Renewable Farming

October 2020

China’s surging grain imports from the U.S. reflect nationwide needs, not just the trade agreement

We first signaled on July 24 that early “stocking up” grain purchases by Chinese importers reflected grain user’s concerns about flood-damaged crops across China, plus rebuilding the nation’s hog herd. Soon after, corn and soybean price charts began a months-long climb — even though China’s official government stance was “no problem with supply.” As November opens, […]

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To escape angst from “breaking news,” take a break from mainstream network news

This article updates ideas on how to enhance your “news efficiency” — just as you enhance your production efficiency. It adds new, reliable sources to those I suggested on this website January 16, 2020. That analysis was pre-pandemic. And also before the recent aggressive censorship by dominant social-media platforms such as FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube. December 25, 2020   By Jerry Carlson — I’ve

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Continuous soybeans for 13 years; 50 to 60 bu. yield range — on sandy Wisconsin ground

“We had a lot of hurdles this year,” Irvin Osterloh said Oct. 18 as he finished his 13th harvest of continuously cropped soybeans. “First a dry spell hit, then heavy rain and hail. Hail insurance paid an 8% loss. Finally we had another dry spell, which really hurt the crop.” October 18, 2020 — Even so, when the combine rolled, Irvin

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With $10 beans, $35 return for a $3.50 expense — if you have unused insecticide boxes

Thousands of planters have unused dry insecticide hoppers, and consultant Brad Forkner reports that one of his Illinois clients grossed an extra $35 an acre for a $3.25 cost — by metering 11 pounds of dry humate over the row using the insecticide hoppers. Brad used $10 cash beans for that calculation. October 16, 2020 — Brad

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“This was the first year all our soybean yields were in the 60s and 70s”

That 60 to 70+ bu. range of yields included the soybeans in these photos, where Hal and Ty Brown of Mulberry, Indiana planted into standing green cereal rye, then roller-crimped it. They harvested beans earlier this week. The field shown here yielded 65 bu. per acre of seed beans for Beck’s Hybrids. October 14, 2020 — Last spring, Hal

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How biologicals and extra nutrition keep corn alive longer and raise yields

We’re seeing a few corn growers add 30 to 40 bu. onto yields with season-long nutrition and biological products including microbial blends and biostimulants. Their corn has fully mature ears testing around 18% to 20% moisture — while stalks still are alive with lots of green leaf area and fully functional xylem and phloem circulation. October

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You can help this team protect your health against toxins in harvest dust

Wet spring. Dry summer and fall. Western wildfire smoke. Thousands of acres of wind-flattened, stalk-rotted corn. Now, swarms of big chopper-equipped combines are spewing fine particles into a dry atmosphere. It’s the perfect recipe for respiratory stress. On top of the Covid-19 menace. Oct. 11, 2020 By Jerry Carlson  — Last Friday Dr. Lyn Patrick, co-chair of the Environmental Health Symposium, e-mailed

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Choral beauty in a grain bin! It started trending with one farm woman’s inspiration

Want a few uplifting, memorable minutes amid a hectic harvest? Visit these YouTube videos of university choirs and solo performers singing classic songs — in big, empty on-farm grain bins.  October 7, 2020 — The trend apparently started with some solo performances in grain bins a decade ago, celebrating the acoustics. Then in 2018, Derek Klingenberg of Klingenberg

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Crop consultant Bob Streit: Overview of Midwest harvest 2020

Key points in Bob’s weekly report to clients: (1) Use early-harvest opportunities to accelerate stalk residue digestion and recapture nutrients. Biodyne’s Meltdown shows excellent results. (2) Long-term management which enhances soil biology proved this year that healthy soil holds more moisture and preserves higher yields. (3) Continual loss of fungicide effectiveness is propelling firms toward more biological

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