Hot off the press! National Geographic reports the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is the largest ever. And all science points to agriculture in the Upper Midwest as the major source of nitrogen contributing to this dead zone. If this doesn’t demand straight talk with farmers then I don’t know what does. It’s time for government agencies and agribusiness to be honest with farmers. We all need to quit pretending that stabilizers, split application and spring application of nitrogen is the answer to water quality. All that may help with …
Agronomy Doctor
Six months ago, I went to the doctor for a check-up. The doctor was blunt. He told me I need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and exercise more. And most disturbing to me, he told me to lose weight! At the time, I wasn’t very thrilled with his advice. But I listened. Since then, I started exercising a little more. I stopped eating between meals (for the most part). And best of all, I have lost 15 pounds. What if doctors failed to initiate difficult discussions or offer advice? What if doctors withheld information fearing their …
Really, One More Thing?
Last month at a round table discussion, Paul Meints, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, stated that farmers are fatigued from the “one more thing.” When farmers are asked to do a conservation practice and they do it, they think this thing is going to solve their environmental problems. Then 5 years later, 3 years later, or even 6 months later, they are asked again to do one more thing. They do another one more thing and the cycle continues. Mr. Meints’ comments reminded me of when Peggy and I bought our house; a house we love. Naturally, we …
Iowa Entrepreneur
I am always excited to share how technology can impact soil and water conservation. So, I am especially thrilled that Iowa Public TV provided me the opportunity to showcase technology to a new and different audience through their Iowa Entrepreneur series. Iowa residents can watch Agren's story on Friday, June 30th at 6:30 pm or Sunday, July 2nd at 10:30 am. If you are outside the state of Iowa, you can stream the video after it airs at Iptv.org/IowaEntrepreneur. …
Minnesota Buffers – the right approach?
The State of Minnesota has laid out the water quality requirements clearly in their Minnesota Buffer Law. The buffer law requires landowners with land along public waters (rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands) to install a 50-foot buffer of perennial vegetation and a 16.5-foot buffer along all public drainage systems. The law also allows for a combination of practices to be used to sufficiently meet water quality goals. If that happens, a buffer may not be needed. The intent of the Minnesota law is to improve water quality. I am on record …
4R’s not enough to achieve ambitious water quality goals
Mark Dorenkamp of the Brownfield Network spoke with Agren CEO Tom Buman about his recent blog post 4Rs Are Not Enough. Tom explains that the 4Rs are a start, but alone they will not reduce nutrient loss to the level required by the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Precision conservation practices need to also be considered and applied. Farmers can’t afford to get this wrong. 4 R’S NOT ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE AMBITIOUS WATER QUALITY GOALS By Mark Dorenkamp The CEO of a conservation-focused precision agriculture software company says the 4R …