Renewable Farming

July 2018

Modern Farmer magazine: A leading indicator of what your future customers want

In February 2016, Successful Farming launched a feature series with a daring theme for a mainline farm magazine. Title: Meet Your New Boss. It pointed out that future food buyers who are leading the retail food industry will be health-conscious moms who choose natural, non-GMO and organic foods.  July 27, 2018  By Jerry Carlson — This week I […]

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We’ll head for the shed Aug. 20, expecting many biologically based new crop ideas!

A machine shed on the Dave Schwartz farm just west of Guthrie Center, Iowa is the venue for a farmer meeting where we expect to learn a lot about unleashing the yield power of soil biology. This farm is mostly highly erodible ground with corn suitability ratings downward from 60 points.  July 24, 2018 —

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More foliar spray ideas to perk lazy soybeans into more blooms

Here are a couple of elixirs for encouraging soybeans into more vibrant blooming — especially beans which have lazed through weeks of saturated soils, drifting into the reproductive stage.  July 20, 2018 — The first “remedy” is a little weird. But cheap. Its history dates back about 40 years to Dr. Carey Reams, originator of the “Reams

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How a biological product is helping soybeans recover from waterlogged soils

Yesterday, July 18, one of our northern Iowa clients counted 60 pods per plant on his thriving soybeans. They’re loaded with blooms. Three weeks ago those beans were yellowing and wilting, with fungus attacking roots in rain-soaked soil. July 19, 2018 — This 114-acre field of beans is an especially valuable variety grown for seed, and the

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Spray drift damage fears could push up cost of liability insurance

Yesterday an experienced casualty insurance agent in our farming area told us, “Farmers will soon have to understand that herbicide damage claims could have a huge impact on the cost of their liability policies.” July 17, 2018 — The ag insurance specialist brought up this subject himself. He told us his next appointment was with a farmer

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Calls from the cornfields: “Is there a way to offset severe nitrogen loss?”

We work closely with crop consultants who’ve tackled challenges like this season’s excess rain, nitrogen loss and crops which look yellow and chlorotic because of saturated soil. Here are some of the consultant’s answers to the questions we’re getting as growers scout corn and soybeans. 1. Question: In this county, there aren’t enough high-clearance sprayers equipped with Y-drops available

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China: A major reason we’ve encouraged you to become more “biological,” more resilient

For many years, Renewable Farming’s goal is to help growers become more biologically based, low-cost per bushel, diverse and resilient against “mega-trend” market swings.  July 12, 2018  By Jerry Carlson — That strategy contrasts sharply with the approach of most Midwest farmers for the past 20 years: Just add acres. Weed control was easy, big equipment made large acres per

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WakeUP Advantage

WakeUp Advantage

  WakeUP Advantage is one of the formulations we’ve developed and field-tested since 2008. In warmer climates like Florida, it’s especially effective for its three primary purposes:   1. Powerful surfactant, highly efficient at clear-coating leaves — even waxy leaves like citrus. 2. Fast-acting penetrant that softens and lifts the waxy barrier on warm-climate leaves, allowing thorough

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Midwest crop consultant Bob Streit’s July 8 field report

Here are Bob Streit’s latest field observations, which will be posted later this week on his website, Central Iowa Agronomics. We wanted  you to have his review quickly as possible since the next four days may offer some clear weather to cope with the consequences of excess rain in soybeans and corn. July 8, 2018   By Bob Streit — After

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A dozen profitable ideas for soil health from an “inexperienced” young no-till farmer

Each season, no-till farmers are realizing more fully how to replace costly fertilizers and chemicals by unleashing soil biology. An enthusiastic example: Russell Hedrick, who farms in the rolling hills of Catawba County near Hickory, North Carolina. From our travels in that region, we can appreciate the challenges he faced when he started farming about 10 years ago.

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