Organic works

[farmaholic]

With all due respect GDR, there were numerous guys around here who "tried" and quit and some tried and quit farming. And those who are still farming their own land are suffering a wicked hang-over. I would assume most of them weren't "serious" about it. Because if they were I think they would have found a way to manage their way through it, like the successful ones have!!!!! In a way no different than conventional farmers.... some are wildly successful and others not so much. There is a guy who is transitioning to some sort of organic production not far from here but they have more money than.... And I believe there is a way to be successful at it, I just haven't seen many good examples in our area.

You make a good statement about dead soil Klause.

[GDR]

With all due respect GDR, there were numerous guys around here who "tried" and quit and some tried and quit farming. And those who are still farming their own land are suffering a wicked hang-over. I would assume most of them weren't "serious" about it. Because if they were I think they would have found a way to manage their way through it, like the successful ones have!!!!! In a way no different than conventional farmers.... some are wildly successful and others not so much. There is a guy who is transitioning to some sort of organic production not far from here but they have more money than.... And I believe there is a way to be successful at it, I just haven't seen many good examples in our area.

You make a good statement about dead soil Klause.

Agree there are lots of failures and poor examples but I think the problem is lots of guys that have tried just think it means cutting out fert and Chem and all is good and don't put the effort in or understand how to meets the crop needs otherwise.

No I'm not organic, have toyed with trying but so far chickened out, if it weren't for the transition period it would be easier to try a few years.

[Partners]

Our neighbor has been organic for 10 plus yrs.goes to a organic convention every winter. Tried all rotations.summerfallow..Wheat..bly..Clover. radish..
This yr his bly crop should do 5 to 10 b/a..Thistle heads will be another 20 b/a..
Sick of his weeds blowing on to my field..the RM should make him clean up his act..

[farmaholic]

QUOTE GDR: .....but I think the problem is lots of guys that have tried just think it means cutting out fert and Chem and all is good and don't put the effort in or understand how to meets the crop needs otherwise"


Couldn't agree more.

The practice has merit...it just has to be approached right.

[Ronski]

I'm torn between being a smartass or a dick.
But then got thinking, what has changed since 1940ish? We can now fallow with sweeps vs a plow, broadcast manure on a huge scale, use a pulse for plowdown vs fallow, have rock phosphate for fert. I even remember way back in the 90's at Olds College mentioned using a steam blast instead of glyphosate so a burnoff should be possible.

How hard would it be? Seed down a piece to hay, hammer it with P and K in establishment year, hay it for qualifying years, graze it well into November the final year for manure and winter kill. The next spring steam the crap out of it through the summer to burn off whatever is there (water and heat are cheap) for the season, call it fallow. Then that fall seed winter wheat and you're off. Should have grown out the seed bank in hay and direct seed with the steam blast (maybe even make shrouds and seed on wide spacing for in crop steaming?). Get 3 or 4 crops out of it then back into hay to clean it up (starting with a big shot of glyphosate and hog manure)

I think the agronomics aren't the issue, the marketing is. I'm to old/lazy and its way easier to call Pioneer to see what they'll give me vs finding/making a market. Kudos to you Klause if you can, (to be honest its not me being old that is the marketing problem, I don't like bargaining/haggling with people. Most of the time I don't like ****ing talking to them at all)

Family's been farming same ground for 120 years, made it through the first 50 without chemicals so should be able to grow something without???

[hobbyfrmr]

Our neighbor has been organic for 10 plus yrs.goes to a organic convention every winter. Tried all rotations.summerfallow..Wheat..bly..Clover. radish..
This yr his bly crop should do 5 to 10 b/a..Thistle heads will be another 20 b/a..
Sick of his weeds blowing on to my field..the RM should make him clean up his act..

You should buy him out. It sounds like he could use the money.

[furrowtickler]

If anyone will make it work , Klause will .
It's called thinking outside the box and not listening to the chem reps and fert dealers like and old woman to an Elvis record .

[hobbyfrmr]

QUOTE GDR: .....but I think the problem is lots of guys that have tried just think it means cutting out fert and Chem and all is good and don't put the effort in or understand how to meets the crop needs otherwise"


Couldn't agree more.

The practice has merit...it just has to be approached right.

WTF? Is it national Vodka for Breakfast Day or what?

[grassfarmer]

Farmers these days are treating sort like a medium devoid of life instead of a living breathing organism that is capable of doing a lot of work.

That's the part that baffles me. All about feeding "the crop" instead of feeding the soil microbiology. Saw a guy last week spraying wheat stubble and wondered what he was spraying for (or against). With the long growing season here a crop taken off 100 or so days after seeding is only using little over half the potential growing days of the year. Potential to grow some legume or ryegrass as well?

[farmaholic]

WTF? Is it national Vodka for Breakfast Day or what?

I had a chance to sleep on it(In other words, sleep it off) and now realize only a fool wouldn't want to ***** himself out to the entire conventional ag industry....