASSIC
MAIN STAGE

presented

by Successful

Farming¨ magazine The 2021 Commodity
for insightful and Classic was delivered
educational sessions. digitally and attracted

Commodity nearly 6,000 attendees
from 49 states and

Classic is 24 countries. Also:

America’s • More than 4,500
largest farmers registered
farmer-led,
for the event.

farmer-focused • 143 ag media
educational and representatives
agricultural
attended.

experience.

THIS YEAR’S EVENT IS It ends with a
HELD IN NEW ORLEANS, Saturday night
ALSO KNOWN AS THE performance by
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10 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Sara Evans by Jason Kempin, Getty Images

Q&A

The Successful

Interview

SAM EATHINGTON process are best. What hap-
pens if you have to disturb
Growing up on an Illinois farm has guided the career that soil at some point in the
of Corteva Agriscience’s chief technology officer. next 10 years?

By Gil Gullickson tion, with plant breeding, genomics, biotech, There are a lot of different
Executive Editor, Crops Technology and crop protection combined with digital systems and companies on
[email protected] | @GilGullickson tools that bring it together. open markets. To farmers, it
can be confusing. We need
S am Eathington initially thought he SF: How has plant breeding changed during to make sure we’re being
would farm with his family near transparent so farmers can
Ellisville on their west-central Illinois your career? understand these programs.
farm.
“It was your classic grain and live- SE: When I was in graduate school, plant The value per acre to the
stock operation, with row crops, cattle, and breeders used phenotypic-based selection. farmer also has to increase.
hogs,” says Eathington, senior vice president They would visually evaluate plants for Today, carbon credit
and chief technology officer for Corteva various characteristics and then crunch the payments do not cover all
Agriscience. “It’s still that way today, with numbers to make what they thought were the costs. Farmers who do it
my two brothers who farm.” see value for other reasons,
Eathington’s parents were adamant, the best selections. Then, they went out and carbon is an add-on.
though, that their children earn a and did it again. Today, plant breed-
college degree. “I always enjoyed the ers make selections based on the Down the road, we can
plant side of agriculture, so agronomy plant’s DNA profile in the labora- imagine a world where the
was a natural fit to learn about how to tory before it even gets to the field. value of the credits is higher,
produce a crop,” he says. We still take everything to the field and at some point starts to be
The tight farm economics of the for testing, but rather than having as valuable as the commodity
early 1990s squelched Eathington’s plant breeders walk through the crop itself.
plan to return to the farm. However, field, we use drones to collect data.
seed company internships he completed SF: What’s new for this year?
while attending the University of Illinois SF: What future crop and agronomic
(U of I) piqued his interest in plant breeding. SE: We have some new
Eventually, he earned a doctorate in plant technologies excite you? innovations and may have
breeding at the U of I. an innovation showcase at
“I had the simple goal of helping to create SE: From the plant side, gene editing plat- our [Johnston, Iowa] facility
some corn hybrids that could be grown on forms have the opportunity to fundamen- later this year; last year’s was
our family farm,” he says. tally transform plant breeding. delayed due to COVID.
Eathington worked his way through the
industry as a plant breeder before assuming On the crop protection side of the busi- SF Bio
his current position in January 2021. Here ness, what’s been really cool is the type Name: Sam Eathington
are some of his observations about the indus- and nature of the active ingredients and Background: Raising crops
try and its future. formulations we’ve been building. They’re always piqued Eathington’s
winning a lot of green chemistry awards, as interest while growing up on
SF: What brought you to Corteva? their safety and environmental profiles are his family’s west-central Illinois
much higher than older chemistries. Use farm. Besides farming, his
SE: It is a pure-play agricultural company rates are also much lower on these products. father was also a seed dealer,
focused on farmers. Approximately 27,000 which exposed Eathington to
employees get up every day and think about We are also developing biologicals that numerous facets of the seed
how to help farmers around the world. I like complement the system. There’s still a lot of industry. Eathington’s doctoral
that culture. It brings that commonality, that work to be done, but bringing all of these program focused on what
common purpose and vision, which aligns things together digitally is a way to integrate is now a common practice
with what we are doing. the complete package. used in breeding — molecular
marker DNA technology.
It also was an opportunity for me to be the SF: What do you think about carbon Education: Bachelor’s,
chief technology officer of an incredible master’s, and doctoral degrees
R&D [research and development] organiza- markets? earned at the University of
Illinois. His doctoral field of
SE: There’s no doubt that soils can seques- study was quantitative
ter a lot of carbon. As an industry, I think genetics and maize (corn)
there are still scientific questions about them breeding.
that we have to answer: how much is being
sequestered, and which methodology and

Illustration: Lauren Crow February 2022 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com 11

THEY SAID IT

“We want our “Access “WE HAVE
finishing to water EVEN BEEN
staff to be ABLE TO
able is an ongoing COUNT THE
HAIRS ON A
to make challenge for SOYBEAN
decisions LEAF.”
our operation.Ó
with Taranis in UAV gets 0.3-mm per pixel
information.Ó Montana rancher and CHS board member traces resolution of 100 acres in 6 minutes,
agricultural co-op roots to the 1930s, p. 6. p. 48.
Farmera provides real-time
record keeping, p. 60. ÒI had the
simple goal
“RICK MAY of helping
BE THE ONLY to create
FARMER IN some corn
FORD COUNTY hybrids
GAINING that could
GROUND.Ó be grown
on our
Illinois farmer’s pollinator strips capture topsoil, p. 36. family
farm.”
none“Did you notice that
of this depends Corteva CTO has both a doctorate
on congressional and farm-boy street cred, p. 11.

elections?”

Don’t wait on politicians — focus on controllable succession issues, p. 26.

12 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022

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ICYMI chain disruptions of the
pandemic. “Press conferences
‘TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE’ and using taxpayer dollars
to establish government-
Biden unveils four-point plan for meat industry competition. sponsored packing and
processing plants will not do
I n President Biden’s view, the highly capacity and number of independent anything to address the lack
concentrated meat industry “is a textbook processors, across-the-board enforcement of labor at meat and poultry
example” of the perils of consolidation. A of antitrust laws, stronger USDA rules to plants and spiking inflation
handful of companies dominate cattle, hog, protect producers from abuse by processors, across the economy,” said the
and poultry slaughter. “Without meaningful and encouragement of legislation to trade group North American
competition, farmers and ranchers don’t get inject transparency into cattle pricing. Meat Institute.
to choose who they sell to,” said Biden during “Strengthening competition is good for all of
an online meeting with farmers in early us,” he said. Cattle producers have
January. “These companies can use their complained of an unusually
position as middlemen to overcharge grocery The White House has blamed wide beef price spread since a
stores and, ultimately, families.” meatpackers repeatedly as a factor in 2019 fire at the Tyson Foods
As a counterweight, Biden unveiled a inflation that hit 7% in 2021, with meat prices beef plant in Holcomb,
four-point plan for increased competition soaring by 14.8% during the year. The meat Kansas.
in the industry: $1 billion to increase the industry says the problem is a labor shortage
that constrains production amid the supply “I’m pleased to see
Congress is taking action”
on price transparency,
said Biden, pointing to
a bipartisan Senate bill
that would set regional
mandatory minimum
thresholds for cash and grid
purchases of slaughter cattle.
The bill also would create a
contract library and require
packers to report the number

of cattle scheduled for delivery in each of the next 14 days. The More profitable
contract library was the only cattle reform with momentum grain drying?
in Congress in 2021. Delegates at the national Farm Bureau
convention voted last month to oppose mandates on packers
to buy cattle for cash out of concern it would interfere with
marketing contracts. Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said
senators should revise the bill accordingly.

Some activists were skeptical of the practical impact of
federal support for new entrants or expanded capacity in the
processing industry, absent action to limit the market power of
large processors. “At this point, we need structural remedies,”
such as a ban on packer ownership of cattle, said Austin
Frerick. “When has throwing a billion dollars of taxpayer
money ever deconcentrated any industry?”

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Verbio North America says it will more than double capacity this year [email protected] Drying & Conditioning
of its plant in central Iowa to produce renewable natural gas from corn Structures
stover. The facility was built by DuPont as a cellulosic ethanol plant but
closed in 2017. Seaboard Corp. is building a renewable diesel plant at the
site of a former cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas.

SOIL CONSERVATION

Twice as Many Cover Crops

USDA and an alliance of farm and conservation groups aim
to double cover crop plantings on corn and soybean fields,
to 30 million acres, by 2030. “Cover crops have great potential
to improve soil health, improve water quality, sequester carbon,
and make our farms more resilient to severe climate events,”
said John Johnson of Farmers for Soil Health. As a complement
to the partnership, USDA earmarked $38 million for an EQIP
cover crop initiative in 11 states. Also, it added flexibilities for
reenrollment in the Conservation Stewardship Program.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Pesticide Analyses Will Include Endangered Species

In a reversal of a decades-old policy, EPA said it would consider the impact
on endangered species when chemical companies submit new pesticide
active ingredients (AIs) for approval. The agency is considering how it might
apply the new approach to antimicrobials and biopesticides. In the past,
EPA did not consistently examine the impact of new AIs on endangered
species and faced lawsuits because of it. “Protecting listed species and
their habitats is essential to EPA’s mission to protect human health and the
environment,” said Michael Freedhoff, EPA assistant administrator.

This article was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment 15
Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization producing
investigative reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health.

ICYMI

continued

ACCR1360 ACCR1345 FARM SUPPORTS

• Shortest Row Cleaner on the market. Trade War Winners and Losers
Measuring only 14” from the faceplate of row unit.
USDA officials exaggerated trade war losses and over-
• Over 4” of vertical travel compensated corn and wheat growers — corn by $3
• Choice of Spike or Razor wheel can be installed billion — while shorting soybean, sorghum, and cotton in
2019, according to the Government Accountability Office, a
intersected or offset congressional agency. Farmers and ranchers received $23 bil-
• Parallel linkage allows for easy floating action, lion in MFP payments in 2018 and 2019. “This report confirms
that the Trump USDA picked winners and losers in their
especially when paired with Martin-Till® Smart trade programs and left everyone else behind,” said Debbie
Clean™ (Now ISOBUS compatable) or Precision Stabenow, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Planting® Clean Sweep®
Payments for 2018 were based on expected declines in
• Lightweight (9.5 lbs) exports of major commodities because of retaliatory tariffs.
• Tapered tooth design allows For 2019, USDA picked the highest annual sales total for a
commodity in the preceding decade and used that to calculate
firming on one side and losses, said GAO. Nor did USDA adjust its loss figures to
crumbling on the other. reflect gains in sales to other customers.
• Drafted tooth keeps its entire
foot print on the ground. MEAT TRADE
No more wearing one side
of plastic until it has to be California’s Prop 12 Takes Effect
flipped.
• Long life ductile cast iron The voter-approved animal-welfare law known as Proposition 12 went
will run for years into effect in California on January 1, although state officials are still
• Martin Duty with PEER writing the final regulations. “We believe there is sufficient [pork] product
Seed Extreme 6 lip seal already in the supply chain to carry through for a number of months,” said
bearing the California Department of Food and Agriculture, rebutting pork industry
predictions of price spikes and bacon shortages. Prop 12 bars use of
mar�n�ll.com 800.366.5817 gestation crates except for a few weeks and prohibits sale of pork from
outside of the state unless it was raised in conditions that match California
standards. Massachusetts delayed a similar rule until August 15 out of
concern about potential shortages.

CARBON CAPTURE

Three Carbon Pipelines

The No. 1 corn and ethanol state, Iowa also might lead the
nation with three proposed pipelines to transport liquefied
carbon dioxide from ethanol and other industrial plants for
injection underground hundreds of miles away. The projects are
facilitated by tax credits of up to $50 per tonne of carbon that is
captured and sequestered in subsurface rock formations. ADM
announced plans in January for a pipeline connecting its three
Iowa ethanol plants with an injection site in central Illinois. It
followed proposals by Navigator, a Texas company, for a
1,200-mile pipeline across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and
South Dakota, and by Iowa-based Summit Carbon Systems, for
a 2,000-mile line from Iowa to North Dakota.

Upcoming

• February 24-25: USDA Ag Outlook Forum, Washington, DC
• 27-March 1: National Farmers Union annual convention, Denver, CO
• March 10-12: Commodity Classic, New Orleans, LA
• 13-15: National Grain and Feed Association meeting, Charleston, SC

16 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022

AGELESS IRON®

12

3 1. Edward A. Johnston’s McCormick
Auto-Mower was fashioned in
INTERNATIONALÕS INVENTIVE GENIUS the infancy of self-propelled farm
IHC genius Edward Johnston’s innovations had a huge power. A fraction of the size of any
impact on farm power development. tractor of its time, the Auto-Mower
employed two transmissions.
By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor This lithe machine also offered an innova- 2. In 1914, IHC’s Mogul line of
Machinery & Technology | [email protected] tion that, in time, would become a standard tractors, a Johnston brainchild,
feature on all tractors – the power take-off. featured the powerful model 8-16.
T he history of International Harvester 3. One of the best designed
is replete with stories of McCormick’s Johnston easily made the transition to the tractors of the short-lived motor
reaper, Farmall tractors, and fleets of newly formed IHC, and he boldly set out to cultivator craze was Johnston’s
powerful trucks. create a new automotive line for IHC. 1917 version.

Yet, from its inception in 1902 (with His first work was designing the Auto Benjamin Burt, was cultivated.
The intrepid Johnston and
the merger of the McCormick and Deering Buggy (seen above) in February 1907. Burt would go on to create the
world’s first successful
organizations) until IHC itself merged with Always a farm boy, Johnston envisioned general-purpose tractor, the
Farmall Regular.
Case in 1986 to form Case IH, this farm the need for a vehicle for transporting farm
March/April 2021
machinery giant dominated the world of ag- goods. So he created the high-wheeled Auto
Promotional
ricultural engineering. No other firm before Wagon. In doing so, he fashioned the first Tractors

or since has claimed as many technological pickup truck. The Auto Wagon would go Black, white, and gold
tractors? Unconventional
firsts as IHC. on to spawn the International truck division color schemes designed

and an leader in over-the-road horsepower. to spur sales.

Tractor PTO Innovator Johnston’s inventive genius would touch Rustoration 101
Diesel pumps and steel wheels
T he inventiveness that marked the firm many aspects of the IHC line, helping fashion My Steel, My Story
from its beginning traces back to Edward the firm’s first line of Mogul tractors and then Rainbow of horsepower
What’s It Worth?
A. Johnston. the McCormick-Deering new-generation Enduring values of John Deere’s 30 Series

At the early age of 22, Johnston made his machines, the 10-20 and the 15-30. Subscribe to

mark at McCormick Harvesting by creating Ageless Iron
Almanac
the Auto-Mower. This simple tractor (more Experiments
Tap into similar tractor
Rof a dedicated forage mower) went on to ealizing his immense capabilities, IHC histories plus restoration
named Johnston head of the experimental tips, collector stories,
win first prize at the 1900 Paris Exposition. antique tractor values,
Although simple in design, the Auto-Mower division. During his time at IHC, he would go and more in every issue of
Ageless Iron Almanac. A
was a fraction of the size of any other tractor on to rack up 171 patents. It was under his one-year subscription is just
$20. To order, call 855/218-
8153 or visit agelessiron.
com/order.

on the market at this time. tutelage that the genius of another inventor,

Photography: Ron Van Zee February 2022 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com Bonus

MACHINERY

Tony Wendler’s unique planter the seed was thrown out of
closing wheel fits together like the row. In every case, the
puzzle pieces. seeds have been lined up in
the bottom of the furrow.”

Builds Them Himself

Rather than sell his design,
Wendler has begun man-
ufacturing and selling the

Germinator under his own

company, Farm Shop Mfg.,

LLC (farmshopmfg.com).

Customers can buy the

closing wheel to replace

current rubber wheels, using

the existing wheel assembly

and bearing. Or they can

purchase the entire wheel as-

sembly, which includes new

plastic closing wheel rims,

A STAR IS BORN hold a rock. Others were made of poly, bearings, and bolts.
which wears out rather quickly.” Pending no increase in

So, with the help of his son, James, who steel prices, the cost of the
closing wheel alone is $65.

Not able to buy what he owns a fabricating company in Des Moines, Wheel assemblies list for $25

needed, Tom Wendler decided Iowa, Wendler set out about seven years each or $90 when purchased
to invent the planter closing ago to design his own closing wheel. After as a complete closing wheel
wheel he wanted. testing a few variations and working with unit that includes the spiked
the agronomists at Beck’s Hybrids, he finally closing wheel.

settled on a design that combines spikes with In the meantime, Wendler

By Tharran Gaines a depth ring. Unlike other closing wheels, has been working with
Wendler’s design, which he calls the Germi- stores and dealerships to ex-
If you search the internet for “planter closing nator, consists of two layers of steel stacked. pand the market beyond his
wheels,” you’ll find every shape and size own mail-order business.
of aftermarket options, ranging from solid Each layer is made up of three pieces to re-
wheels made of cast iron to wheels with duce waste. (Each piece is also laser-cut from “We stock wheels for

fingers or tines to serrated disks. However, grade 50 steel.) To reduce wear, the extra every brand except the Case

when Tony Wendler started looking for an weight of the steel helps reduce down pres- IH planters that use a single

option to replace the rubber closing wheels sure needs in heavy soil and no-till conditions. closing wheel. On most

on his John Deere planter, he felt a little like “I hold the provisional patent on the planters, the ring-only insert

Goldilocks trying to find a comfortable bed. design, and James and I hold the provisional option simply installs on the

“The hard rubber wheels can pick up patent on the manufacturing process,” Wen- factory wheels.”

mud if our soils are too wet, and they can dler says, pointing out how the wheel com- Wendler’s creative mind

pack the sidewall when it really needs to be ponents fit together like jigsaw puzzle pieces hasn’t been content to just

loosened up for better seed-to-soil contact,” to form a perfect circle. “In contrast to some settle on a new closing wheel

says Wendler, who farms near Armstrong, other designs, the curvature between the design, though. He also has

Iowa. “Yet, many of the spiked teeth widens out so it sheds wet soil developed a new grain-tem-

wheels that I found had the poten- and any rocks it encounters. In the perature sensing system that

tial to either overpenetrate or they meantime, the inner wheel, which is links to a weather monitor,

would get too aggressive and throw welded into place against the spiked which will allow producers

seeds out of the furrow, especially if wheel, acts as a depth gauge, while to remove moisture from

you went too fast. Another problem firming the soil around the seed. corn or add moisture to

was that the void between the spikes “We’ve tested it at speeds up to 12 soybeans for higher market

on some models could pick up and Tony Wendler mph and haven’t found any place that value.

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Tharran Gaines

CONSERVATION

John Walter has had land enrolled in public value. One recent
the Conservation Reserve Program for report, for example, cites the
35 years. He has seen the ecosystem of program’s failure to discour-
plants and wildlife thrive. age farmers and landowners
from plowing up the land
CONSERVATION RESERVE once contracts expire. The
PROGRAM REPORT CARD environmental benefits, in-
cluding carbon sequestration,
How CRP can address climate change. are lost once farmers exit the
program and return the land
By John Walter native grasses, attracting butterflies, bees, and to crop production.
grassland birds. The windbreaks planted
This summer, we received a report card around the old farmstead have further re- Moreover, farmers in
on the management of our Conservation duced soil erosion while providing habitat for recent years have been
Reserve Program (CRP) land in Buffalo birds and other wildlife. Our up-to-date bird less willing to buy into the
County, Nebraska. The Status Review program. USDA recently an-
Report from USDA gave us good marks. inventory includes more than 106 species. nounced it has accepted 2.8
million acres into this year’s
The grass and forbs on the place were rated So, with an opportunity to reenroll the CRP sign-up, well short of
its 4 million-acre goal. The
as fully established. Noxious weeds are a land in the CRP next year, it seems time to agency has ramped up the
program, hoping to entice
nonissue. “A great stand of native grasses,” take stock of where things stand to look at more farmers to enroll.
New incentives include
the report says. As for the trees, “an excellent the big picture. Currently, in rough terms, higher rental payments and
additional payments for
windbreak established.” the farm is about half CRP and half row “climate-smart” practices.
The program is being touted
We’ve had land enrolled in the CRP since crops and forages. It’s a symmetry that works for its potential to help offset
agriculture’s greenhouse
the federal program’s inception in 1986, and for the land — for nature and the farmer. gases and sequester carbon
in soils maintained in grass,
after 35 years, there is clear evidence of suc- “I like it just the way it is,” says Kevin trees, wetlands, and wildlife
habitat.
cessful soil, water, and wildlife conservation. Schroeder, farm operator. So do I.
“Despite Congress raising
An ephemeral gully that once ran through the enrollment target in the
2018 Farm Bill, there have
the farm has been healed by thick stands of Is CRP a Climate Failure? been decreases in enrollment
for the past two years. The
Wprairie grass. Soil erosion and water runoff hile the CRP may look like a success changes we made this spring
story on our tiny patch of ground, the have put us on the path to
throughout the farm have been halted. In reverse this trend,” FSA
recent years, an 11-acre stand of pollinator program has been criticized by some as an Administrator Zach Duche-
neaux says.
habitat has bloomed with wildflowers and expensive payout to farmers with no lasting
In the new administration,
USDA has put considerable
emphasis on encouraging
practices that address
climate change, including
CRP enrollment. However,
some experts are skeptical
of the program’s soil carbon
sequestration value if most
CRP land is tilled soon

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Courtesy of John Walter

CONSERVATION

continued

after farmers’ 10-to-15-year contracts with An 11-acre stand of pollinator habitat with 20 or 30 years, perhaps
USDA end. Historically, as many as 80% of with more flexible opt-out
farmers converted their CRP land back into wildflowers and native grasses is part of provisions, in case more land
cropland, according to one study. In another is needed for growing crops,
report, it’s estimated that only 3% of CRP Walter’s CRP land. or if farm succession issues
land stayed in some form of conservation occur.
after the contracts ended. • Simplify program sign-up and manage-
ment rules. A farmer survey could help • Encourage experimenta-
Once that conserved land is tilled, any identify barriers to participation. As an
sequestered carbon is released back into the example, during the last sign-up, we decided tion with perennial crops,
atmosphere. “Even a single tillage event can not to reenroll a field with a windbreak
rapidly destroy an accumulated soil [carbon] because we’d have been required to trim including grasses for energy
benefit,” says one CRP study. branches from the bottom of the pines. production and perennial
Ostensibly, this was to benefit upland game grain crops like Kernza that
In the end, I’d argue that the CRP isn’t birds. Not many farmers are likely to get can be used for human and
broken and can be further refined to make into the forestry management business like livestock food.
it an even more useful tool for addressing that and it didn’t appeal to Schroeder, and
climate change and providing other envi- me either. That field remains in hay produc- • Research soil sequestra-
ronmental benefits. It has proved, at least on tion. Thanks to Schroeder, we’ve been able
our place, to be a bird in hand that works, to navigate the management requirements tion on a wide range of CRP
not just some abstract carbon banking policy in fine form, but because of various hurdles,
ideas that are mainly still “in the bush.” he says many local farmers simply have lands so those lands that
thrown up their arms and exited or avoided
I agree with USDA Secretary Tom Vil- the program. bring the most benefits
sack’s statement about the CRP: “Sometimes
the best solutions are right in front of you.” • Improve the long-term economic incen- could be better targeted.

While the new incentives and program tives. Another possible barrier to participa- Drainage, climate, slope,
enhancements are promising, for what it’s tion is that the prospect of higher grain pric- texture, and mineralogy all
worth, here are some thoughts about what es eventually augurs against the CRP. Why influence how much carbon
might be done to further improve the CRP: not explore the potential of a variable rate a soil can sequester. Every soil
payment annually indexed to grain prices? likely has a carbon saturation
It could work like flexible cash rents. You’d point. Even our small farm
bid in a floor on the annual payment. has a wide range of soil types
that could be compared for
• Consider extending some contracts to carbon banking value.

• Form additional partner-

ships for increased tree

planting and wetlands res-

torations to provide techni-
cal assistance, rootstock, and
planting support for land-
owners. Such climate-smart
practices are already being
funded on working lands
in new USDA partnership
programs.

• Create local awards and

recognition programs to
participants who have con-
ducted exemplary manage-
ment of their CRP acres.

• Conduct case studies of

successful CRP contracts.

The idea would be to better
understand the combination
of resources that provide
successful management
involving landowners,
farmers, government agency
personnel, and third-party
partners.

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Courtesy of John Walter

CONSERVATION

PERENNIALS WITH A PURPOSE
Implement prairie strips as a climate-smart practice.

By Megan Schilling, Digital Content Editor team shows that converting 10% of a crop Prairie strips on Frank Oberle’s
[email protected] | @meganjoys field to diverse, native perennial vegetation, Missouri farm are 15 years old.
can reduce sediment movement by 95% and
If put in front of a jury of his peers, Frank total phosphorous and nitrogen lost through create additional revenue
Oberle believes he would win the case for runoff by 77% and 70%, respectively. with honey production.
planting prairie on farms.
Oberle, who owns 300 acres of tallgrass Prairie strips are sections of land 30 to “Integrating prairie strips
prairie and 100 acres of row crop ground 120 feet wide placed around or through can really help support the
near Novinger, Missouri, has had 1.5 miles a field, along waterways, or in a terrace economic environment of
of prairie strips growing for over 15 years. channel. They are seeded with native farming in terms of keeping
The strips replaced existing terraces. grasses and flowers. soil in place, building soil
Oberle did this to better prevent erosion on health, and providing
the hills and to promote biodiversity. Lisa Schulte Moore, cofounder of the material that could be
“Terraces alone don’t guarantee you STRIPS team, says this conservation harvested for biomass,”
won’t lose that delicious topsoil in a heavy practice truly works in concert with she says.
rain, especially when you farm highly profitable production ag.
erodible glacial soils,” Oberle says. “Since Livestock producers could
planting prairie on my terraces, I haven’t In September 2021, Schulte Moore was utilize strips for forage or
had a problem with erosion, and now there awarded a $625,000 MacArthur Foundation bedding material. Strips’
is wildlife galore. When I take people on a genius grant for her work in prairie strips. production could also be
tour of the strips, I have to slow down so I used in anaerobic digestors
don’t knock over a bunch of monarchs.” Her team has completed research to produce renewable heat
Research by the Iowa State University showing that soybean yield can potentially and electricity. Schulte
Science-based Trials of Rowcrops increase by 21% through pollinator Moore says the work
Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS) management. If you keep bees or have a they’re doing to identify
neighbor who does, the strips are a great opportunities is meant
Photography: Courtesy of Frank Oberle environment in which to set up hives; this to expand the toolbox
will kick-start the pollinator presence and

February 2022 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com Bonus

PLANT THE SEED,
PUT THE RESULTS IN THE BIN.
WHAT HAPPENS IN BETWEEN…

THAT’S FARMING.

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT | NUTRIENT PROTECTION | PLANT GROWTH | SEED ENHANCEMENT

Koch and the Koch logo are trademarks of Koch Industries, Inc. © 2022 Koch Agronomic Services, LLC.

It’s true that farming is a never-ending, ever-changing list of factors.
The weather. The markets. Input costs. Supply chain.
Risk and uncertainty—nothing is a given.
But you make informed decisions. Work with great people.
And control what you can, when you can. That’s how it works.
We understand we can’t eliminate all the variables.
But maybe, more importantly,

WE CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND.

KochAgSolutions.com

CONSERVATION

continued

available to farmers. “Plants play a unique role in addressing Connecting
Silicon Valley
Cover crops and prairie provide forage climate change because, through To the Midwest

for livestock to graze, which reduces hay photosynthesis, they pull carbon dioxide out The Bia-Echo
Foundation, Palo Alto,
expenses, and the manure helps enhance of the atmosphere. In terms of the options California, has committed
$1,104,788 over three years
soil health. The Midwest we have to do so, harnessing to support faster-paced
prairie strip adoption.
Grazing Exchange, an plant photosynthesis is the California Congressman
Ro Khanna helped
online platform, connects By the ‘greenest’ one,” Schulte facilitate the funding
livestock owners and Numbers Moore says. “In agriculture, support from Bia-Echo
landowners who have one we know how to manage after meeting with Lisa
Schulte Moore. They dis-
or the other: This allows Prairie strips became a crops at scale and we need cussed how a partnership
them to take advantage of new continuous practice more farmers to also manage between the Midwest’s
leading research institu-
grazing and capitalize on under the Conservation for carbon removal.” tions and Silicon Valley
could better address
soil health. Reserve Program Clean Planting cover crops is climate change initiatives.
Khanna’s goal: for the
“With a confluence of Lakes, Estuaries and an effective strategy that partnership to be a model
technologies and operations, Rivers Initiative in 2020. keeps living roots in the soil to others in Silicon Valley.
we can provide incentives As of August 2021, there during the time frame when “It begins with a sense
for continuous living are 10,180 acres of CP-43 the dominant cropping of respect and empow-
cover on the landscape prairie strips in 11 states: systems leave the soil bare. erment for rural com-
that better protect our soil, • Illinois 4,830 Prairie as a perennial munities to be part of the
• Indiana 326 solution in imagining
their own future,” he
improve water quality and • Iowa 3,535 crop boosts soil health, says. “Success depends
upon listening to farmers,
habitat, and create new • Kansas 180 pulls carbon out of the respecting their love and
stewardship of the land,
revenue streams for rural • Michigan 6 atmosphere, filters water and adopting economical-
economies,” she says. • Minnesota 720 and slows it down across ly feasible models.” •
• Nebraska 258 the landscape to prevent
Capturing Carbon • North Dakota 3 erosion, and the list goes on. you are gaining so much
• Ohio 55 more soil health,” Oberle
I nterest in carbon capture • South Dakota 178 “By planting some of says. “In prairie, all of the
continues to grow and here • Wisconsin 89 your highly erodible land to microorganisms are present
year-round and ready for
too prairie strips serve a prairie strips, yes, it’s taking business.”

purpose. land out of production, but For Oberle, prairie strips
are like yeast needed to
bake bread — a little can go
a long way. “The life
sustained in the prairie
strips, like the bacteria,
fungi, and nematodes, all
add to the soil web,” he says.
“If you’re not reckless with
your farming practices, they
will thrive and give you so
much more.”

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Courtesy of Iowa State
University Prairie STRIPS Team

presented by: 2022 Commodity Classic Main Stage

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THE BOTTOM
LINE

RETIREMENT PLAN OPTIONS same contribution limits,
FOR FARMERS gets you no tax deduction for
the current year. However,
If you’re unsure which plan to use, ask a CPA. you will pay no income tax
when you receive distribu-
tions after 59.5 years old. A
five-year waiting period
between when you make
your first contribution
and when you start taking
withdrawals is required to
avoid a 10% penalty. Because
of compounding, small
contributions early in life
can turn into huge dollars
40 years later. Therefore, in
my opinion, Roth contribu-
tions for young people are a
no-brainer. Some financial
planners even have clients
older than 60 making Roth
contributions or convert-
ing regular IRAs into Roth
IRAs. I believe, however,
the Roth conversion deci-
sion becomes much more
complex and questionable
for people near retirement or
in retirement.

Simple Plan

By Shawn Williamson Mment plan options for self-employed farmers. any other options for
IRAs, or individual retirement accounts, retirement plans exist for
Some farmers love what they do so
much that they intend to do it until come in two types: regular (aka traditional) small businesses, includ-
the end. Others would like to retire for
health reasons or to have time for other IRAs and Roth IRAs. A regular IRA contri- ing SIMPLE IRA plans,
interests. A portion of retired farmers
will be able to live comfortably on the com- bution gets you a current-year tax deduction 401(k) plans, and Simplified
bination of farm rents and Social Security. If
that won’t work for you, consider establish- of up to $6,000 for 2022, or $7,000 if you’re Employee Pension (SEP)
ing and funding a retirement plan.
Establishing an official retirement plan over 50 years old. There are constraints plans. If you are operating a
can help you save on current or future in-
come taxes. You can always invest unlimited on this deduction. First, you have to have farm corporation and getting
after-tax dollars into certificates of deposit,
stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and so on. at least $6,000 of earned income. Second, a salary, you can use the
However, that doesn’t improve your tax situ-
ation. (One exception would be investing in assuming you’re not covered by a retire- SIMPLE (Savings Incentive
municipal bonds, for which interest income
is federally tax exempt.) Let’s look at retire- ment plan at an off-farm job, you can get a Match Plan for Employees),

deduction for an IRA contribution only if which allows you, as the em-

your modified adjusted gross income is less ployee, to defer up to $14,000

than $214,000 for 2022. You will pay income of your wages into a retire-

tax on the distributions when you withdraw ment plan for 2022. You

them in retirement; required minimum can also do an extra $3,000

distributions start at 72 years old under cur- wage deferral on top of that

rent law. if you’re over 50. In addition,

A Roth IRA contribution, which has the the plan allows you, as the

18 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Illustration: bearsky23, Getty Images

Business Account Invoices owed to you

Bills you need to pay Total cashflow

Stay focused
on the farm

To help your farming business succeed, you need to make Get access to the numbers
informed decisions, sometimes at a moment’s notice. But
with the challenges and changes you have to contend with What good is having comprehensive financials if they’re
everyday, it can be hard to know where to focus your efforts difficult to access when you need them most? Whether it’s
to make the most impact. requesting an extension of an operating line, submitting a
loan application to purchase land, or deciding how much
That’s why it’s important to keep track of your numbers and staff to bring on for harvesting season, there are times
know where your farm stands financially. This is where when you will need to provide information or answer
Xero accounting software can help. financial questions on the spot.

Know your numbers With Xero’s cloud-based accounting software, you have
access to your numbers whenever and wherever you need
Having up-to-date, comprehensive financials can help you them, via your mobile device, desktop, or laptop. In addition,
take control of your business and make fact-based decisions, you can feel secure sharing the numbers with your accountant
even in a volatile environment. One way to keep financial and team easily and in real time, so everyone is in sync
statements, such as your cash flow and balance sheets, up to and on the same page.
date is to stay on top of your bank reconciliation throughout
the year. With Xero’s cloud-based system, suggested transaction Xero for farming
matching, and network of automated bank feeds, reconciling
bank transactions is a breeze. You have so many big decisions to make on any given
day. Let Xero accounting software help you focus on
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continued

Retirement Plan Annual Contribution Limits for 2022 business. The overall contri-
bution limit is the same as the
< 50 yrs old > 50 yrs old regular 401(k), $61,000 each
for 2022. That includes the
Regular IRA $6,000 $7,000 $20,500 you may contribute as
$7,000 an employee and an employer
Roth IRA $6,000 $17,000 contribution up to $40,500.

SIMPLE IRA $14,000

401(k) elective deferral $20,500 $27,000

Overall 401(k) contributions including $61,000 $67,500 Ask for Help
employee and employer $61,000 $61,000
The SEP, or simplified em-
SEP contributions for an employee ployee pension plan, “does
(up to 25% of wages, not to exceed) not have the start-up and

SEP contributions for a self-employed individual (up to $61,000 $61,000 operating costs of a con-
25% of net self-employment income, not to exceed) ventional retirement plan

Source: IRS.gov and allows for a contribu-
tion of up to 25% of each

employer, to match up to 3% of your wages with the regular 401(k). This sort of plan employee’s pay,” according

as a tax-deductible employer contribution allows you to get much more into a Roth- to IRS. gov. For a Schedule

into the plan. The SIMPLE plan works like type plan on an annual basis. All the same F farmer, that means your

a regular IRA, in that it gets you a current contribution limits apply as with the regular net earnings from self-

tax deduction, and you pay income tax on 401(k), but all the future gains will not be employment not including

the distributions in retirement. I think this is taxed, provided you wait until after age contributions for yourself.

a low-cost, effective plan for small corpora- 59.5 to make distributions. There’s also an There are no filing require-

tions to fund a retirement account for the advantage to the Roth-type accounts related ments for the employer, and

owners and employees. The administrative to required minimum distributions — there the employee is always 100%

cost is frequently zero. aren’t any. You can leave the Roth-type vested.

money invested and growing forever. Like other plans, the per-

401(k) Plan centage that you contribute

A Onother option for a small business taxed Keep Farmhands Happy for your employees has to
as a corporation is the 401(k) plan, which ne downside to both the SIMPLE and the match the percentage that
allows tax deferrals of up to $20,500 for 2022 401(k) plan is that whatever percentage you contribute for yourself.

and up to $27,000 if you are over 50. Those of match you are making for yourself also Unlike other plans, all the

elective deferrals are limited to 100% of the has to be made for your qualified employees. contributions are from the

employee’s wages. For the employer, it does The match is an employee benefit out of employer; no salary defer-

cost to set up the plan: $500 to $1,500 depend- your pocket that wouldn’t otherwise be paid. rals are taken out of employ-

ing on the administrator. It also has annual However, you might view this aspect more ee pay. The farmer decides

reporting requirements that your administra- as an upside. Offering a retirement plan and that all eligible employees

tor will have to perform, which may cause making employer matches may keep some (including the farmer) are

annual fees of up to 1% of the plan assets or good farmhands happy. It may prevent getting a certain percentage

more. However, you get the benefit of higher them from wandering off to the farm next of their pay (up to 25%) as

contribution limits. Like the SIMPLE, the door that funds a retirement plan. an employer profit-sharing

401(k) has a provision for employers to make Many farms are operating via the Schedule contribution this year. The

matching contributions. As the employer, F, a farm sole proprietorship. This entity employer contribution is, of

you can contribute 5%, 10%, 20%, or more of has some good retirement options as well, course, tax deductible.

participants’ wages to bring total contribu- the Solo-401(k) and the SEP. Unlike the This list of options can be

tions up to $61,000 a year each. Deferring tax SIMPLE and regular 401(k), you don’t need dizzying, but a CPA or a

on $61,000 a year can be a huge benefit. wages to qualify to make contributions. The financial planner can help

Eliminating tax on the gains may be even Solo-401(k) is for a one-person business that you figure out the perfect

better. Fortunately, employers have the has no full-time W-2 employees. The spouse retirement plan for your

option of adding a Roth 401(k) plan, along can also be covered if he or she works in the operation.

20 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022

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YOUR
PROFIT

WEEKLY PERPETUAL JULY CORN

800’ 0
750’ 0
700’ 0
650’ 0
600’ 0
550’ 0
500’ 0
450’ 0
400’ 0
350’ 0
300’ 0

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

WATCHING THE WEATHER IN SOUTH AMERICA
This is a key month for South American crops.

By Al Kluis opment has been quite favorable in central This chart of July corn futures
and northern Brazil. Meanwhile, 1,000 miles contracts goes back to 2012 and
In January, a very frustrated farmer at a south was hot and dry. shows the high near $7.98 in
bank seminar asked me, “Where do I get 2012, the collapse in corn prices
good weather information for Brazil and Compare this range to the U.S. crop in to the initial low at $3.51 in 2015,
Argentina? You weather guys cannot even 2021. The main U.S. Corn Belt goes east to and then the final major low in
agree on how much rain fell last week.” west. I watch the weather all over the United April 2020 at $3.17 per bushel.
First, I explained that I was a commodity States during the spring and summer, but The price targets I have are at
adviser, not a weather guy, but I do study the I really focus on the Interstate-80 corridor $6.25, $6.83, and then the July
weather in South America and follow the from Indiana through Nebraska. In 2021 the 2021 corn high at $7.32.
forecasts seven days a week. I know that in weather was favorable and yields were great
the past few years the weather in February in the central and eastern Corn Belt, while portant in the key month of
is very important to the grain markets. That farmers 100 miles north and west struggled February. (Likewise, I watch
is when we are in the middle of the South with hot, dry weather. the Sunday forecasts in July
American growing season and when weath- #2. The European and the Global Forecast when we are in the middle
er problems can develop. System (GFS) weather models can spin out of a U.S. weather scare rally.)
Here are three key factors to plug in when very different outlooks, especially when you Trading on Friday’s weather
you are getting weather and crop updates look at the six- to 10-day and 11- to 15-day on Sunday night or early in
from South America. forecasts. I usually favor the European model, the day on Monday can be a
#1. The soybean crop area is spread over a but it’s not right all the time. Last year (and huge mistake.
long distance. Brazil’s main production area again so far this year) the local Brazilian short-
goes from north to south. The soybean belt term and long-term forecasts have been better Those were my weather
goes from the northern state of Bahia to the than either the European or GFS models. answers to that frustrated
southern state of Mato Grosso do Sul. This is #3. You need to have current forecasts. I farmer.
more than 1,100 miles. When you’re looking don’t like working Sunday afternoons or
at weather forecasts, you need to look at the Sunday evenings, but I do when I need to. However, he was not
particular area (which states) the forecast is I find that being aware of the updated fore- impressed. It turned out
for. This year the weather and crop devel- casts, which come out on Sunday, is very im- that what he wanted was a
bullish forecast because he

22 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Chart source: DTN ProphetX

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WEEKLY PERPETUAL JULY SOYBEANS 1700’ 0 This chart of July soybean futures
1600’ 0 contracts goes back to 2012 and
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 1500’ 0 shows the high at $16.42 in 2012.
1400’ 0 Soybean prices dropped to just
1300’ 0 below $8.90 per bushel in 2016,
1200’ 0 then to the major low in 2019
1100’ 0 at $8.09, and the secondary low
1000’ 0 in April 2020 at $8.33. The July
900’ 0 2021 contract high came in at
800’ 0 $15.90. The targets I have above
the market are at $13.20, $14.67,
2019 2020 2021 and $15.90.

still had all of his 2021 crop in the bin. white on paper helps take the emotion out of to pull the trigger when it’s
Once I realized that, I tried a new ap- making decisions. time to act.

proach. I use a lot of charts. I keep daily, weekly, Note: The risk of loss in trad-
Grain marketers should be watchful for and monthly continuation charts. When I ing futures and/or options is
get to this time of year, I like to use the July substantial, and each investor
inclement weather to happen anywhere in corn and soybean perpetual charts. This and/or trader must consider
the world that could move the market. I, as allows me to see the gaps that were left from whether this is a suitable
a grain seller, need to be prepared to pull the last year, when the July 2022 contracts came investment. Past performance
trigger on any weather event that moves the on at a large discount to the expiring July — whether actual or indi-
market. 2021 contracts. cated by simulated historical
First, you have to look at the time of year tests of strategies — is not
and the current price and profit level. If it’s Let’s look at the corn charts. The July indicative of future results.
February, prices are low, news is bearish, and 2022 contract has initial resistance at $6.25, Trading advice reflects good-
the markets are flat, then I would be patient then at the gap where the July 2021 contract faith judgment at a specific
and see what happens as we enter the U.S. expired ($6.83), then the July 2021 corn fu- time and is subject to change
growing season. tures high ($7.32). I do not see the $7.32 price without notice. There is no
Second, you have to know that when you’re level as realistic at this time. guarantee that the advice
in a bull market, you need to feed that bull given will result in profitable
every day. (When you get above $6 corn For soybeans, the July 2022 soybean chart trades.
and $13 soybeans, you need to feed that bull shows you will have initial resistance in the
twice a day.) If prices are high and volatile gap at $13.20. The July 2021 contract expired Al Kluis
and the weather forecasts are bullish, then at $14.67 and the high in May 2021 was
you need to stay disciplined and be ready to $15.90. I do not think that target is realistic Commodity Trader
sell. at this time.
Third, you need to watch charts and set key Al Kluis has
price targets where you will make sales. You My frustrated farmer still had one more been trading
need to have a plan. Be aware that if you question. “What if prices don’t hit your price grain futures
make decisions based only on what you’re targets?” I answered that the best plan is to since 1974.
reading on the internet, then it always looks then make some cash sales each week be- Sign up for a
bullish at the top, bearish at the bottom. I tween early May and the end of June. That free trial to his
recommend using charts to make incremen- is what I call a price and time plan. daily morning
tal sales. Seeing the numbers in black and email and
Now he has answers, but the rest is up to weekly
him. I hope that farmer now has the confi- “Kluis Report” by going to
dence to make his plan and, most importantly, kluiscommodities.com.
Kluis Commodity Advisors
901 - 12 Oaks Center Drive
Suite 907
Wayzata, MN 55391
888/345-2855
kluiscommodities.com

24 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Chart source: DTN ProphetX

Continue to next page

FFA NEW
HORIZONS¨

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: David Ekstrom

FFA Chapter in Hawaii

T he Waipahu Intermediate FFA Chapter is
regarded as a model FFA program in Hawaii.
It is one of only two middle school FFA chap-
ters in the state and the only middle school
chapter on Oahu. The island may be small,
but the 150 members of this urban chapter
learn big lessons about agriculture and food.
Their year-round tropical climate is ideal
for growing crops such as coffee, macadamia
nuts, sugarcane, pineapple, and many other
fruits, and access to the ocean makes fishing
and aquaculture staples. Members maximize
lawn space on school grounds, build their own
raised beds, and grow their own vegetables as
part of their supervised agricultural experi-
ence (SAE) program. “One-third of our FFA
experience is an SAE, and I require all my stu-
dents to do an agriscience project,” says Ken
Kozuma, the agriculture teacher and FFA
advisor for the eighth graders at Waipahu
Intermediate School.
“At their age, I think that’s the best SAE for
them to do; they research, experiment, and
grow things from ground zero. They learn
through trial and error, he says.”

February 2022 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com Bonus

FARM HACKS Hover your
smartphone
camera over
this link to learn
more about this

topic.

SHOP HACKS Hang on to tipped Repurposed caps
caps from water for oil jugs
Lubricating improvisations
make this chore easier. or detergent bottles

and sometimes found

on oil jugs, and use

them on lubricant

By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery bottles. The threads

Spray lubes and penetrating oils are a on the cap usually fit
staple of any shop, but you can’t always
1-quart lube jugs. The

direct the spray into hard-to-reach areas. spout on the pop-top

Here are two solutions to the problem. The caps works great for

first simple option is to use a heat gun or applying

lighter to warm the middle of the spray a small

straw just enough that it will bend upward. amount of

Allow the straw to cool, which gives it a lubricant Lubricant
to hard- Jug Pouring
permanent 90° angle. Now you can hold to-reach
areas or Caps
the spray can upright and apply lubricant

straight up. An alternative is to create a flex-

ible and extendable straw using a short piece applying

of small engine fuel line (available at auto lubricant to

supply stores). Cut the hose between 4 and roller chains.

8 inches long, then cut the plastic straw in

half, feeding the straw ends into the fuel line

(you may have to stretch No Bubbles
In The
the fuel line with an awl). Funnel When pouring
lubricant into
Flexible, Now you can spray lubri- engine crankcases or
Extendable cant at any angle as well as
Spray Tubes manipulate the straw end hydraulic systems,
into hard-to-reach recesses.
often air inside the

reservoir bubbles up

inside the funnel. This can cause oil

to splash over the funnel, onto the

implement or yourself. Also, when

adding thick oil to gearboxes, air in

the case often can’t escape and stops

the flow. When pouring thick gear

lube, allow air to escape by taping a

wire tie to the outside of the funnel’s

Bent spray straw spout. When filling engine or

transmission cases, tape a length of

Air relief for funnels small-diameter fuel line inside the
funnel. Be sure the tubing extends

slightly beyond the tip of the funnel.

Flexible spray tube Send in your Share your ideas for an improvised
ideas and earn repair, homemade tool, shop get-by,
or make-do. If we use the idea in Successful
$200 Farming¨ magazine or on our television
show, we will pay you a $200 reward. Send
a detailed description and images or video
of your hack to Agriculture.com/
machinery/all-around-farm-ideas.

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Dave Mowitz

Continue to next page

FARMHER

Photography by
Marji Guyler-Alaniz

Sharing the Dairy Story

I n addition to being a mom to two sons, Carrie
Mess works with her husband, Patrick, and his
parents on the Wisconsin family dairy farm.
She’s better known as Dairy Carrie for her blog
and social media presence (dairycarrie.com).
Mess shares stories of farming and family and
advocates for agriculture and the dairy industry.

FarmHer is a project that combines Marji
Guyler-Alaniz’s love of photography and her
passion for promoting women in agriculture.
“FarmHer started as a photography project
to show that women are an important part of
ag,” she says. “I realized that people in urban
areas may not know that.”

The idea was to photograph women doing
their work and to share those images online at

farmher.com.

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022

February 2022 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com Bonus

COOL TOOLS

METALWORKING
WONDERS

By Dave Mowitz, Executive Editor, Machinery

Capable of stick, TIG, MIG, and flux- No Tools,
core welding, Lincoln’s Power MIG Flanges
360MP offers an intuitive push-and-turn To Change
Blades
digital control that speeds up setting weld-

er controls while eliminating guesswork.

Lincoln Electric’s ArcFX Technology

provides graphic feedback and

illustrates how The X-lock feature
on Bosch’s ProFactor 18V Spitfire angle
a welder’s grinder is the first quick-change blade design
to eliminate the need for spanner wrenches
settings affect Ready, Set, or flange nuts. The grinder itself delivers the
the weld Weld … In power equivalent of a 13-amp corded grind-
outcome. Multiple er. Features include a rapid-stop wheel brake,
The welder Processes spiral bevel gears, vibration-control auxiliary
includes a 15- handle, and an electronic clutch control
(which helps shut off the tool if the wheel
foot (4.5-me- gets in a bind situation). The GWS18V-
13CN (tool only) retails for $280.59. Go to
ter) Magnum boschtools.com.

PRO Curve 300 welding gun,

.035/.045-inch drive rolls and

guide for steel in addition to

a gas regulator, hoses, work

clamp, and cable. The Power

MIG 360MP has a suggested

retail price of $6,499. Go to The
Mag-
lincolnelectric.com. Angle

switch Magnet For

PivotAngle 150 Welding

Mini offers an

incredibly

strong 150

Equipped with AC/DC TIG, DC pounds of hold force on
pulsed TIG, and DC stick capabil-
each side of the magnet. A

ities, Miller Electric’s Syncrowave 300 is single lock on the knob

ideal for general fabrication. Capable of provides for fast securing

welding materials up to 3/8-inch thick, of metal pieces at any angle

it has an output rating of 300 amps and from 0° to 270°. The

22 volts (at a 30% duty cycle). The unit’s magnet retails for $194. Go

Pro-Set technology eliminates the guess- to magswitch.com.

work in setting TIG

welding parameters.

The Syncrowave 300

Eliminate (machine only) retails
Welding for $5,020. Go to
Guesswork millerwelds.com.

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Manufacturers

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CAN THEIR
PROBLEM BE
SOLVED?

• Prioritizing asset distribu-

tions among your heirs (vs.

dividing all assets equally)

• Defining “fair/equitable”

valuation methods for buy-

outs and equalizations

• Establishing rental op-

tions and management

rules for consistency

• Funding family exit strate-

gies that cash flow for your

farming heir

• Setting the right expecta-

tions through effective com-

munication of your plan

Did you notice that none

DELAY IS A BAD PLAN of this depends on congres-
sional elections? However,
these issues are all critically
important for the long-term

Problem: Should we wait for clarity viability of your family farm.
on midterm election results before planning? We’d all prefer to know

where all the pieces go before

starting a project. However,

By Mark McLaughlin the other two, he’d only have 20% net equity you have to work with the
left. Which bank will write that note? Yet, world as it is, not as you
W e have three kids with one son you want to sit out for another year, hop- would like it to be. Sure, you
farming. We own 1,400 acres ing the next Congress will save you from could wait and maybe it will
redoing a plan that hasn’t even been started. be just fine. You don’t have
that are about 40% financed. We
Nope! Sorry. I’m not a fan of that. to have a farm succession
almost updated our basic wills
last year, but we waited to see

what Congress would do with the tax law I’m not being harsh. There are so many plan in place, but remember,

proposals. Things look better now, but I’m farmers like you who simply want to do the someday your son will com-

still worried about estate taxes. Some farms right thing but don’t know their options pete against those who do.

around us are selling for 40% more than just and are waiting for more clarity. But while Bottom line, leverage your

a few years ago. It’s crazy what that does to you’ve been waiting, other farmers have resources and do the best

our net worth, especially as we pay down created their best possible plan with systems you can with what you

debt. I’m hoping a new Congress will extend in place to periodically review it, so they can know, then optimize your

the sunsetting estate tax laws or even make focus on growing their operation instead. plan as you go. If you have a

them permanent. I don’t want to redo our Perhaps we should get over this “set it and vision for your farm, then

plan if tax laws change. Should we just wait forget it” mind-set when it comes to farm cast it. Don’t wait for the

until after midterm elections? estate planning. Things change fast! Give politicians!

– Submitted by email from E.H. yourself permission to make

Solution: changes along with it. We Mark McLaughlin is an associate
may not have the luxury of with Farm Financial Strategies and
I fully understand the challenges of farm steady land prices, low in- a co-owner of Farm Estate GPS in
estate planning when Congress keeps mov- terest rates, or consistent tax Ankeny, Iowa. He grew up on a family
ing the goalposts! But look what’s happened laws going forward. So how farm near Defiance, Iowa, and shares
while you were waiting: Land prices have do we avoid overreacting in the fifth generation of ownership.
gone up, competition is stronger, and input or being caught flat-footed? McLaughlin has helped farm families across the
costs are higher. In this environment, with I’d encourage you to focus Midwest develop their farm succession strategies
your 40% debt load, how successful would on the farm succession for the last 17 years. Find an online resource to help
your farm heir be if you pass away without issues within your control, families understand their options and take control of
a plan? Do the math! If he had to buy out including: farm succession strategies at FarmEstateGPS.com.

26 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Illustration: Matt Wood

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WEATHER
TRENDS

will be greater than the pre-
vious two years. The severe
weather season will be off to
a much faster start than in
recent years with an expected
uptick in storms in March,
especially in the South, and
then spreading north late in
spring and into summer.

Systems Collide

La Niña will have a hand
in the fast and active start.
The favored weather pattern

during La Niña is a blocking

high pressure system in

the southeastern United

States. As storms from the

west collide with the high

pressure in the Southeast,

the atmosphere will be

primed for the development

of severe storms. Colder air

from the West will interact

HERE COME THE STORMS with a moist southerly flow
and unseasonably warm air
over the Southeast, fostering

Severe weather is expected to increase this year. an environment favorable
for severe thunderstorms.

By Krissy Klinger seeds. Large hail can damage crops in a very Oklahoma to the Ohio
short amount of time. Valley, including the lower
All types of weather can make or Mississippi Valley, will be
break the growing season for While severe weather can strike any hot spots for severe weather
farmers. time of year (recall the tornado outbreak in activity this spring.
Severe weather — including
thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes, and mid-December), the spring season tends to With a more active severe

windstorms — occurs on much smaller time bring peak activity for portions of the south- weather season ahead, it will

scales than drought. Severe storms can cause ern United States. The peak of the season be important to stay on top

millions of dollars of damage in a matter shifts with latitude, occurring typically in of the weather forecasts and

of hours and across millions of acres. The the summer in the Upper Midwest. have multiple ways to

spring season is one of the most active times The time of year when severe receive weather alerts.

for severe weather. While the exact intensity weather hits makes a huge difference Alert tools from

and location of severe storms can be pre- for farmers. A severe storm early in Weathertrends360 are

dicted only minutes or hours ahead of time, the season during planting may not just one of many ways

long-range forecasts can provide insights have as big of an impact as a storm to stay ahead of the

into how active a season will be. hitting later in the summer. The August weather this and every

Lightning, strong winds, and hail 2020 Midwest derecho was especially costly season.

can cause an array of issues for farmers. for farmers as this storm hit right before

Lightning is dangerous for both those harvest. Damaged crops were a loss with Learn More

working in the fields and livestock without not enough time to replant. The same storm A FarmCast subscription for

adequate shelter. Windstorms and tornadoes hitting in the spring would have at least Weathertrends360 forecasts

can cause a variety of issues, including flat- allowed time for replanting. looking out up to 365 days can

tening crops, ripping out plants, damaging In 2022, keep an eye to the sky for severe be found at wt360.com/ag for

buildings, killing livestock, and dispersing weather as Weathertrends360 expects activity $369 a year.

28 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: George Pachantouris, Getty Images

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1Trials at 13 Answer Plot locations and 2 Product Development locations.

SOIL
HEALTH

Cover crops such as cereal rye help a no-tiller to be found in the learned by trial and error.
key soil health benefits for Jimmy area, where the simple combo “In the beginning, we
(pictured) and Ginger Emmons. of growing winter wheat and
grazing cattle was king. still thought the soil surface
had to be clean, no residue,”
Still, the young couple held says Emmons. “Then we
their ground. They started started getting compaction
no-tilling on land they owned, problems. After no-tilling
but they ran into some bumps for a while, we went back to
that they smoothed by adding tilling. I just couldn’t get the
cover crops. Grazing cattle on system figured out.”
the cover crops ramped up the
benefits the Emmonses were At a conference, Em-
beginning to see. mons heard Ohio farmer
David Brandt talk about his
Benefits Galore experience with no-till and
growing cover crops.
Today their fields hardly re-
semble the land with which “Growing cover crops
they began. Every one of their seemed like the missing link
to our system,” says Emmons.
1,800 acres grows a cover crop, “I wanted to grow some, but
I didn’t know how to do it in
and their cash crops these days our arid environment. This
is not Ohio! And friends
are so diverse they’re hard to and neighbors thought I was
crazy for wanting to try.”
count. Soil organic matter has
Realizing he needed
jumped, and water infiltrates guidance, Emmons reached
out to his district Natural Re-
the soil as if it were a sponge. sources Conservation Service
staff as well as to the Oklaho-
On top of that, input costs ma Association of Conserva-
tion Districts, the OCC, and
have plummeted. the Noble Research Institute.
“I agreed to make my farm
Named Soil Health Cham- a demonstration farm for
no-till and growing cover
pions by the National Associa- crops,” he says.

tion of Conservation Districts, The first perceived road-
block he had to overcome
the Emmonses also received in before jumping headfirst
into growing cover crops
2017 the Oklahoma Leopold was determining how much
soil moisture they would
RESTORING THE SOIL Conservation Award for the take. Would they rob the
conservation work they’ve farm of the moisture needed
No-till and cover crops build soil and store done on their operation. to grow wheat?
moisture, even in a semiarid setting.
As the soil health mentoring Test plots on his farm
coordinator for the Oklahoma answered the question with
Conservation Commission a resounding no. Moisture
sensors and temperature
(OCC), Jimmy Emmons often probes in a cover crop plot
showed that “the cover crop
By Raylene Nickel speaks to farmers looking to try no-till and canopy saved more water
cover crops. than what was evaporating
In 1995 Jimmy and Ginger Emmons tired of
the high input and machinery costs wrapped “The hardest part is having patience,” he
says. “It can take three to five years to get
up in tilling their wheat fields black, and a no-till/cover crop system cycling. But the

then keeping those fields weed-free. After
generations of tillage and earlier years of longer it goes, the better it becomes.

“blowing dirt and sand,” the soil also had no “The key is to start getting carbon into the

structure and no aggregates. soil, start storing water in the soil, and start

They wanted to try something different: cutting back on inputs,” he adds. “Give the

no-till to reduce both costs and erosion. Un- soil microbiology a chance to start freeing up

fortunately, their then farm partners — Jim- the nutrients you don’t have to buy.”

my’s father and grandfather—balked. They

said no-till just wouldn’t work on their farm Trial and Error

Nnear Leedey in the semiarid northwestern one of this was in the Emmonses’ playbook
when they first started no-tilling. They
corner of Oklahoma. Back then, there wasn’t

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Courtesy of Ginger Emmons

Continue to next page

CROPS

continued

This multiple blend of cover crops helps Jimmy moisture to soak in,” he says.
and Ginger Emmons build healthy soils. Hand in hand with the

off the control plot where there was no cover conversion to no-till and
crop,” he says. adoption of cover crops has
Diverse Cropping System come a marked reduction
in input costs. “Our fuel bill
I nspired by that experience, his planting of used to run $128,000 a year,”
both cover crops and diverse cash crops ex- says Emmons. “Now we’re
panded. Today, the Emmonses raise as many down to $20,000 a year.
as 14 cash crops. “Our warm-season rotation
includes crops like soybeans, grain sorghum, “Besides that, we have cut
and cowpeas for seed,” says Emmons. “Our our fertilizer inputs by 85%
winter rotation includes barley and cereal of what we used to apply,”
rye for seed.” he adds. “We’ve also cut our
Depending on the year, the Emmonses applications of herbicide
might also grow winter wheat, canola, sun- and insecticide by the same
flowers, milo, or sesame. “We usually won’t amount.”
grow the same crop on the same field for
three to four years,” he says. harvesting the sesame, the clover grows Carbon Sequestration
After harvesting cash crops, the Emmons- rapidly and is ready to be harvested for seed
es plant a 14-way cover crop mix. the following summer. His years of experience with
However, double cropping in some fields growing cover crops in
provides both cash crop and cover crop Grazing their cattle on the cover crops a semiarid environment
benefits. For instance, they plant sesame and provides additional income as well as have shown Emmons how
yellow sweet clover at the same time. After benefiting soil. The Emmonses have grazed valuable the cover crops are
their 220 cow-calf pairs as well as yearlings in building soil health and
on cover crops. They have found the rate of resilient crops.
gain on the cattle generates $115 to $120 per “The cover crops and
acre, more than offsetting the $20-per-acre diverse cash crops on our
cost for planting the cover crop. farm have sequestered
carbon in the soil; they’ve
They crossfence fields in paddock sizes held the soil in place, and
requiring cattle to be moved every one to their roots have provided
three days. food for the soil microbiolo-
gy,” he says. “A lot of people
Their management system has caused believe we don’t have
soil organic matter to increase. “When we enough rainfall here to grow
started,” says Emmons, “the organic matter cover crops. But if your
in some fields was as low as 0.4%. It now rainfall is infiltrating the soil
ranges from 1.5% to 3%.” at a rate of only a half inch
an hour — like ours was
Water infiltration has also improved. — then the rest of the
Water now infiltrates the soil at a rate of 3.5 moisture in a big rainfall
inches in 40 seconds, notes Emmons. “Ten runs off. It can’t be used by
years ago, it took an hour for a half inch of the crops. We need to keep
every raindrop where it falls.
By building soil, we can
build the soil water bank
crops need to grow.”

Learn More

Jimmy Emmons

580/821-1921

jimmy.emmons@

conservation.ok.gov

Bonus Successful Farming at Agriculture.com February 2022 Photography: Courtesy of Ginger Emmons