So much appreciate the effort and taking those risks on board to figure and pioneer a better way to farm along with nature. Please keep ons pushing forward, this inspires.
Lots of really great information ! My corn cover crop is thick there is going to be tons of biomass in there . I can't tell if it has taken anything away from the corn because I got 2 big ears per stalk still even in a drought . The corn I grow is really forgiving it will produce in some harsh conditions . I'm seeing if I can grow it in nothing but fill sand around the pool in the harshess conditions I can put it through . I noticed the cover crop catches a lot of moisture from dew . The one thing i'm not liking is the weeds still came up with the cover crop but I figured that would happen . Thanks for sharing and have a great evening !
Dr Christine Jones says we need 8-12 species for best results .. One thing I'd like to find out from her is what 'traditional weeds' can be used as a planned part of the mix, as one guy said "nature plants those for you for free!". Plantain and chickory are two that are weeds here under traditional cropping systems but some Regen Ag advice uses them in the mix. Plantain leaves crushed can be used to treat hornet stings and mosquito bites, while chickory root can be a made into a coffee substitute. I'm saving some seed but haven't purposefully planted any yet.
I find the buckwheat also provides insect control along with the phosphorus conversion -- the field gets loud with insects and birds once the buckwheat flowers (so planting earlier is best). I also notice right after buckwheat flowering is when the japanese beetles attacking the corn and other crops vanish. .. I plant heavier buckwheat % in a similar mix you have as a perimeter around a field -- lots of trees against fence rows so the main crop doesn't do well there anyway. That season-long cover at the margin fills up the deer and rabbits so they are less interested in wandering into the main crop.
We are in the beginning stages of our small farm. No cover crops, but focusing on dairy, meat (beef / sheep), eggs. It’s all about soil health and watching your videos gives me hope for the agriculture in our nation and worldwide. Thank you for all you do! God bless!
What’s your reason for not planting any pasture for your beef? Grazing cover crops makes a lot of sense (especially in the winter) but why not have some pasture for the spring and summer? I would think the cost is planting etc wouldn’t make sense.
@@youngredangus6041 Native grasses or any other pasture mix that works on your area. What’s your reason for not combining pasture grazing with cover crop grazing?
@@sandervanstee Yes, we are but grass takes time to establish. There is a benefit to the soil to having a field cover crop followed by a cash crop. Their is a benefit to doing native grass but it takes time to establish and we have preferred to do cover crop back into a cash crop rather than spending money on trying to establish native grasses
So much appreciate the effort and taking those risks on board to figure and pioneer a better way to farm along with nature. Please keep ons pushing forward, this inspires.
Lots of really great information ! My corn cover crop is thick there is going to be tons of biomass in there . I can't tell if it has taken anything away from the corn because I got 2 big ears per stalk still even in a drought . The corn I grow is really forgiving it will produce in some harsh conditions . I'm seeing if I can grow it in nothing but fill sand around the pool in the harshess conditions I can put it through . I noticed the cover crop catches a lot of moisture from dew . The one thing i'm not liking is the weeds still came up with the cover crop but I figured that would happen . Thanks for sharing and have a great evening !
How is the milo harvested with the covers in there?
is there any other use for the covers such as grazing?
It yielded the worst of all my fields. I think it was 20 bushels an acre. We will be grazing it shortly
@youngredangus6041 are you going to make a follow up video to this??
Not a farmer But enjoy seeing wha you are doing to make the soil be the heart of your farm. Grew up in Hays
Thanks Jim!
Dr Christine Jones says we need 8-12 species for best results .. One thing I'd like to find out from her is what 'traditional weeds' can be used as a planned part of the mix, as one guy said "nature plants those for you for free!". Plantain and chickory are two that are weeds here under traditional cropping systems but some Regen Ag advice uses them in the mix. Plantain leaves crushed can be used to treat hornet stings and mosquito bites, while chickory root can be a made into a coffee substitute. I'm saving some seed but haven't purposefully planted any yet.
I find the buckwheat also provides insect control along with the phosphorus conversion -- the field gets loud with insects and birds once the buckwheat flowers (so planting earlier is best). I also notice right after buckwheat flowering is when the japanese beetles attacking the corn and other crops vanish. .. I plant heavier buckwheat % in a similar mix you have as a perimeter around a field -- lots of trees against fence rows so the main crop doesn't do well there anyway. That season-long cover at the margin fills up the deer and rabbits so they are less interested in wandering into the main crop.
We are in the beginning stages of our small farm. No cover crops, but focusing on dairy, meat (beef / sheep), eggs. It’s all about soil health and watching your videos gives me hope for the agriculture in our nation and worldwide. Thank you for all you do! God bless!
Just commenting for you analytics - good stuff
Thanks Bill!
What’s your reason for not planting any pasture for your beef? Grazing cover crops makes a lot of sense (especially in the winter) but why not have some pasture for the spring and summer? I would think the cost is planting etc wouldn’t make sense.
Are you asking me why I havnt planted native grasses into our farm ground to give the cattle native grass to eat for the summer?
@@youngredangus6041 Native grasses or any other pasture mix that works on your area. What’s your reason for not combining pasture grazing with cover crop grazing?
@@sandervanstee
We don’t own any grass and havnt been able to justify the cost of converting farm ground into pastures
@@youngredangus6041 but aren’t you taking land out of cash crop production in order to have cover crops to graze in the summer?
@@sandervanstee
Yes, we are but grass takes time to establish. There is a benefit to the soil to having a field cover crop followed by a cash crop. Their is a benefit to doing native grass but it takes time to establish and we have preferred to do cover crop back into a cash crop rather than spending money on trying to establish native grasses
You should ask Keith for a Green Cover shirt.
Did u innoculate seed with johnson sue ?
no it would have been Bio 5 and fed and happy
I rain out of Johnson Su
@@youngredangus6041 do u always inoculate seeds now? Seems like the way forward