First noticed in the 1600’s with warming surface waters in the Pacific Ocean, El Nino is predicted for this winter and probably next. This phenomenon was recorded as recently as 1997 / 1998 and 2005/ 2006. Along with the impact on the ocean, we should expect unseasonably warmer and drier weather patterns.
Muck soils which are very high in organic matter have been attractive to specialty crop growers for many years. The high organic matter content creates a loose medium allowing root penetration to progress much more quickly than in mineral soils. This loose particle structure is also superior in water holding capacity to mineral soils. When drained and preserved properly it is an excellent growing medium for specialty crops such as carrots, lettuces, mint, onions, potatoes, radishes, and sod. One of the limitations is that the organic matter oxidizes when open and exposed to the elements. Of all the crops attracted to muck soils, onions may be the greatest beneficiary. The high sulfur content improves flavor cooking quality and storability.
All the sod growers I know have invested in some form of irrigation. I have seen solid set, soft hose travelers, hard hose travelers and pivots. As the cost of labor continues to grow, operational efficiency has become increasingly important. Like most farm operations in America, sod farms have continued to grow as well. The fields have become larger and the total acres per farm have also increased. The rising cost of inputs adds risk to unirrigated acres that depend on rain to meet plant demands. Michigan’s ability to access water for irrigation is a bright spot compared to many states in this country. Michigan’s irrigated acres have continued to grow and since 2017 have been ranked in the top 20 states for irrigated land.
Networking is the process of interacting with others to exchange information that can positively impact our business or personal life. By chance, you interact with many people simply by communications that occur when one party reaches out to another. This can often occur without intent just communicating with your vendors and business associates. You might be surprised with the number of weekly opportunities, just by thinking about it. Networking with a purpose is to intentionally seek out someone with whom you believe has some knowledge or skill that may be better or different than yours in a specific area…
American farmers along with the companies that provide inputs, equipment and research on practices have been highly successful on the production side of their operations. Gains in quality, yield and efficiency have been remarkable over the past century and more. From 1948 to 2017 total US total “factor productivity growth” for agriculture has tripled while land in production dropped by 28% and labor dropped by 76%. Total inputs have remained flat. Farmers have excelled in production growth! The main driving factor has centered around economics…
You have probably seen green circles while flying over parts of the central and western United States. Large open, flat fields in Nebraska and surrounding states where the center pivot industry began. Using an elevated pipeline that travels around the field continues to be an efficient way to irrigate larger parcels of farmland. The simple fact that a circle takes less iron to cover more acres continues to be a cost-effective strategy. In Michigan and the Great Lakes area, while we may not have as many wide-open spaces, we have two key factors not present where center pivot irrigation was born. We have the most abundant fresh water supply in the world. Due to our climate, we also have diverse growing conditions for many crops and a demand for several kinds of livestock. With an increasing demand for food to feed our growing population, whether directly or through livestock, options exist to grow higher value crops…
