BRAYMER, Mo. — A conservation group in Caldwell County, Mo., has cash crop producers experimenting with new ideas.
It’s where the seeds of fresh ideas are sewn for Missouri farmers, as the Natural Resources Conservation Service sponsored a bus-tour for farmers in southern Caldwell County. About 50 farmers rode school buses to a series of local farms where innovative farming ideas are demonstrated.
Conservation professionals like NRCS’ Conversationist Luke Skinner are helping organize the displays, some of which could help the ag community retain more moisture — and prevent financial losses related to droughts like the one midwestern farmers endured in 2012.
“The first rain we get, we can capture more of that water from previous rains in the spring,” Skinner explained. “You can hold more of that water to widen the window between rains when plants can grow.”
In some cases, the new ideas aren’t new at all. Missouri State Agronomist Jodie Reisner is among those promoting the use of cover crops, an old practice of planting a starter crop to stimulate fertility in the ground where the cash crop will be planted later. Strawberries, turnips and various mosses are examples of cover crops being used to jumpstart soil fertility.
“Some of the cover crops in the fall helped suck up some of the nutrients that the crop didn’t use before,” Reisner said. “There was such a reduction in yield in the corn and soybeans, so some of the cover crops were able to scavenge some nitrogen.”
“I learned that cover crops will help with soil erosion,” local farmer Mike Kleeman said. “It will help add fertility to soil, and bring fertility up so next year’s crop can utilize it.”
Skinner watched as Missouri farmers suffered through a hot summer with big losses a year ago. He hopes the introduction of new methods could send family farmers back to the promised land.
“They can be used to increase the farmer’s profits a great deal,” Skinner explained. “That’s good for the communities. That’s good for the businesses that deal in agriculture and the ones that don’t deal in agriculture.”
If that happens, farmers will say their ride on the bus was time well spent.
Our recent snowfall is also a welcome sight for farmers. Skinner said it’s a big help for moisture levels in soil and in ponds, from which ag growers will take water for their crops.
Skinner says the NRCS may hold another bus tour later in the spring.
