October 2017

Veteran plant pathologist Dr. Don Huber often comments in his seminars on crop health that “Corn used to be one of the healthiest crops on American farms.”   But now that much of the Midwest sees early corn die-down, is there a way to recapture the 40 to 60 “home stretch” days of corn maturity,

The photos here arrived today from a central Iowa grower who sprayed cornstalks Oct. 17 with a pint per acre of Environoc 501 plus some microbial “starter fluid:” two gallons per acre of calcium chloride. Softer pith in the stalk has already gone dark after slightly more than a week of mild temperatures. By spring, these stalks

Every so often, a major national news story rings with such clarity that I’m not as hesitant to admit that I’m a “used journalist.” National Public Radio’s Dan Charles today posted “Monsanto and the Weed Scientists: Not a Love Story,” which rips off many coverups by the genetic giants pushing the remake of an old herbicide,

A front-page feature in Wall Street Journal today by writer Jacob Bunge describes how Cargill Inc. plans to use a powerful web-linking technology which would allow retail customers to trace their individual Thanksgiving turkey back to the farm that raised it. A participating Texas turkey producer says this kind of capability “opens our doors to the consumer.” Oct. 25,

Our Master Gardeners here at Renewable Farming, Jeanene Carlson and her family, raise delicious tomatoes, veggies and greens all summer. This winter, Grandpa will attempt to extend the productive life of their tomatoes by transferring and transplanting several plants in the two-story greenhouse built into the south side of our home. Oct. 23, 2017    By Jerry

Converting this fall’s cornstalk carbon to nutrients for next year’s crop becomes more profitable when you use the synergy of crimping and shattering stalks before applying a microbial residue digester. A combine header attachment, the “Devastator” by Yetter Equipment, is accumulating some promising data and farmer reviews. Oct. 20, 2017 — The Devastator has been

For three seasons, Renewable Farming LLC has invested in hundreds of random-rep trials on our research acres for a new product, Ligniton. Now, the Canadian developer of Lignition is rolling out a new website and a marketing program with global reach. Here’s how you can tap into a very promising rate of return on this new, safe, unique product which enhances photosynthetic efficiency.

New Zealand farmers have fended off repeated, intense pressures to allow GMO crops to take over their “crown jewel” in the food-export world: Clean, GMO-free crop and livestock products. Dr. Don Huber, Purdue University professor emeritus, just visited New Zealand for speaking engagements, and Auckland, NZ radio broadcaster Tim Lynch captured the key points of Huber’s message to farmers