Center pivot or subsurface drip?
Farmers are professional decision makers. In every aspect of their work they are faced with choices and options to consider, even when it comes to irrigation systems.
Subsurface drip irrigation or SDI, a low-pressure, high efficiency irrigation system that uses buried drip tubes or drip tape to meet crop water needs is one option. SDI technologies have been a part of irrigated agriculture since the 1960s; with the technology advancing rapidly in the last two decades.
But how does an SDI system stack up to the more popular center pivots that roll over many of the irrigated acres in the Midwest?
“SDI systems are generally thought to be at least as efficient in terms of irrigation water use as center pivot irrigation systems, primarily because they avoid the evaporative losses that occur from exposing irrigation water on the soil surface and in the open above ground environment,” said K-State Extension Specialist, Daniel O’Brien. “At K-State we have used conservative estimates of 10-20% water savings efficiency with SDI compared to center pivot irrigation. In field situations were irrigation water availability is not limited, these efficiency gains may not be that important. But where irrigation water supplies are more limited, 10-20% efficiency gains in irrigation water use could be extremely important and beneficial to an agricultural producer.”
It’s the system’s efficiency that attracted producers Jim and Jeff Reinert, a father/son farming duo from Ensign, KS. Their farm includes two separate SDI systems both 60 acres each, one with 30 inch tape the other with 60 inch.
“The thing you ultimately look for is the value of water,” Jim said. “As water becomes more and more important to us, it’s something we need to do a better job of conserving. We also want to be more efficient with our water allocations in relation to our acres. If we can maximize the productivity with a drip tape system to better use our water—that adds a value that is extremely important. Everything we can do to conserve water can only work in our benefit. I’ve been irrigating for the better part of 50 years and I hope my son has that same capability.
International Windmill Trade Fair coming to Kansas
Swiftly turning blades atop soaring towers have long claimed residence to the Midwest skyline. There presence sprung from necessity, but now the windmill is an icon of agriculture and rural life on the plains. Evoking thoughts of days gone by and sometimes satisfaction that certain things never change.
The history and people behind these water pumping structures are almost as iconic as the windmill itself. Windmillers, dealers, restorers, collectors and enthusiasts from across the country and beyond, will soon unite at the 21st Annual International Windmillers’ Trade Fair, June 3-5 in El Dorado, Kan.
“The purpose of the Trade Fair and Convention is to buy, sell, trade, show and talk about water pumping windmills,” said organizer Chuck Jones of Benton, Kan. “Some bring their junk iron to sell, some come to buy the junk iron. Others come to see all the different kinds of Windmills and to learn more about them. About a third of attendees are full time windmillers, a third collectors, and the other third just like windmills and the other items that go with it.”
The loosely organized group of steadfast windmillers has met in many locations over the years, but never before in Kansas. “We are really looking forward to the windmillers coming,” said Darla Stewart of the El Dorado Convention and Visitors Bureau. “They’re really a great group of people with good camaraderie. They swap and trade parts, share stories and pictures of unearthing windmills and learn about what the others are doing.”
The trade fair will feature historical tours, social events and all-day vending. A lecture will be presented by noted windmill historian, T. Lindsay Baker. Baker is the author of “A Field Guide to American Windmills” which is considered to be the windmillers’ bible and the most comprehensive book on the subject.
Keys to calibrating your sprayer to get more bang for your buck
A miscalibrated sprayer is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. Maybe you’ll get proper coverage or maybe it’ll be lost to drift.
Accurate calibration is the only way to know how much chemical is being applied to your field. Even with the current use of electronics to monitor and control the application of crop protection products, a thorough sprayer calibration procedure is essential to ensure against misapplication. Failure to calibrate a sprayer can injure your crop, cause pollution and worst of all waste money.
“The sprayer itself needs to be operating as efficiently as possible,” says Bob Wolf, K-State extension application technology specialist. “Especially the first time out in the spring, you need to make sure your sprayer is all tuned up. That there are no leaks, the pump works properly, nothing is plugged and every component is functioning properly including electronics.” While that may cover the basics Wolf says there’s more to the calibration process.
“Take into account what kind of coverage the chemical will need and pick the right nozzle type to maximize it’s impact,” Wolf says. “Applicators need to consider what type of activity the chemical has, whether it needs contact area or if it will translocate through the plant, then calibrate for the system to best deliver the proper amount on the target.”
When it comes to selecting nozzles, there’s certainly a plethora of choices these days but no singular silver bullet says application technology research scientist with Syngenta, Dan Kidder. He finds nozzle manufacturer catalogs and the pesticide product labels very helpful in making this decision. “It’s tempting to try to make one set of nozzles work for all products by changing your sprayer pressure and ground speed,” Kidder says. “But with the diversity of products typically used on today’s state-of-the-art farms this strategy will almost always result in less than optimum application of some of the products. Less than optimum coverage requires higher product use rates and may cause unnecessary environmental loading. It pays to invest in several sets of nozzles for your different products. And better yet, install swivel style multiple nozzle bodies on your boom so you can change spray tips with just a flick-of-the-wrist.”
Some nozzles also produce a broader spectrum of droplet sizes, another important aspect of in terms of crop protection application. “Droplet size impacts coverage and droplet size impacts drift,” Wolf says. “Somewhere we have to find the happy medium because the common thought is smaller droplets means better coverage but we come against some things in the environment that prevent that. Smaller droplets will drift easier and some applicators overlook the evaporation concern. Especially in the Kansas and Nebraska areas that can have wind and dry conditions it’s definitely something to keep in mind.”
Producers gear up for planting season with proper equipment
You carefully plan your crop rotations, shop for seed varieties, budget wisely for chemicals and analyze the markets. But nothing is more important than getting your no-till crop off to the right start with proper seeding.
Attaining good stands in no-till requires hard working planters and drills that can handle residue without the hassle of plugging, penetrate the soil to the desired seeding depth, establish proper seed-to-soil contact and effectively close the seed-vee.
“Having the right equipment, functioning properly is one of the most important factors in no-till,” says Sterling, KS no-till farmer, Lee Scheufler. “It may seem expensive or tedious—but it’s time and money well invested.”
Scheufler and his wife, Margaret, began no-till farming in 1996 after seeing success with on-farm trials. “We decided to gradually switch from conventional tillage to no-till over several years, but in terms of equipment and mindset it was difficult to do both. By 2002 we were 100% no-till with a capital ‘N’ we do as little to disturb the soil as possible.”
The Scheufler’s do that by keeping it simple, yet being open minded. “As far as equipment—we don’t do anything exotic, it doesn’t have to be fancy to get the job done. We have always been the type to test things for ourselves before completely adopting it.”
Keeping with the idea of “try before you buy” the Scheufler’s also do custom work, making it possible for other producers in the area to try no-till without long term commitment. “It’s really about finding what works best for you,” Scheufler said. “It’s not about what everyone else is doing, or having the biggest or best —but about what fits your farm and operation.”
By evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of any piece of planting equipment and making few (if any) adjustments— many available planters and drills can be no-till worthy,, said University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Engineer, Paul Jasa.
With appropriate weight, down pressure and adjustments, most current planters and drills will perform well in no-till conditions, Jasa said. A little time spent in the early spring will help avoid headaches and delays later during the planting season, so consider your equipment needs now.
“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” — Carl Rogers
Step into any local Midwest coffee shop or small town café some morning and you will likely find a couple 
farmers in deep conversation; exchanging news and ideas. While the stories and wisdom shared in a scenario like this may not always be completely accurate—it’s one of the most basic forms of producer interaction and education.
It was the same conversing environment at the 6th annual “Cover Your Acres Winter Conference” January 20-21 in Oberlin, KS, where more than 700 farmers gathered for the two day event of presentations focusing on the latest technology, methods and conservation practices to improve crop production on the High Plains.
“Cover Your Acres” was created in 2003 when the need was recognized for a conference providing comprehensive discussion of conservation crop production practices. The joint educational venture by Kansas State Research and Extension and the Northwest Kansas Crop Residue Alliance, a farmer driven group, began with a simple one-day conference. Since then the event grew, adding industry presentations and a second day with the same program allowing more farmers to attend.
“People come from all over too hear what’s going on and get ideas for new ways to do things on their farm,” said Jeanne Falk with the Northwest Kansas Research and Extension. “We’ve received good feedback each year, and it’s something producers get excited about. We’ve had some farmers that have continued to come back each year since it started.”
Falk said that the conference is about practical advice for productive farming on the High Plains. “It’s called ‘Cover Your Acres’ so naturally it’s a lot of no-till, conservation tillage issues, how to preserve the moisture we have in this location and make it the most profitable. The event also features an industry expo, which lets producers see the newest items available and visit with company representatives”
Some of the hot topics at this year’s conference were wheat residue management, weed strategies in grain sorghum and pros and cons of UAN with herbicides for wheat. Producers could also learn about advances in breeding technology, marketing strategies and even carbon credit trading.
In addition to the presentations two sessions featured panels of farmers who addressed the topics: things to do before you start to no-till and summer crop plant population.
When the conference is over, all attendees are sent a survey that allows them to evaluate the conference, individual presentations, ask them for ways the conference can be improved, and most importantly asks what topics they would like to see next year. The hot topics indicated on the survey lays the groundwork for next year’s conference.
“This year, weed strategies in grain sorghum was an area farms were really interested in and we get interest in the new technologies, some things farmers just want an update on and also other topics like carbon credit trading; something that’s not discussed a lot and yet it’s very applicable out here,” Falk said. “This conference is very producer driven—they help us pick the sessions, we also have the farmer panels, and the Northwest Kansas Crop Residue Alliance involved which is made up of farmers itself. The conference is very base and very applicable to farmers. We also try to choose speakers who are able to explain things and boil it down to what farmers really need and want to know.”
Farmers attending the conference appreciate the focus the conference puts on production. “They put on a good program and discuss issues that really affect us,” said Bob Martin, a Herndon, KS farmer. “I think it’s really important to have conferences like this and for farmers to continue learning because agriculture is continually changing.”
For those behind the scenes making the conference happen, seeing the end project and feedback from grateful producers makes it a rewarding event to be a part of. “It’s exciting to see farmers, extension specialists, university staff and area people come together for something this large,” Falk said. “It’s fun and exciting to hear what your neighbors are doing, what works for them and what doesn’t and to learn more about what’s going on in terms of research in the area. It’s also a great opportunity for people in research and extension to hear the needs and questions of producers. The conference is really a mingling of ideas and the sharing of information among those people who know and understand agriculture on the High Plains the best.”
With another successful year done, the future of the “Cover Your Acres” conference appears to be bright Falk said. “While we do strive to hold steady and even grow our attendance, the real mission for the conference is to keep it applicable for farmers and to make it worthwhile—that’s really what it’s about.”
“You know what happens to scar tissue. It’s the strongest part of your skin.” Michael Mantell
I recently choose to take on a project not for a class, not as a job but simply because I felt enough meaning in doing it. I love a challenge afterall, and this would be no exception so I dug right in. I was excited. I was expanding my resources, learning new things, coming up with creative elements and bursting with ideas. Sure I still had plenty of obstacles in my way before it could be completed—but even that thrilled me.
And then it happened… I shared ideas of this project with others and the response was less than favorable.
How could I possible do such a project on something that was “an embarrassing time for the industry” or “pure stupidity”?
I was sitting in front of my laptop reading their words of disbelief that I would want to relive those days—frustrated that they just didn’t understand.
Their replies were tied up in emotions of politics and public relations from decades gone by, if only they saw it the way I did.
I had to take my eyes off the screen—I couldn’t take it anymore. After scanning the room a few times I found my vision focused in on the delicate arc shaped scar on my right wrist… a battle wound from putting up fence at about age 14.
The more I stared at that scar the more I began to realize it was much like my situation. While that scar represents a painful experience in my life—it’s still a part of me today. It’s my past and I wouldn’t be the same without it. Just as I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the setbacks, mistakes and failures that I have endured up until this point.
We each have our own scars… our own history. As does every company, organization, industry and even every country.
David C. McCullough said “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.”
Instead of covering up our scars we should accept the fact that they are there and not forget that behind every scar is a story of how it came to be, and a lesson to be learned.
Let’s Play A Game
“You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run.” These well known lyrics of Kenny Rogers, The Gambler don’t just apply to a game of cards anymore.
As producers look down the road to 2009 a lot of questions come to mind. Hold out for better prices or take the money and run? The stakes are high and the winnings are uncertain.
But every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser – it’s all in how you play your cards. Before laying your chips on the table, consider the inside advice of Kansas agriculture leaders.
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, Adrian Polansky sees 2009 as a year with challenges that will push for sound decision making. “One area we really need to focus on is risk management,” Polansky said. “For production agriculture the volatility that we’ve seen on the input side whether it’s diesel fuel, fertilizer or other inputs; it appears that we are likely to continue to experience volatility. There will certainly be some market dynamics that we will have to pay attention to in order to be successful.”
Polansky also mentions the uncertainty that lies ahead with a new administration on the federal level. “There is certainly interest in some of the critical appointments, we also have much of the Farm Bill yet to be worked through and there are still many unanswered questions in regard to how the Farm Bill will be delivered, which is very significant to all producers.”
In terms of crop agriculture decisions, Polansky says that policy in terms of biofuels could have significant impact on potential profitability. “For agriculture and the rural economy it’s important that we work towards policy decisions to enhance biofuels and bio-refineries that have positive impact.”
Hereford producers find significance in functional cattle
Peacefully grazing the gently sloping hills near Concordia, KS is what appears to be a typical herd of Hereford cattle. To the common eye they are nothing more than livestock, but to the Swenson family they are a cherished product of careful evaluation and strategy. Although humble in a pasture they are sought to be sound in form, efficiently functional and the result of generations of hard work and passion.
It all began when Emil and Carl Swenson purchased their first Hereford females and established Swenson Brothers Herefords in 1934. From there, the operation grew and yearly production sales were held until the late 1980’s. “Back then, we were only selling two year old bulls, but the demand that year had buyers coming back to the farm after the sale to purchase yearlings, and from then on, we sold the bulk of our bulls by private treaty on the ranch,” said Richard Swenson. The family will celebrate 75 years in the Hereford business next year with many more to be continued on by Richard and Denise Swenson and their three sons; Ryan, Kevin and Ben.
The Swenson’s adopted the teachings of Dr. Jan Bonsma, a South African scientist who toured the U.S. and wrote the book “Man Must Measure”. As a researcher, Bonsma is internationally famed for his knowledge of the relationship of cattle to their environment and to each other. The book, which went out of print in 1983, outlines beef animal growth characteristics, environmental impacts and fertility, among other traits Bonsma taught the utilization of linear measurements of cattle to predict maternal function, growth and performance in various seminars and lectures.
“My dad attended a lecture and demonstration at K-State given by Dr. Bonsma, and was very impressed with his knowledge and understanding of function and fertility of cattle and how animals relate to their environment,” Richard Swenson said. “By studying an animal, he could easily visualize its functional efficiency and fertility.”
8 Ways To Hire Good Help
Guidelines for finding and keeping wage-worthy employees for your farm.
“Employers today are struggling to find the right people,” says Gary Maas, president of AGRIcareers, Inc. “It’s hard to find employees who have the skills and competencies for the job, the values and behaviors that promote job satisfaction and the attitudes that motivate them to excel.”
Maas questions, how can you spend an afternoon with someone and know if you would like to work with him or her for years?
The cost of hiring an unqualified person may far exceed the time requirements of finding out if the person is right for the job. Experts say the risk of hiring a bad worker can be minimized with a sound selection process and deliberate employee management system and by following a few guidelines.
1.) Know what you need. Take time to evaluate the credentials of prospective employees says Melvin Brees, farm management specialist at the University of Missouri.
Understand the job, and you’ll understand the best possible person to fill it. There are skills, licenses, personality traits and abilities that an employee must have to be successful and employers should take no skills for granted.
Create a job description that details the tasks of the position and establishes specifications and requirements needed to do the job. Also, remember that a job description should evolve with the business, position and employee.
The best way to recruit skilled new employees is to make your business the kind of place where talented and hard-working people feel appreciated and valued, Maas says. Being a great employer makes it easier to retain quality people and develop a reputation of being the employer of choice.
Recruitment channels can include government agencies, schools/universities/colleges, want ads, private agencies and through increasingly popular Web sites. Concentrated recruitment efforts are much more effective in the long run than a shotgun approach where efforts are scattered and include random groups of people.
2) Evaluate the applicants. A complex position will require a multi-dimensional evaluation to determine if an applicant has all the necessary skills. Ask questions pertaining to specific farm-related situations and see how the person responds.
“It’s best if an employer can use his own application form to equally compare all candidates while getting information relative to the needs of the position,” Mass says. “Make sure you compare apples-to-apples so that every applicant has the same start.”
Written tests are good to gather general information and are an excellent tool when technical knowledge is required, while oral tests may help assess the applicant’s communication ability and technical expertise. Individual interviews allow potential employers and employees to get to know each other. However, some applicants may sound very impressive during an interview and disappoint once on the job, or be nervous in an interview and miss their opportunity to shine.
A practical test is useful because it requires the applicant to perform one or more of the skills the job requires, Maas says. These tests also demonstrate the applicants’ thought process—did they ask questions, prioritize tasks and keep their composure if something went wrong?
Require the applicant to provide the names and phone numbers of past employers. While keeping in mind people have different perceptions and personalities, Maas recommends looking for patterns with previous employers.
If the new employee will be working with current employees or family members, include them in the evaluation process. Also, remember that evaluation goes both ways, you may not get a great employee if you don’t put your best foot forward, too.
3) Be the boss you would want to work for. Ask yourself the question, “Would you like working for you?” No one ever said that employee management would be easy, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Employee surveys have shown that the most important thing to employees is working for someone they trust and having a boss that looks out for them,” Maas says.
New swine facility will expand research capabilities at K-State and benefit producers.
The Kansas swine industry is a vigorous business with producers marketing approximately 2.5 million pigs at a gross market value of over $3 million. Being the 9th top pork producing state and turning out 2.8% of the nation’s total production is no easy task; in fact it’s a team effort.
Leading the way through research, the K-State Swine Team works with producers and industry leaders to develop, evaluate, implement and disseminate the latest technology to increase the profitability of Kansas pork producers. Based out of K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry and armed with the support of the Kansas Pork Association, the KSU Livestock and Meal Industry Council, direct swine producers and allied industry donations; the Swine Team aims simply to educate producers.
“It’s a fairly applied program,” says Extension specialist, Bob Goodband. “We do a lot of research that we feel producers will find helpful and benefit from. We have the opportunity and ability to progress the industry, and that is something that we try very hard to do.”
To provide the best research requires the best facilities. The researching center is in the process of making an addition with a wean-to-finish facility. Extension specialist, Joel DeRouchey says the building will have the capability of weaning directly into this facility for research purposes. “This new building replaces an existing facility that was built in 1968, and also expands the number of pigs that can be housed indoors,” DeRouchey says. “Currently, dirt lots house pigs not used for research due to space limitations of the previous barn and those pigs for teaching purposes. This increase in barn size will allow for the removal of all outdoor lots, improving the environmental aspects of the farm by eliminating the need to contain rain runoff of the outdoor pens and reduce odor coming off of the dirt lots.” DeRouchey adds that the outdoor lots will be converted into crop ground with adjoining land currently in production.
DeRouchey says two of the four rooms will be identical in size and design, with 40
pens each capable of housing up to eight pigs per pen (320 total per room). “These research rooms will be fed with a state of the art computerized feeding system, FeedLogic, which delivers feed on a rail system and has capabilities of blending diets together as feeders are filled. This offers more flexibility in research design for nutritional trials.”
The other two rooms which are also identical in design, will have 22 pens capable of housing eight pigs per pen. “One of these rooms will house pigs for exploratory and pilot study research,” DeRouchey says. “The other room will house pigs that will be used for education and evaluation in the numerous undergraduate classes that utilize swine here on campus in our Weber Hall Arena. This room will also serve as the primary marketing room for additional pigs of various weights from the remainder of the university swine farm.”
DeRouchey also notes that the building itself will have the latest technologies of equipment, ventilation and feeding systems. The facility will also be utilized for educational training to graduate and undergraduate students to help prepare them for similar management techniques used in commercial operations.
