Agricultural Land

Farmland Value Check: Midwest Class A Ground Sees Pullback, Water Security Redefines California’s Market

Mon, 04 May 2026 03:08:16 GMT

New data assembled by Realtors Land Institute (RLI), the National Association of Realtors Research Group and Acres, highlights fundamental trends driving the land market today. But this year’s Land Market Survey, which was augmented by research conducted by Acres, unveils two trends in farmland regarding quality and productivity ratings as well as other trends important in the business management of farmland.

First, Overall Land Trends

In addressing widespread concerns about a potential U.S. recession, Dr. Lawrence Yun Chief Economist and SVP of Research, National Association of Realtors emphasized that, despite recent oil price shocks and persistently low consumer sentiment, the U.S. economy is not on the brink of recession.

The survey details multiple industries and sectors in land use and values, and for 2025, In terms of price growth, the ranch category led with a 2.2% increase in dollars per acre, outperforming other land types. Industrial and recreational land also saw solid gains of 1.9% each, while other categories experienced moderate increases. Notably, Commercial Real Estate Data Analyst, Oleh Sorokin anticipates that while land sales will strengthen in 2026, the pace of price growth is expected to slow, with projected increases in the ranch category dropping to 0.9% per acre.

How Are Farmland Values Performing Differently?

The presenters highlight the energy price correlation as Farmland values and operational balance sheets are heavily tied to energy prices, as oil and gas drive both fuel costs and fertilizer prices.

“Tariffs are one that it’s kind of dwarfed now by the energy situation, but tariffs were a pretty big impact last year,” says Aaron Shew, chief technology officer at Acres.

With fuel input prices and fertilizer input prices highly driven by energy prices, those effects are being monitored closely both in terms of price hikes but also duration of elevated prices.

He continues, “Some of the energy challenges that we’re undergoing with the war in Iran and the blockade, Straits of Hormuz, I think that has the potential, maybe less in the broader real estate market, but for farmland specifically, that could have a pretty large impact, depending on how it resolves, how quickly that happens.”

What Are The High Interest Trends?

Shew’s research reveals two eye-catching farmland value takeaways.

1. Midwest Market “Pullback": Class A farmland in the Midwest is seeing a “mature” pullback of about 10% from the 2021–2022 peaks, while Class B ground remains slightly more resilient.

(Acres.com)

First Shew notes, 2021 and 2022 saw 1.5x to 2x the average number of land transactions. The highest value per acres sales during that time earned a lot of attention. What he refers to as “hype.”

“Particularly in Iowa and Illinois, where farmers were buying farms for $25,000 or $30,000 per acre. you have these outlier transactions. It’s very, very few, but they catch a lot of attention and that kind of pushes some land values up.”

He says that raised expectations that Class A—or the highest rated productivity ground—had reached a new plateau in values and wouldn’t go down.

But Shew notes, as of 2025, there’s been a 10% pullback from those ’21 and ’22 peaks. And that’s on the highest rated ground in terms of productivity.

Class B ground values have been more resilient.

2. In California, Water is Half Your Land’s Value

Looking at the data, Shew says in California, water security drives the value, particularly for permanent crops. Tier 1 districts with multiple water sources maintain high values, while “white space” (areas without district water) is seeing significant distress and land fallowing.

“A lot of people are already talking about water regulations, how water security plays a role, and, permanent crops have been under duress for close to three years now,” Shew says. “So that’s not new, but we’ve quantified the impacts regionally, and across ag districts, and by permanent crop type.”

The crops showing this trend in spades: almonds and pistachios.

“For Tier 1 districts, for almonds, you’re looking at $30,000 plus an acre. And then you go to Tier 2 districts, and you’ll see it around a little over $20,000 an acre. Outside of districts, it’s called white space and you’re actually at $13,000 per acre, which is almond ground being sold as bare ground—rip and replace.”

(Acres.com)

He says Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will mean that 500,000 to 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland will have to be fallowed or pulled out by 2040.

“So that’s about 10% of the farmland in California’s Central Valley, most of it in San Joaquin,” so we’re seeing some initial phases of that as we’ve seen tens of thousands of permanent crops come out in the past few years,” Shew says.

He adds, “Water regulatory bodies have put more pressure on farming in California. It’s just going to create a harsher environment for how water gets distributed and allocated.”

Resilience via Government Assistance

Programs such as the Farmers Bridge Assistance are preventing forced land sales by supporting farm operations, which keeps land values stable despite two years of challenging economics. He says we are reaching the tipping point in year three.

“Farm operations can be poor for a year or two and you’re not really going to see it show up in land values,” he says. “But we’re on a third year of this, and we’ve got other challenges that are fairly unprecedent at the same time, so there’s a lot to watch.”

“If you have to declare bankruptcy on your farm, 80% of most farm balance sheets is land, so that’s the large asset that’s going to get sold by the bank,” Shew says. “Government policies to provide support, The Farmers Bridge Assistance is the most recent one that probably plays the largest role, and it just helps farmers get to the end of ‘26, where hopefully balance sheets are in a good place.”

He’s also watching how the provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill come to bear this fall and at year end.

“Reference prices for, rice, in particular, is one that comes to mind. Those will take place and hopefully create some stability, but you have got to get to the end of the year.”

Transaction Volume Stabilization

Nationwide transaction volumes have returned to pre-pandemic (2018–2020) levels, though California is seeing an uptick in volume due to “distress sales” from owners who can no longer float the costs.

“The low interest rates ‘21 to 23, roughly created a great time for folks to invest in land. They wanted to deploy capital, and land is the definition of a real asset,” he says. “You had that boom, and then, of course, as rates went up in ’23 and ’24 and values stabilized at much higher levels, it turned off that capital allocation.”

(Acres.com)

National farmland transaction volumes in 2024 and 2025—transaction count, acreage turnover, and overall volume of dollars—is approximately the same as 2018 and 2020.

“Q4 of ‘21 and Q1 of ‘22, we saw three times the typical amount that would turn over,” he says. “So in Q4 of 2021, we saw 10 billion in farmland in one quarter—high volume and high values.”

While 2021 was the big, from a year-over-year standpoint, that began to fall back, by 20%, then 30%. He says the flattening from 2024 to 2025 is a bright spot to show overall stability.

“We’re not going to continue to see less transactions or lower sales volumes. We’re seeing that stabilize at a more consistent level alongside where interest rates are,” he says. “And presumably, if we see interest rates decrease, we will see that pick back up, and start what may be another cycle.”

You can download the full Market Values Report here.

4 Things Farmers Should Know About A Lesser-Known Tax Deduction

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:30:26 GMT

“This is something I’ve been talking about since 1992, but all of the sudden in the past five years, people thought it came out of nowhere,” says Roger McEowen, professor at Washburn University School of Law.

McEowen is referring to the residual soil fertility deduction, which the IRS provided comments—while not official guidance—on how landowners can deduct the value of excess soil fertility applied on recently acquired land.

“With the run-up in land values, there is a lot more interest than six years ago. This isn’t new, but it’s like pouring gas on a fire,” McEowen says.

When purchasing farmland, a portion of the purchase price can often be attributed to “residual fertility"—nutrients already present in the soil from the previous owner’s applications that exceed the base levels.

CropQuest, a soil testing business based in Kansas, has been doing reports for this tax deduction since 2020.

“It probably doubles every year or more,” says Nathan Woydziak, precision ag manager at Crop Quest. “Today, we’re doing this testing for hundreds of farmers across our service area.”

Who Qualifies for the Deduction?

Only the owner of the farmland (or pastureland) qualifies for the deduction, and the land must be used for agricultural production. Second, the land needs to have been purchased or transferred with stepped-up basis recently.

What Drives The Value of the Deduction?

“The big driving force is time of purchase,” says Adam Brenneman, a sales representative at Boa Safra Ag, which produces the required soil fertility reports. Boa Safra advises landowners consider any acquisitions since 2010.

“We won’t survey properties older than 2000,” Brenneman says. “For example, our averages for properties are around $1,000 to $1,700 an acre for the value of the deduction, but if it’s acquired in 2005 would be around $300 an acre, 2000 gets closer to $150 per acre.”

In this process, it’s the market value of nutrients multiplied by your excess.

“The deduction based on your excess nutrient load in the property since time of purchase. When you bought the property, you bought the structure and geographic space, you also bought the 8” zone in the soil of where agriculture takes place. The nutrients in that zone, any of them, above baseline are able to be part of the deduction process,” Brenneman says.

What’s Required to Document the Deduction?

Farmers should maintain detailed records, including the purchase agreement, soil test results, and the methodology used to calculate the dollar value of the nutrients.

For the soil test, this includes macro and micronutrients. For example, the Crop Quest and Boa Safra reports detail 11 soil nutrients.

“Good documentation is key. We’ve done some where we went back in history on those fields but regularly we go back 5 years. And your accountant has to be on board,” Woydziak says.
To claim this deduction, you must prove that the nutrient levels are “excessive” compared to a standard baseline.

How is the Deduction Filed?

If land is in a trust, S corp or LLC, the deduction applies to the ownership of the property. And it’s up to the accountant to determine the schedule of the depreciation, which is commonly applied across three to seven years.

“There is no code section. The only guidance we have is the scant things IRS said 34 years ago,” McEowen says. “Have the soil analysis done as close to the time of acquisition as possible. That’s the most bullet proof thing if the IRS challenges it with an audit.”

McEowen says some tax professionals will not include these deductions because of the lack of clarity from the IRS.

“We aren’t sure if it’s depreciation, depletion, or amortization. I think it’s depletion. It’s a natural resource like oil and gas. Fertility gets mined over time. So the theory is you are entitled to the deduction in the nutrient deposit in that soil. So most tax professionals just massage this in as depreciation. And some will put it in section 180 and then separately track it. I don’t know if it’s the wrong or right approach. But that’s as good as we can do.”

Brenneman emphasizes this is a process that requires a team of professionals.

“We don’t do tax advice. We work in the dirt,” he says. “Our audit rate is less than 2%. We stand behind our reports within your auditable years. And we have a 100% audit defense success rate.” Brenneman says.

McEowen adds, “I foresee a statute from Congress and IRS writing rules to carrying out the statute. It could be in the reconciliation bill or the skinny farm bill. That’s the approach I think is going to happen. We need a statute.”

44 Million Acres: The New Frontier of Farm Consolidation and Growth

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:01:17 GMT

At the 2026 Top Producer Summit , Farm Journal Intelligence unveiled new farmland insights derived from predictive modeling and deep-data analysis. The research focused on the shifting landscape of land acquisition, identifying which operations are at risk of consolidation, who is positioned for growth and where the most significant opportunities lie.

Here are the six primary findings for farm businesses:

1. Scale Does Not Immune Operations from Consolidation.

(Farm Journal)

While smaller operations face the highest risk — with 58% of small farms “at risk” for sale or acquisition before 2030 — size is not a complete safeguard. Research shows the risk of consolidation or ownership transfer never drops below 27%, even for the largest operations. Furthermore, crop diversity made minimal impact on these odds; the likelihood of transition remains constant whether a farm produces one crop or more than 11.

2. Geography Trumps Diversification.

(Farm Journal)

Regional location is increasingly becoming a primary driver of financial success, often outweighing the benefits of operational diversification. As regional market divides grow, farmers and ranchers are finding that local market conditions and individual circumstances dictate their trajectory more. State-level or even county-level effects are more indicative of their situation than national trends.

3. The 44-Million-Acre Transition.

(Farm Journal)

Nearly 15% of American cropland is projected to change hands within the next three years, driven by generational transfers, continued consolidation and economic pressures. Farm Journal data identifies the Midwest as the epicenter of this shift, with roughly 12 million acres likely to transition. Nationwide, that total reaches a staggering 44 million acres.

4. Mapping the “Sweet Spot” for Expansion.

(Farm Journal)

By plotting cost per cropland acre against the volume of land likely to transition, clear opportunities for expansion emerge. For producers looking to grow their footprint, the most viable opportunities are currently concentrated in Kansas, Texas, North Dakota, Missouri, and Oklahoma, according to this research.

5. Integrity Is the Top Currency in Rental Markets.

(Farm Journal)

When more than 400 landowners were surveyed about tenant selection, integrity ranked as the most critical factor. Interestingly, age was reported as the least important factor. For producers looking to secure rented ground, a reputation for character and experience outweighs both seniority and youth.

6. The “Willingness” Factor in Technology.

(Farm Journal)

Producers most inclined to expand share a common trait: a higher comfort level and rate of adoption with technology. Crucially, this is not necessarily tied to technical skill or existing expertise, but rather to mindset and action. The most growth-oriented producers are defined by their willingness to try new technologies rather than their current mastery of them.

Download the Full Report

Georgia Watermelon Heist Explodes Into Epic Night of Pandemonium

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:53:29 GMT

“Son, you roll one more melon down that board and I’m gonna to shoot you.”

The bare-bones warning, delivered over a midnight hum of katydids and crickets, froze young Terry Nunn in mid theft, silhouetted against the glow of a fat Georgia moon. Staring at the double-barrel bores of a shotgun nestled capably in the arms of an old farmer, Nunn, 16, felt his mouth go to cotton.

Still as a statue behind a truck bed half-loaded with giant watermelons, Nunn had been minutes from a flawless, five-fingered heist. Instead, he was cold-busted and on the verge of frontier justice, alongside two confederates. Beyond surrender, the teen had one option: Run like hell.

With the turn of a heel in red dirt, Nunn bolted like a blind man escaping flames, and scrambled into the melon field, leaving behind a hail of blasts, buckshot, burning rubber, and buck-wild bedlam. The scheme descended into epic pandemonium.

“I’m sure not proud of what we did, but I still scratch my head at how crazy it was,” Nunn recalls. “No doubt, the whole deal still sticks close to my heart.”

Welcome to the night the lights almost went out in Georgia.

Black Diamonds
Pocked with a roadmap of dents and scratches, testament to horse hauling and cow wrangling, a 1969 F-100 bounced the backroads of Jackson County, roughly 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, on a sticky August morning with mercury bound for 100 degrees.

Windows rolled down in the green, two-tone truck, the price of a breeze was worth the taste of dust to three teenage boys sweltering in the cab, as Nunn rode passenger window, with his good buddy, Gene, behind the wheel, and lifetime friend, Rocky, wedged in the middle.

“It didn’t take long and we could see exactly where we were going and what we were doing,” Nunn remembers. “Big ole melons laying everywhere.”

(Photo public domain)

Elbow cocked over belt molding, Nunn watched the blur of pastures and woods. It was 1977 in rural Georgia: Young men riding the backroads could easily stray.

“It was almost natural for three teenagers to drift toward trouble in summertime,” explains Nunn, in a voice soaked in Southern honey. “It’s easy to stir up a mess out in the country, especially if you’re bored and ain’t got any money.”

Recounting the past comes natural to the 64-year-old—a master storyteller who paints in color, hangs on detail, and delivers tales on a loop with remarkable recall. Raised hardscrabble, Nunn never lacked for necessity, but he could see poverty from the bottom rung of working class. By 12, he worked full-time; by 14, he drove a tractor-trailer. By 16, “Big T” Nunn was stacked at 6’1”, 220 lb., and could blaze down the gridiron.

And on an otherwise ordinary dog day in 1977, Nunn’s young life almost doglegged as the Ford crossed north into Banks County. Beyond endless stretches of grain fields, the pickup slowed and eased to the shoulder, alongside a 50-acre patch dotted with massive chunks of oblong fruit.

Black Diamond watermelons. Deep, dark green in color, each easily exceeding 50 lb., the picture-book specimens were prime for picking.

Gene swept his finger across the field of dragon eggs, and turned to Rocky and Nunn: Y’all wanna make some money?

Lock, Stock, and Barrel
The plan was straightforward: Return to the field in the witching hour, fill the bed with booty, and sell the haul roadside on the edge of Atlanta the following day. Easy money, honey.

However, the property in the trio’s crosshairs was not easy pickings. By no means.

Months earlier, Nunn had snuck onto the same farm and rustled catfish a stone’s throw from the watermelon patch. He was caught red-handed by the shotgun-toting farmer-owner.

Apparently, the old man never slept.

“He nabbed me and another buddy holding a full 6’-string of fish that didn’t have room to slide another 2-pound channel cat on,” Nunn recollects. “He carried us back to his house and made us clean the fish right in front of him. We put them in gallon jugs, filled the jugs with water, stuck it all in the freezer, and then cleaned up everything. I thought he would call the law, but then he let us go.”

“Out of breath, alone in the dark, I was wishing I’d never have done something this crazy. But most of all, I was scared to death … I knew the old man was coming.”

(Photo courtesy of Cindy Nunn)

Only a few short months after the catfish fiasco, Nunn again was ready to roll the dice. Brimming with confidence, Nunn, Gene, and Rocky drove to a barn owned by Gene’s papaw, and prepared to execute. They padded the truck bed with a thick layer of hay and grabbed a scrap piece of plywood cut lengthways in half to deploy as a loading ramp.

At approximately 11:30 p.m., with temps still clinging tight to the low 80s, the teens rumbled back to Banks County. Gene drove just past the field entrance, turned off his headlights, cut the wheel, and backed down to an 8’ embankment below the melon field. Nunn and Rocky spilled out of the cab’s right side and moved toward the field, decked in standard summer fare: t-shirts, close-cropped jean shorts, and work boots. Gene, strapped in blue jeans and cowboy boots, crawled into the bed, and extended the plywood ramp to the embankment.

A snapshot in time, left to right, proprietor Charlie Brown; Terry Nunn’s father, W.T.; Terry Nunn; Ricky Hill; and Rocky Brown. Photo courtesy of Cindy Nunn

(Photo courtesy of Cindy Nunn)

Nunn and Rocky would cut vines, pick, haul the produce from field to truck, and roll melons down the ramp to Gene for stacking and packing. Lock, stock, and barrel.

Under a moon that wasn’t quite full, but plenty fat, the boys walked into the rows. “Our eyes got adjusted pretty fast. It didn’t take long and we could see exactly where we were going and what we were doing,” Nunn remembers. “Big ole melons laying everywhere.”

“Only problem was, the old man’s house was just a mile from that field.”

Every Man for Himself
Nunn and Rocky knelt and began harvesting. A flick of a Barlow knife, an upward hoist, and the deed was done. Operating in total silence and total darkness, with no risk of flashlight exposure, they carried the hefty melons to the descending ramp for release to Gene.

“You snipped the vine and toted off the melon, keeping the knife between your fingers,” Nunn describes. “We wasn’t playing around. I mean, these were Black Diamonds and we were both good-sized boys, so we toted them in pairs. We’d put’em on the ramp, one at a time, and roll’em down. Gene was stacking them in the bed.”

“I’m sure not proud of what we did, but I still scratch my head at how crazy it was,” Nunn recalls.

(Photo courtesy of Facebook, Miller Farms)

“I’m not sure how much time passed, but we were hard at it and covered an area about a quarter of a football field. By this time, maybe we had 40 or so melons loaded in the bed. It was getting about time to call it a night, but that ain’t what happened. We went back in for a few melons more.”

Cradling two more Black Diamonds under his arms, Nunn marched to the embankment and rolled the first down the plywood plank. He bent over, grabbed the second, and stopped cold. A voice with Old Testament wrath cut the night air.

Son, you roll one more melon down that board and I’m going to shoot you. If you don’t believe me, you just go ahead and roll another one.

Roughly 40’ to Nunn’s left stood the old man, wearing overalls and a crumpled ball hat that looked to have been run over by a tractor several times. Time stopped.

“He had a double-barrel shotgun in the crook of his arm and it looked like it was a part of him. You know how old men lay it in the bend of their arm and it looks natural? It looked like he’d been carrying his gun in that position his whole life,” Nunn exclaims.

“I didn’t have no idea where he’d come from or how he knew we were there. I ain’t got a clue. All I knew was he meant every word about shooting me. Evidently, somebody had been in that melon field before and he was keeping an eye on it because there was no reason for him to come down there at all.”

“The only thing in my favor was that in the dark, the old man didn’t recognize me as being the kid who stole his catfish. That might have saved me from getting shot on the spot.”

Still as a stone, casting his eyes toward the field, Nunn caught a snapshot of Rocky, a sprinter on the high school track team, motoring toward liberty 40 yards into the field, fading into black. He gone.

Shifting his gaze back to the old man, Nunn mustered up a reply: “Yessir. I’m not going to roll another watermelon, and I’m sorry that I did.”

The gun remained level: “We fixin’ to call the law.”

Despite getting the drop on Nunn, the old man made one miscalculation. He assumed Nunn was the driver, i.e., he didn’t realize Gene was squatting in the bed.

“All of a sudden, Gene slipped or shifted in the truck, and the sound kinda startled the old man. He turned to the noise, and when he did, I took my chance.”

Sincerely. Every man for himself.

Melons at Midnight
Bat outta hell, Big T Nunn burst into the field, work boots cutting Georgia dirt. Behind him, complete chaos and 12-gauge thunder.

“I stretched out, hit full speed, and about right then I heard shots. At the same time, I heard Gene crank the truck and spin off with melons flying everywhere. I clearly heard the plywood hit the tailgate. And I’m running as fast as my legs will go.”

Pellets exploded all around Nunn. “The old man was reloading and firing steady. Birdshot popped all around, some of them hitting my arms and legs and head, and it stung. I don’t know if he was trying to kill me or just shooting overtop to scare me, but it worked either way. He shot about eight times or so.”

“It’s easy to stir up a mess out in the country, especially if you’re bored and ain’t got any money,” Nunn says.

(Photo courtesy of Cindy Nunn)

With no plan beyond immediate escape, Nunn kept running, aiming for a tree line on the far side of the field. But suddenly—thump, crash, and somersault. Nunn forgot he was running in a field full of melons at midnight.

“My right foot planted dead center of one and went right in, and down I went. Got up, ran a few yards, and hit another. It was like that the whole way across the field, but finally I dove into the tree line and found cover.”

“Out of breath, alone in the dark, I was wishing I’d never have done something this crazy. But most of all, I was scared to death, looking back out at the field. I knew the old man was coming.”

Bury the Body
Splattered in watermelon flesh, streaked in dirt, and skinned on elbows and knees, Nunn appeared to have wrestled a bear and lost.

Crouching in tree cover, unsure of what to do next, he was startled by the sound of leaves rustling to his rear. Rocky looked equally worse for wear.

“Terry, what do you think Gene is doing?”

“I know exactly what he’s doing,” Nunn replied. “He’s headed down the road wide open, and melons are tumbling all outta that bed. I promise you, if that old man thinks about it, he’ll be able to track Gene just by following the watermelons.”

Nunn and Rocky, unsure of how to get back to Jackson County, began moving down the tree line, stopping where the timber brushed the road. “We waited in the shadows, hoping maybe, just maybe, Gene would come back for us.”

An eternity later, Nunn saw headlights approaching. However, the lights didn’t belong to a 1969 F-100. “I knew who it was,” Nunn details. “Gene had gone home and switched out vehicles to his papaw’s truck. I hollered out and Gene slowed down, and we hopped in the bed while he was still moving.”

Forty miles south, the trio pulled up beside the barn, where Gene’s papaw was waiting: I know y’all have been up to no good. Don’t know what y’all been doing. Don’t want to know. Don’t tell me about it. Don’t wake me up no more. Put my truck back in the barn, and y’all behave.

Translated: Papaw knew how to bury a body.

Never Going Back
A heist turned debacle, the watermelon job mercifully ended with a whimper, rather than a bang. The take? Seven watermelons, all gashed and bruised, remained in the F-100’s bed.

The man of a thousand tales, Terry “Big T” Nunn, one of the finest raconteurs in the South.

(Photo courtesy of Cindy Nunn)

“We gave them away to family,” Nunn says. “Looking back, we were just kids in a rural county looking for a little bit of fun that stopped short of trouble.”

“The watermelon raid didn’t cure us from trouble, but it sure fixed us from bothering that old man,” Nunn concludes. “I didn’t ever wanna see him or his shotgun again. I reckon that’s why we never went back.”

(Almost 50 years later, Nunn is a walking library of a thousand stories, all pulled from rural life, agriculture, hunting, fishing, and all points in between. To hear Nunn’s tales and superb delivery, visit his TikTok channel: @terrynunn74 .)

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Farmer Unearths Lost Treasure, Solves WW2 Mystery

Abuse of Liberty? Landowner Demands End to DNR’s Warrantless Entries on Private Acres

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 17:13:38 GMT

David Martin is raising hell in Michigan, determined to curtail the power claimed by government officials to enter private land without restrictions and surveil at will.

Martin, a landowner and 68^th District representative in Michigan, hopes to end adherence to the Open Fields doctrine that gives conservation officers open access to private property.

“Open Fields is an abuse of liberty and we want it to stop in Michigan. It’s the 250^th anniversary of the American Revolution and our forefathers would be disgusted to see how much government control the state has over private land. Enough.”

Co-sponsor of two bills blocking unfettered access for Department of Natural Resources (DNR) game wardens on private acreage, Martin’s legislative fight is echoed by pending Open Fields lawsuits around the U.S. in Alabama, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

“At a basic level,” Martin emphasizes, “when people find out about Open Fields, they know it’s wrong.”

Without Reason
Open Fields ranks among the most consequential of all government powers. The doctrine stems from two Supreme Court decisions in 1924 (Hester) and 1984 (Oliver), giving federal officials permission to enter private land with no limits on frequency, duration, or scope. Essentially, the government can access any acreage without warrant or probable cause, excluding a personal residence and immediate yard/lawn/curtilage. Open Fields asserts that on private land, the Bill of Rights’ Fourth Amendment protections from search and seizure do not exist.

However, Martin contends the Michigan State Constitution provides protection from Open Fields, at least at the state level. House bills 4073 and 4421 require probable cause or a warrant for any DNR agent seeking access to private land without owner permission.

Open Fields provides the government with access to at least 1.12 billion private acres.

(Graphic courtesy of IJ)

“It’s past time for people to remember who we are as Americans. I’m not going to capitulate to excuses or the latest trends in legal thought. Open Fields is fundamentally wrong and bad law, but in Michigan we are protected by our state constitution. No private property owner should be subject to the presence of government officials on their private land without reason. I own 40 acres and the last thing I expect is to turn around and see a game warden unannounced. That’s crazy.”

Get a Warrant
Removal of Open Fields powers would impede DNR, says Jason Haines, chief of the DNR’s Law Enforcement Division.

“We oppose the bills ( 4073 and 4421 ) in their current form which would significantly hinder efforts to protect Michigan’s natural resources and environment on private lands in Michigan,” he explains. “These resources are held in the public trust for the benefit of all, and the DNR is charged with the responsibility of protecting those resources. The Open Fields doctrine says that acreage outside the curtilage of a private residence does not have the same Fourth Amendment protections like persons, houses, papers, and effects.”

Open Fields ranks among the most consequential of all government powers.

(Photo by IJ)

“Also, wildlife and fish don’t respect private land boundaries,” Haines continues. “No individual owns the wildlife that happens to be on their property at the time. These are public resources.”

Despite citing Open Fields, Haines contends DNR entries on private land must include reasonable suspicion or probable cause. “In Michigan we require every officer to document their justification for entering private land. We also don’t put up trail cameras on private property without a court issued warrant.”

However, Martin’s bills would establish probable cause as a baseline for state entries onto private property. “DNR should be subject to the exact same bar as our regular law enforcement,” Martin says. “Our bills allow the state entry onto private land when in pursuit of criminals or something nefarious. That should be fairly rare and fairly obvious. It should be simple: If someone is doing something illegal on private land—get a warrant.”

Reasonable Limits
Including Michigan, how much nationwide private acreage is subject to Open Fields? At least 1.12 billion acres , estimates Institute for Justice.

Since 2020, lawsuits challenging Open Fields at the state level have been successfully litigated in Tennessee (game wardens in Tennessee must now obtain a warrant before entering privately marked land), and are ongoing in Alabama , Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Louisiana.

According to the Supreme Court, federal officials from USDA, DOJ, FBI, Interior, Treasury, FWS, EPA, Bureau of Land Management, Corps of Engineers, and other departments or agencies all possess the power the enter and surveil private land without restriction.

Martin’s legislative fight in Michigan is echoed by pending Open Fields lawsuits around the U.S. in Alabama, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

(Photo by IJ)

In Michigan, Martin wants to draw a line. “I swore an oath to uphold the Michigan Constitution, and I will do so. The Michigan Constitution, Article I, Section 11, protects all our possessions, including land. The U.S. Supreme Court has taken the wrong view of the Fourth Amendment, but we’re still protected here by our state constitution.”

How does the public in Michigan view Martin’s bills? “We’ve had overwhelming support, and we even hear from people out of state supporting us,” he notes.

Bills 4073 and 4421 passed the Michigan House on Nov. 4, 2025, with a 63-37 vote, with all 56 Republicans in support, along with seven Democrats. Next up, the Democrat-controlled Senate.

“The DNR has far too much latitude on private property,” Martin concludes. “It’s time to recognize reasonable limits in law.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Outraged Farmers Blame Ag Monopolies as Catastrophic Collapse Looms

Family Farm Wins Historic Case After Feds Violate Constitution and Ruin Business

County Shuts Down 15-Yr-Old’s Bait Stand on Family Farm, Threatens Daily Fines

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Family Farm Wins Historic Case After Feds Violate Constitution and Ruin Business

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 18:44:44 GMT

It ranks as a monumental injustice and ruin of an American family.

Seizing on a paperwork violation and over $500,000 in fines, Department of Labor (DOL) agents hounded a fourth-generation farm into collapse, trapping brothers Joe and Russell Marino in nine years of bureaucratic hell.

Denied access to an outside court or jury, the Marinos were subjected to an in-house agency process from pillar to post. Pursuit by DOL agents, enforcement by DOL personnel, trial by DOL attorneys, decision by DOL judge, and approval by DOL appellate judges.

“They took us down a dark, dark hole that I can’t describe properly with words,” says Joe Marino. “I never thought honesty and facts wouldn’t matter in America, but that’s what happened. We were presumed guilty from the start, and it’s shameful what they did to us.”

Shameful, indeed, according to a panel of independent federal judges. In a landmark decision, the Marinos were vindicated after the 3^rd Circuit unanimously ruled DOL’s actions in violation of the Constitution.

“People need to know our whole story because this is how government agencies operate,” Joe says. “The public will be sickened to find out what DOL did. I don’t want this to ever, ever happen to another farmer or small business owner or American. The time for change is right now. It has to be now.”

Beginning of the End
Arriving on U.S. shores from Sicily in roughly 1900, the Marino family carved out a farming operation in Gloucester County, New Jersey. For the next 125 years, from a toehold in dirt to an expanse of 3,000 acres, four generations of Marinos grew vegetables outside Swedesboro at Sun Valley Orchards. No more. Their farm is gone.

Integrated from seed to sale at its peak, and helmed by Joe and Russell, Sun Valley became the largest produce farm in New Jersey, and one of the biggest on the East Coast, growing asparagus, cucumbers, broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, eggplant, sweet corn, and more. At the heart of crop season, Sun Valley employed approximately 180 seasonal workers and was a hive of industry, with 15-20 tractor-trailer loads of produce per day exiting the facility, bound for the Northeast, South, Midwest, and Canada.

DOL claimed Sun Valley fired its H-2A workers without compensation and stole food money from their pockets.

(Photo by Andrew Wimer, IJ)

Department of Labor (DOL) inspections were par for the course. DOL popped on site in mid-summer to examine payrolls, transport, living conditions, and more clipboard categories, usually wrapping up in less than a day.

“That was our experience with DOL inspections. Basically, they’d give us a few things to repair and we’d fix them immediately,” Joe explains. “As far as how we treated our employees, our workers were invaluable. They busted their asses for us and we thought the world of them. To think we’d later be accused of mistreating any of them was the furthest thing from the truth. But that’s where the whole craziness was headed.”

In 2015, feeling the pressure of a building labor crisis in U.S. agriculture, the Marinos turned to the federal H-2A Temporary Agriculture Worker Program, filling over half their seasonal manpower needs with foreign nationals. Sun Valley’s first H-2A workers arrived in early spring, and as the crop year marched on, DOL, as expected, popped in for an on-site inspection.

However, instead of the typical lone official, DOL arrived with three inspectors. And rather than a day or less, the trio stayed at Sun Valley for roughly four days. “I kept telling my brother, Russ, ‘Something feels off. Something feels different,’” Joe recalls. “It was like DOL knew something we didn’t and had already made up their minds.”

His intuition was in the bull’s-eye. It was the beginning of the end for Sun Valley.

Pay Up or Else
Silence speaks volumes. Typically, DOL provided findings upon completion of inspection, but into fall 2015, DOL did not send the Marinos a report or checklist of corrections. DOL let the entire 2015 season pass without indication of any concerns. In January 2016, DOL brass from Washington, D.C., arrived at Sun Valley’s farm gate in New Jersey.

“They showed up in person, a director from D.C. and two agents,” Joe recalls. “I’ll never forget the scene. They came walking in with hellos, small talk, and stupid little jokes, as if they were conducting some kind of everyday bureaucratic procedure. And for them, maybe it was. For me and my family, it was a life-altering moment.”

“It’s incestuous,” Joe Marino contends. “That’s how all our government agencies operate and maintain power. They play judge, jury, and executioner.”

(Photo by Andrew Wimer, IJ)

Seated in the Sun Valley farm office on opposite sides of a large desk, the tiny space separating two farmers and three federal bureaucrats was chasmic. Minutes beyond a handshake and greeting, the D.C. director dropped a bomb, accusing Sun Valley of mistreating H-2A workers: You owe $550,000 in back wages and civil penalty fines.

“I felt the ground spinning underneath me,” Joe recounts. “One minute they were smiling and asking how we were doing, and the next telling us the results of their inspection showed we had to pay them an incredible amount of money. For our entire lives we worked to be the best farmers we could ever be and carry our family legacy. In an instant, I was numb, stunned, angry, horrified, and shocked, all wrapped together. It was a $550,000 accusation.”

Literally, the federal government had sent agents on-site to Marino’s farm, demanding over a half-million dollars, most of it for a single paperwork violation. Pay up or else.

Kangaroo Court?
In a nutshell, DOL claimed Sun Valley fired its H-2A workers without compensation and stole food money from their pockets.

Back in late spring 2015, when Sun Valley’s first wave of H-2A workers, 17 Mexican nationals, arrived in Gloucester County, the Marinos were preparing to cut asparagus—notoriously difficult harvest labor. In the H-2A paperwork process, Sun Valley’s employment requirements had included asparagus cutting. The 17 prospects all attested to asparagus experience.

Yet, after a single day in the fields, the 17 workers went to Russell and threw in the towel. No mas.

“They told my brother, Russ, ‘Asparagus cutting is not for us. We’re leaving,’” Joe recalls. “Apparently, some of these 17 people had never even been on a farm, and some of them didn’t complete the first day of work. But we were desperate because asparagus grows every day. We talked and talked and tried to reason with them, but they were done.”

“What the hell could we do? We documented the whole deal with advice from our H-2A consultant,” Joe continues. “The 17 signed off saying they wanted to go home and didn’t want to work. They left. We picked up the pieces and kept going.”

However, according to DOL, Sun Valley terminated the 17 workers. Therefore, Sun Valley owed each of the 17 three-quarters of their total work contracts for the crop year—one of several DOL concerns never raised during the onsite inspection, according to Joe.

(When contacted by Agweb regarding the Sun Valley case, DOL referred all questions to DOJ. When contacted by Agweb, DOJ did not respond.)

“The charges were insane,” Joe exclaims. “And then they got crazier. They basically charged us with exploiting food from our own workers.”

During the initial H-2A application process, Sun Valley had a food choice: Give workers a kitchen to self-prepare meals or provide a meal plan. Sun Valley’s H-2A consultant chose the “kitchen” option—a paperwork error, contends Joe.

“There was no sinister food plot,” Joe exclaims. “Our consultant checked the wrong box on the paper. The wellbeing of our workers was vital to our operation and everyone’s success. There’s no way in hell we would steal their food or money. Outrageous and ridiculous.”

Sun Valley workers had long been provided on-site meals cooked by a crew member’s family. DOL already knew this from past inspections, Joe insists. “This was an arrangement for years and DOL inspectors used to rave about the wonderful smells and fantastic food. The crew leader followed all federal guideline pertaining to the meal plan and was able to feed everyone for roughly the DOL-federally mandated $80 per week—a tremendously low-cost deal for our workers. Instead, DOL said we tricked all our H-2A workers, about 96 people, into thinking they’d get a kitchen when they arrived, but instead forced them onto a meal plan. Total bullshit.”

DOL hammered Sun Valley for the meal plan, demanding full reimbursement, along with a $2,400 penalty per person, not only for the 96 H-2A visa workers, but also the additional domestic workers—all to the tune of over $300,000 for ticking the wrong box.

“Again, no mention of this mid-season during the inspection so that it could be cleared up,” Joe notes. “Instead, they let the 2015 season pass and charged us for the entire season. Not to mention Sun Valley never deducted, collected or garnished workers’ wages for food or any other reason”.

“And things only got darker from there,” Joe adds. “Much darker. Guilty until proven innocent. We hired private attorneys and decided to go down fighting, even though we knew it was a kangaroo court.”

Case closed, according to DOL. The Marinos bounced into a fixed government game. No jury of peers allowed to hear the evidence; no independent judge allowed to hear the case. Essentially, DOL fined the Marino brothers $550,000 ($212,250 in civil penalties and $369,703 in back wages) without having to prove anything beyond agency walls.

Move along, folks, nothing to see here. Move along.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat
DOL knew. They knew. If Marino was able to sit before a jury and explain Sun Valley actions, the DOL case might crumble.

“That was the most frustrating thing of the entire affair,” Marino says. “It’s not hard to tell the truth. I wanted to tell a jury with passion and conviction, but the government machine would not let me. I tried so hard to fight and expose DOL. I sent emails to all the big news outlets, politicians, and reporters, but no one in the big media responded. They wouldn’t touch us.”

The Marino brothers were cast by DOL as cruel farmers and unscrupulous businessmen. Yet, for decades, Joe, along with his father, Russell Sr., had served as state ag board members, crop association presidents, township mayors, congressional ag testimony witnesses, and national ag organization participants.

“No one should forget: The Marino family had to close their farm,” says IJ attorney Bob Belden. “Their hardship is not adequately conveyed in a court decision. It’s so good they won, but the toll on them was heavier than words.”

(Photo by Google Earth)

Yet, by DOL edict, the Marinos were instant lepers. “The people that truly knew us knew the truth. But the ag associations and organizations? They ran away. Their assumption? We were charged; therefore, the charges were true; and therefore, we were guilty. DOL made certain nobody outside the four walls of the agency could hear the facts and evidence.”

At a week-long trial in July 2017, Joe and Russell faced the agency machine in a DOL courtroom before a DOL judge who was a former DOL attorney. “It’s incestuous,” Joe contends. “That’s how all our government agencies operate and maintain power. They play judge, jury, and executioner.”

DOL, via video link, allowed testimony from three of the original 17 H-2A workers initially hired at Sun Valley. “What a farce,” Joe says. “DOL used a human rights group rep, posing as a federal DOL agent, to locate three workers in Mexico. The three didn’t have to appear in person, and we couldn’t even see on camera who was off to the side coaching them, and we didn’t know if they’d been promised a payout, and it was outrageous. A Mickey Mouse trial.”

“Through it all, not a single witness said they’d been fired. Didn’t matter. The DOL judge found us guilty anyway, on all counts. I will never forget when the DOL judge read her decision, she wouldn’t even look me in the eye while she made her remarks. I could see it on her face that she knew what she was playing a part in was wrong. I said to myself, “This can’t be America. This can’t happen here,’ but it did and it does.”

What about an appeal? Sure—in DOL appellate court, before another DOL judge. Wash, rinse, repeat.

“That’s the system,” Joe says. “Does anyone really think one DOL judge is going to reverse what their friend in a DOL courtroom just ruled on? They bleed you until you’re all appealed out, and by that time you can finally take it to an outside court, but almost no one has money for that. Through and through, it’s abuse by a government agency weaponized by elected officials.”

Gamechanger
At the bottom of a bureaucratic hole, having spent $180,000 in attorney fees and still facing a $500,000-plus fine, Joe found a lifeline.

“It was a true gamechanger,” he recalls. “A gift from God. We were done until the cavalry showed up.”

The “cavalry” was Institute for Justice (IJ), and when the liberty-loving, legal heavyweight organization caught wind of Sun Valley’s plight, IJ attorneys launched a lawsuit against DOL in 2021.

IJ came out swinging in its initial complaint on behalf of Sun Valley: The enforcement proceeding at issue in this case was initiated by DOL personnel, tried by DOL attorneys, heard and decided by a DOL judge, and then affirmed by a panel of DOL appellate judges.

“The Marinos today; any of us tomorrow,” says IJ attorney Bob Belden . “This case doesn’t need flowery explanations. When people hear the details, they quickly recognize it’s wrong to have government actors trying to take money or property from you as a punishment, and the same government actors getting to decide if you are guilty. That is as un-American as you can get.”

Sky-High Win Rates
In 2021, as Sun Valley’s lawsuit against DOL was launched, another parallel case was funneling through federal court: SEC v. Jarkesy. In a seismic 2024 ruling with direct relevance to Sun Valley, SCOTUS ruled that citizens are entitled to a jury trial when hit with civil penalties imposed by administrative law judges.

Jarkesy punched a massive hole through agency walls, and IJ drove a Sun Valley truck through the breach. In July 2025, a panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in favor of the Marinos, declaring DOL actions in violation of the Constitution.

The Marino victory, spearheaded by IJ, was landmark. “This type of agency abuse happens to so many people everywhere in the country, and across so many agencies,” Belden notes.

Currently, the federal government contains at least 400 departments, agencies, and sub-agencies, and their internal courts, such as DOL’s in-house system, have sky-high win rates. “Think about it,” Belden describes, “They get to litigate disputes in front of their colleagues instead of independent judges.”

Emblematic of Belden’s contention, former FTC Commissioner Joshua Wright made stunning remarks in 2015 regarding a phenomenally high agency win rate from roughly 1995 to 2015: “In 100 percent of cases where the administrative law judge ruled in favor of the FTC staff, the Commission (appeals board) affirmed liability; and in 100 percent of the cases in which the administrative law judge found no liability, the Commission reversed. This is a strong sign of an unhealthy and biased (emphasis added) institutional process.”

The institutional, in-house system is about more than control and power, Belden notes. Money is a significant player. In 2024 alone, according to an IJ release, DOL collected $4.9 million in back wages and imposed $5.8 million in penalties on agricultural employers.

“The truth is, in these cases, DOL very often fails to return money to workers,” Belden says. “DOL keeps much of the money it collects or kicks it back to Congress. An independent judge or jury would not have money floating in the backs of their minds as potential influence.”

The Bloodbath
Sun Valley’s David v. Goliath victory came with a bitterly painful precursor. Joe and Russell lost their farm in 2021.

A perfect storm of weather and depressed markets from 2019-2021, in tandem with DOL fines and legal fees, crushed Sun Valley. In December 2021, the Marino farming operation—from shovel to tractor to combine to land—went under the gavel. For the last time, the brothers cranked their farm machinery and lined up the vehicles for public purchase.

After surviving for 125 years, Sun Valley disappeared in a two-day farm sale. The Marino brothers sent their father out of town to ensure he wouldn’t witness the gut-wrenching process: hundreds of strangers on the property, pawing the equipment and hauling away a legacy piece by piece. Joe and Russ walked away, pockets empty.

“Tough as hell two days. So heavy on my spirit,” Joe remembers. “I’ve always had a burning passion for agriculture, but at the end of the day, it’s a business and you’ve got to make money. All along, while we were dealing with DOL, I was mindful that we wouldn’t go down with the ship. We are family men with kids and their futures to consider. We also had my father’s and uncle’s buyout balances to protect at all costs.”

“We sold out, took care of my dad and uncle, and got out with next to nothing, but at least we didn’t owe anyone. The DOL played a major role in our demise. At the point when we sold everything, we still didn’t know what would happen in court.”

Four years later, after almost a decade-long legal nightmare, Joe received the news of the Third Circuit’s vindication via a phone call from IJ. Struggling to process the victory, he fell to his knees under a flood of tears—and let go of nine years of pain.

Weaponization
Sun Valley v. DOL was a massive victory for constitutional rights and the ability of common Americans to be heard in independent courts. However, the Marinos paid an extreme price for their fellow citizens’ liberty, Belden explains.

“No one should forget: The Marino family had to close their farm. Their hardship is not adequately conveyed in a court decision. It’s so good they won, but the toll on them was heavier than words.”

“I don’t want this to ever, ever happen to another farmer or small business owner or American,” says Joe Marino. “The time for change is right now.”

(Photo by Andrew Wimer, IJ)

Joe takes solace in the establishment of precedent for genuine change in bureaucracy and agriculture.

“H-2A is a failed system. Everyone knows it. We need a fair, stable, and affordable means of getting skilled seasonal labor to feed this country, but control of the program should be with USDA and not in the hands of DOL. Our elected officials now have what they need to make a switch.”

“In the end, we got our good name cleared, but more important than that, I’m truly thankful because I know our case will help others down the road, and there are people right now enduring this same kind of government abuse,” Joe adds. “It’s time for the weaponization of our government agencies to stop.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

County Shuts Down 15-Yr-Old’s Bait Stand on Family Farm, Threatens Daily Fines

City Gov to Seize 175-Year-Old Farm by Eminent Domain, Replace with Affordable Housing

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

Farmer Unearths Lost Treasure, Solves WW2 Mystery

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Sisters of Farm Fraud: How 4 Siblings Fleeced USDA for $10M

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

Right to Farm Fight Erupts After Family Ordered to Tear Down Greenhouse

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:00:04 GMT

Tear down the greenhouse and comply with code — or face regulatory ruin.

On private, unincorporated land flanked by a Rocky Mountain horizon, Jenny Loop broke ground on a greenhouse in June 2024. At the cusp of completion in 2025, officials in Teller County, Colorado, shut her down, citing a breach of code.

Loop is unbowed: “They use regulations like a battering ram, but they’re not above state law. Our state’s Farm Stand Act of 2019 gives me the right to operate.”

The right to farm is yesterday’s footnote, but zoning regulations reign supreme, according to the county.

Knock on the Door
The public saw bare shelves. Jenny Loop saw opportunity.

In 2021, during the Covid era, Loop stared at empty grocery store racks and responded with a self-reliant remedy. “I decided to build a greenhouse on our property. As a little girl, I learned from my grandfather to tend a garden. Grow and share — that’s what he taught me.”

At 9,200’ in elevation, outside Divide, Colo., Loop, 36, and her husband, Zach, 40, along with two sons (10 and 11) and two daughters (twins, 19), have four acres of unincorporated and unannexed ground. Loop owns a mortgage brokerage; Zach owns a tractor dealership and mobile repair company.

Loop’s back-yard view: “Out of the city limits and on our own land,” she says. “We sure weren’t bothering anyone.”

(Photo courtesy of Loop family)

Their greenhouse plan was a family affair: “It was a huge 4-H and FFA opportunity for our boys,” Loop says. “There’s also a young entrepreneurship program at our farmer’s market. The kids planned ahead and took online marketing classes to get ready.”

“The more I talked with neighbors and friends, the more excited I got,” she continues. “Fresh produce at a reasonable price is exactly what our county needs. Our state imports 70% of its food, and locally something as simple as heirloom tomatoes can run $7 per pound. A single kiwi can be $3.”

Intending to grow cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, and kiwis behind her home, Loop began building a 168’ long (2,800 square feet) greenhouse in June 2024, aiming to maximize space via 40 hydroponic towers—each potentially producing 400-600 lb. of tomatoes, according to her projections.

“Work hard, grow our own food, supply a serious need in our community, and teach our kids along the way,” Loop summarizes. “Out of the city limits and on our own land. We sure weren’t bothering anyone.”

And then came a knock on the door from a county code enforcement official: What are you building?

Green Light?
Loop hid nothing, she insists.

“I was proud and excited. I told the county officer exactly what I was building and why.”

Initially, the officer told Loop a permit was required for greenhouse construction.

One-two punch of stop-work-orders issued to Loop roughly a month apart.

(Photo by Loop family)

“I showed him the agricultural definitions in county code that stated a permit wasn’t required. This was agricultural, as in attempting to grow with intent of profit. Right then, from the start, the county knew I’d be selling crops.”

(Teller County officials did not respond to Agweb interview requests regarding Loop’s greenhouse.)

Loop cited Section R105 Permits R105.2, Work exempt from permit … 12. Agricultural buildings that meet all the following: (a) are used solely for the agricultural uses that are the basis for the property being classified as agricultural land by the County Assessor, (b) are not used for residential purposes, such as storing household items, personal vehicles, etc., and (c) meet the setback requirements of the Land Use Regulations that would apply were a building permit required. Although no permit for such buildings is required, all construction is required to follow all current building codes in place.

“The officer gave me a green light, but said I’d need to get a permit for the electricity when I put in electricity. Absolutely.”

Fast forward a year into May 2025. Loop obtained an electrical permit. The greenhouse was near completion, almost ready for installation of a fan-circulation system. “Teller County then came out for inspection and put a stop-work-order on me,” Loop recounts. “I’d spent $150,000 and was on my own land, out in the county, and about to meet a genuine food need. But none of that mattered. Only the regulations mattered.”

Tomato Crimes?
Thus began a hamster wheel of appeals, letters, and meetings.

“They pulled the stop work order knowing I needed a profit for an FSA application. I got the stop work order pulled and we put in $15,000 worth of electricity. They came and inspected that, and once again, they hit me with a second stop work order,” Loop recalls. “That was the bottom line —they would find a way to block our greenhouse, no matter what hoops we jumped through. Literally, you have to appeal to basically the same people that say you’re in violation to begin with.”

“That was the bottom line—they would find a way to block our greenhouse, no matter what hoops we jumped through,” Loop says.

(Photo courtesy of Loop family)

“I showed county officials their own code definition: ‘Agricultural land is located in an incorporated or unincorporated area (without regard to zoning),’ but they didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. I met with Planning Director Dan Swallow and he was completely dismissive. I was treated awfully in front of my kids and he didn’t want to hear a word.”

On June 17, Teller County sent Loop a letter listing her violations: Your property is classified as residential by the Teller County Assessor. This classification disqualifies you from the agricultural exemption from building permits.

“The permit isn’t the problem,” Loop details. “I have applied for the permit and they denied the permit too, citing zoning for commercial use. I can have the building if I don’t sell, but even if I say I wont sell, they still won’t give me the permit.”

“That’s it, according to the county,” she continues. “They said my appeal privileges were over and to tear down the structure. They sent another letter in July from Swallow and it included all the ways they could ruin me with penalties, take me to county and district court, and count every single day I’m in violation as a separate offense.”

And all stemming from the crime of attempting to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse beyond code — an agricultural action, Loop insists, that is protected by an overriding authority: The Farm Stand Act.

Word Games
Regardless of county codes, regulations, or rules, Loop cites an agricultural trump card as her greenhouse protection. Specifically, Colorado’s Farm Stand Act , passed in 2019: Concerning the ability of a farm stand to be operated on a principal use site of any sized land area regardless of whether the site has been zoned by a local government for agricultural operations.

“I’d spent $150,000 and was on my own land, out in the county, and about to meet a genuine food need. But none of that mattered. Only the regulations mattered.”

(Photo courtesy of Loop family)

The Act’s final paragraph is particularly explicit, she says: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a farm stand may be located on a parcel of any size. The retail sale of goods to the public by a farm stand must include goods or other agricultural products that are grown or produced on the principal use site on which the farm stand is located or may include agricultural products resulting from the agricultural operation that not conducted on the principal use sit to the extent permitted by the applicable local government. Nothing in this Article 31 prohibits a local government from requiring the operator of a farm stand to obtain a valid license or permit or to comply with any other applicable laws prior to operating the farm stand but in no way shall such local permitting, licensing, or other applicable legal requirements deny the use of the site as described in this section.

“I’m not a lawyer, but I don’t have to play word games to understand what the Act says. The county has no way around the text, other to pretend I don’t have a farm stand. However, my greenhouse is a dual farm stand — a place to sell and grow, and I’m protected by this very state law.”

Regulation and Reason
How did Teller County respond to Loop’s assertions regarding the Farm Stand Act?

“They told me they ‘didn’t have to follow state law’ in this case,” Loop contends. “I asked, ‘Why?’ and they still haven’t given me a response because they know there’s not a straight answer. State law supersedes county regulations and they know it.”

Colorado State Senator Mark Baisley , representing eight counties, including Teller County, has taken interest in Loop’s case. Baisley has spoken with all three county commissioners, the county attorney, the Colorado Office of Legislative Legal Services, and Capitol attorneys regarding Right to Farm.

In an email statement to Agweb, Baisley states his support of Loop and the Farm Stand Act. He references the aforementioned final paragraph: “My advice to Ms. Loop is that she attempt to resolve the matter informally with the County directly or obtain legal counsel to assert the position that her property meets the description of a farm stand and ‘IN NO WAY SHALL SUCH LOCAL PERMITTING, LICENSING, OR OTHER APPLICABLE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS DENY THE USE OF THE SITE AS DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION.’”

“In the end, I hope for a positive outcome for Ms. Loop,” Baisley adds. “She has invested a tremendous amount of treasure and energy into this entrepreneurial dream.”

“They use regulations like a battering ram, but they’re not above state law,” Loop contends. “Our state’s Farm Stand Act of 2019 gives me the right to operate.”

(Photo courtesy of Loop family)

Teller County’s reaction to Loop’s greenhouse comes with a heavy dose of irony, she believes. On page 14 of the county’s 15-year Strategic Plan 2021-2036 , the report lists a particularly relevant “anticipated” need: Financial support to implement programs that support healthy eating, active living for aging senior population.

“You gotta be kidding. How ironic can you get?” Loop exclaims. “It’s in black-and-white in their own plan. They’re concerned about getting finances to boost healthy eating. In reality, they don’t have to find the funding. I’ve already paid for it myself, but look how I’m being treated for daring to supply my community with food.”

What happens next?

If necessary, Loop intends to fight in court. “I’m up against unreal power, but I’m willing to fight for several reasons. One, my family and I want to provide vegetables to our community at scale — something that hasn’t been done around here since about 1930. Two, I want to bring attention to this overregulation so it helps someone else down the road. Regulation shouldn’t override basic reason.”

Loop’s legal fight includes a GoFundMe account : “If I have to go to court, then that’s what I’ll do,” she concludes. “I have the right on my own land to both grow and sell crops.”

For more from Chris Bennett (@ChrisBennettMS or cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:
County Shuts Down 15-Yr-Old’s Bait Stand on Family Farm, Threatens Daily Fines

City Gov to Seize 175-Year-Old Farm by Eminent Domain, Replace with Affordable Housing

Ghost Cattle: $650M Ponzi Rocks Livestock Industry, Money Still Missing

Game of Horns: Iowa Poacher’s Antler Addiction Leads to Historic Bust

How the Deep State Tried, and Failed, to Crush an American Farmer

Sisters of Farm Fraud: How 4 Siblings Fleeced USDA for $10M

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

USDA Takes 'Bold Action' to Crack Down on Foreign-Owned Farmland, Targets China

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 19:04:07 GMT

The Trump administration is focusing on national security in agriculture, which includes action to help eliminate foreign-owned farmland. USDA unveiled the National Farm Security Action Plan this week, a strategy that is aimed at protecting and securing American farmland from foreign influence, as well as defending innovation.

The plan is the next pillar of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ Make Agriculture Great Again initiative. USDA calls it a “historic plan” that “elevates American agriculture as a key element of our nation’s national security, addressing urgent threats from foreign adversaries and strengthening the resilience of our nation’s food and agricultural systems.”

The Trump administration has been facing increased pressure to crack down on the amount of foreign-owned farmland in the U.S., especially surrounding U.S. military bases.

“We feed the world. We lead the world. And we’ll never let foreign adversaries control our land, our labs, or our livelihoods,” said Rollins. “This Action Plan puts America’s farmers, families, and future first — exactly where they belong. Under President Trump’s leadership, American agriculture will be strong, secure, and resilient. He will never stop fighting for our farmers and our ranchers.

“Too much American land is owned by nationals of adversarial countries, and more than 265,000 acres in the United States are owned by Chinese nationals, much of which is located near critical U.S. military bases ,” Rollins also told reporters Monday.

USDA's National Farm Security Action Plan, announced today under @SecRollins' Make Agriculture Great Again initiative, safeguards our food supply, strengthens infrastructure, & defends U.S. ag innovation from foreign adversaries.

🔗https://t.co/8wl5YfIzju pic.twitter.com/cqRv4PU6Th
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) July 8, 2025

In what USDA calls “aggressive action,” the agency says it is addressing seven critical areas, which include:

Secure and protect American farmland — Address U.S. foreign farmland ownership from adversaries head on. Total transparency. Tougher penalties.
Enhance agricultural supply chain resilience — Refocus domestic investment into key manufacturing sectors and identify non-adversarial partners to work with when domestic production is not available. Plan for contingencies.
Protect U.S. nutrition safety net from fraud and foreign exploitation — Billions have been stolen by foreign crime rings. That ends now.
Defend agricultural research and innovation — No more sweetheart deals or secret pacts with hostile nations. American ideas stay in America.
Put America first in every USDA program — From farm loans to food safety, every program will reflect the America First agenda.
Safeguard plant and animal health — Crack down on bio-threats before they ever reach American soil.
Protect critical infrastructure — Farms, food and supply chains are national security assets — and will be treated as such.

Rollins wasn’t alone in unveiling the new plan. Along with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and several state governors, Rollins says the Trump administration is creating a united front to address foreign threats.

FARM SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, the Trump Administration launched the National Farm Security Action plan to protect our farmland and food supply from foreign threats. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/hUwxknmGYK
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2025

“Getting an understanding of why foreign entities, companies and individuals buy up land around those bases. That’s something I should be paying attention to,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during the press conference this week.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins conducts a news conference to announce the National Farm Security Action Plan and “discuss actions being taken to protect American agriculture from foreign threats,” outside the USDA Whitten Building on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also appear.

((Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA))

USDA says it’s launching a new online portal for farmers, ranchers, and others to report possible false or failed reporting and compliance with respect to Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA).

“Further, the portal will receive and review claims of adversarial foreign influence on federal, state, and local policymakers with respect to purchases of U.S. farmland and business dealings in other facets of U.S. agricultural supply chains. Submissions may be accepted anonymously or contact information may be provided for appropriate follow up by USDA.”

As background, USDA explained AFIDA requires foreign investors who acquire, transfer, or hold an interest in U.S. agricultural land to report such holdings and transactions to the Secretary of Agriculture. USDA says In January 2024, the Government Accountability Office published a report on foreign investments in U.S. agricultural land, which provided recommendations for enhancing efforts to collect, track, and share key information to identify national security risks.

Increasing Biosecurity Threats

Rollins specifically mentioned increasing biosecurity threats from China.

As AgWeb reported in June , another Chinese national is accused of smuggling biological materials related to roundworms into the U.S. for work at a University of Michigan laboratory. According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Chengxuan Han is charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements.

That followed two Chinese nationals charged with trying to smuggle a fungus , Fusarium graminearum, into the U.S. just a week prior.

USDA says those recent events highlight the critical need for this action.

“Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice charged foreign nationals, including a Chinese Communist Party member, with smuggling a noxious fungus into the United States — a potential agroterrorism weapon responsible for billions in global crop losses. The scheme involved a U.S. research lab and highlighted a disturbing trend: America’s enemies are playing the long game — infiltrating our research, buying up our farmland, stealing our technology, and launching cyberattacks on our food systems. These actions expose strategic vulnerabilities in America’s food and agriculture supply chain,” USDA said in a release.

Foreign-Owned Farmland By the Numbers

The foreign-owned farmland piece drew this biggest coverage out of USDA’s announcement this week . As AgWeb reported last year , when you look at the numbers, China doesn’t own the most farmland in the U.S.. According to a USDA report, it’s actually Canada, which accounts for 32%, or 14.2 million acres. But as USDA said on Tuesday, the concern is the amount of farmland owned by China is growing.

Foreign-Owned Land by County

(USDA)

Rounding out the top five are the Netherlands at 12%, Italy at 6%, the United Kingdom at 6% and Germany at 5%. Together, citizens in those countries hold 13 million acres, or 29%, of the foreign-held acres in the U.S. China owns less than 1%, or 349,442 acres.

All told, 43.4 million acres of forest and farmland in the U.S., or 3.4% of all ag land, is foreign owned as of Dec. 31, 2022. Roughly 30 million of those acres are reported as foreign owned, with the remainder primarily under a 10-year-or-longer lease. Of the 30 million, 66% is owner-operated, 14% has a tenant or sharecropper as the producer and 12% report a manager other than the owner or a tenant/sharecropper as producer. The remaining 7% are “NA.”

USDA says the two biggest Chinese-owned companies with land holdings in the U.S. are Brazos Highland and Murphy Brown LLC, which owns Smithfield Foods. Brazos Highland reported owning 102,345 acres, and Smithfield owns 97,975 acres.

The top five states with the largest Chinese holdings are:

Texas at 162,167 acres
North Carolina at 44,776 acres
Missouri at 43,071 acres
Utah at 32,447 acres
Virginia at 14,382 acres

USDA reports those five states combined account for 85% of China’s farmland ownership. In Texas, USDA reports China has long-term leases associated with wind energy, and in North Carolina and Missouri, ownership is tied to Smithfield and producers who contract for pork production.

Unintended Consequences?

Foreign-held farmland has become a hot-button topic on Capitol Hill, but some warn unintended consequences could impact agriculture, especially for those industries who have companies that are Chinese owned. Just take Smithfield as an example. If Smithfield is targeted, some fear that could create more consolidation in the hog industry.

“It’s an emotional issue, and it’s not a simple issue either,” Jim Wiesemeyer, a long-time Washington analyst, told AgWeb. “I was recently in Missouri, and some commodity leaders worry about the negative consequences of going too far. No one’s saying China should not be watched relative to buying farmland near airports, national security is involved in that case, but more than a few farmers are looking at the potential downsides for pork producers who contract with Smithfield and the number of acres they own.”

While there isn’t a single, comprehensive ban on China owning farmland across all states, many states have introduced or enacted laws restricting or prohibiting foreign ownership of agricultural land, with a focus on China. That includes Texas, Florida and several Midwestern states that have enacted laws restricting or banning purchases by specific countries, including China.

One of those unintended consequences played out in Arkansas when Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders

In 2023, Arkansas became the first state to enforce a law banning certain foreign entities from owning agricultural land, specifically targeting those deemed “prohibited foreign parties.” This action was taken against a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds , a Chinese-owned company, ordering them to divest their farmland.

“I’m announcing Syngenta, a Chinese state-owned agrichemical company, must give up its landing holdings in Arkansas,” said Sanders, referencing a 160-acre research site owned by Northrup King Seed, a Syngenta subsidiary.

Sanders was present as USDA rolled out the new plan this week.

“Arkansas led the nation in kicking Communist China off our farmland and out of our state because we understand that farm security is national security,” said Sanders. “I applaud President Trump and Secretary Rollins for putting America first with this bold USDA Action Plan to protect our food supply, our economy, and our freedom.”

It’s an issue that’s not going away. More states are considering addressing foreign-owned farmland with legislation, as well.

🇨🇳There’s a troubling correlation between Chinese-owned farmland in America and the location of our military bases.

🌾Assembly Bill 4781 by Asm. Alex Sauickie, Asw. Dawn Fantasia, and me would stop this in its tracks in New Jersey.

🚨With today’s announcement by the U.S.… pic.twitter.com/1CGA7K9Iwj
— Mike Inganamort (@MikeInganamort) July 8, 2025

States Applaud USDA’s Aggressive Plan

Governors and state agriculture secretaries were on hand for the announcement this week, applauding USDA’s plan.

“Tennesseans know that our farmland is our national security, our economic future, and our children’s heritage. The National Farm Security Action Plan puts America First by defending our farmland from foreign adversaries and protecting our food supply, and I thank the Trump Administration for its bold leadership,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

“Farm Security = Food Security = National Security. Thanks to these actions taken by President Trump and his team, we can further protect the backbone of Nebraska’s economy from foreign adversaries like China. Homeland security starts at home, and we will continue to do our part in Nebraska,” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said in a news release.

“I am grateful for Secretary Brooke Rollins’ bold leadership in advancing USDA’s Ag Security Agenda, which prioritizes safeguarding American agriculture and farmland from those who seek to undermine our nation’s food and energy security. Iowa’s multi-generation family farms are the backbone of our state’s economy and way of life. For decades, Iowa has banned the foreign ownership of farmland, a law we strengthened in 2024, to preserve our agricultural integrity and security while balancing the need for foreign business investment in our state. I fully support Secretary Rollins’ and the Trump Administration’s efforts to bolster enforcement, increase reporting, and enhance transparency of land ownership laws at the national level to guarantee that our American farmland remains in the hands of Americans,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.

5 Options to Consider During Farmland Transitions

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:40:34 GMT

Transitions are hard. It doesn’t matter what the transition involves, the nature of moving from one thing to the next is complicated. Farmland may be one of the toughest, says Steve Bohr of Farm Financial Strategies in Lisbon, Iowa.

“Farmers often believe that what differentiates him or her is their ability to own the land,” Bohr explains. “And by God, you’re not taking it away from them. A lot of times, land ownership doesn’t transfer until death, and I’m OK with that. But we’ve got to drill down and figure out how that land is going to transition from one generation to the next.”

Over the years, he’s discovered there are three fundamental areas of concern in an estate and farm transition plan that each family should independently address — cost of administration, creditor protection, and transition plans for land and operating assets.

He shares five options to consider for the transition of land assets.

1. Give the land to the farmer.
The first option is to get the land transitioned to those who are farming it or have an affinity to own it, Bohr says. Each generation cannot afford to take a step back in equity and expect to compete in today’s marketplace.

“The clear problem with that is, how are we fair to the ones who aren’t interested in farming? Every family is different,” he says.

If your family is expecting to farm the same (or more) acres with a land base that has been divided across siblings, each generation will be in a weaker position to complete. How many times will your family have to pay for the same land? Which generation will eventually lose it due to no fault of their own (other than choosing to carry on the legacy)?

2. Divide the land equally.
An undivided ownership in real estate can cause great anxiety for the owners of the land who want to farm it or who want to continue to own it, he explains. There is a greater chance of peace if you divide the land, but also a greater chance it gets away from the family.

“Most people believe this is the answer,” Bohr says. “I don’t believe that, because the problem with dividing the land is that it’s a recipe for the land to get away from us. Whether it’s divorce, bankruptcy or poor planning.”

At some point in time, the more people involved, and the more independence those people have, the land’s going to get away from you. If it doesn’t, then it has to be divided again at the next generation. By the time you divide a farm two generations, the grandkids don’t have enough to be able to farm.

“We are dividing ourselves right out of the plat book,” Bohr says.

3. Deed land into a family trust.
Leaving the land in trust after death may be a wise option for families who cannot afford to get the land to one heir and who do not want to divide their land. There are solid reasons to leave the land in trust for management, including if one or more children have marital, money or addiction issues or if one or more children are independently wealthy.

Oftentimes, leaving land in trust gives a false sense of security that may be deferring the problem to the future.

“When we leave it in trust, we’re asking for big problems. Whenever that land comes out of trust, it can be very inflexible,” Bohr says.

4. Create a family land entity.
A land entity like a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Family Limited Partnership (FLP) has become popular for a family where the first three options do not fit.

“I call this the boomerang plan because the rules in the operating agreement of the entity always bring the land back to the family,” he says.

Those entities will have rules, and within the entities, those rules will talk about lease options and purchase options at family pricing and terms, whatever that looks like. A vast majority of them are special use paid over a 30 -year contract so they can guarantee opportunity and affordability for family members.

5. Develop a hybrid plan.
There is not one plan that fits all families. That’s why a combination of multiple options sometimes works best for most families. A hybrid plan gives everybody an opportunity.

“Right now in succession planning, I think we have to give a huge amount of understanding to what will or won’t cash flow,” Bohr says. “What are the tax ramifications? What is the timing of the transition? And are we going to give an adequate opportunity to those who are going to be that next generation in our communities, paying taxes, going to churches, going to schools?”

Your Next Read: How an Iowa Family is Passing on the Farm from One Generation to the Next

Local Bounti’s vision to grow is financed in deals totaling $145M

Mon, 15 May 2023 17:39:57 GMT

Further proof that not all funding for controlled environment agriculture has dried up, Local Bounti recently confirmed multiple financing streams that will bolster its growth and production plans.

Not only has Local Bounti agreed to a $35 million sale-leaseback with a real estate investment trust, but it also secured $110 million in available financing from Cargill Financial Services. The $145 million total in available funds will support Local Bounti’s plans to scale up production.

“The capital will allow us to run our operations and scale our business as we continue to build our national platform through locally grown facilities,” Brian Cook, president of Local Bounti, told The Packer.

Expanding across the U.S.

What’s more, Cook said, this leaseback is in line with Local Bounti’s growth trajectory and expanding distribution footprint, assuring its partners have access to the freshest locally grown produce.

The Montana-based indoor grower is focused on completing CEA facilities in Georgia, Texas and Washington, but its growth plans don’t stop once these sites are built.

“We are always looking to grow programs with our partners by solving for needs so they may hit their strategic goals,” Cook told The Packer. “Those needs can be regionally, with products, or any number of other situations that if we can solve for, we will.”

In a statement, Local Bounti’s Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Valiasek confirmed that the sale-leaseback and additional funds will finance expanding Local Bounti’s presence across the U.S.

“This cash, combined with proceeds available from our agreement with Cargill, provide us with over $58 million of capital to fund our operations,” Valiasek said in the release. “We are laser focused on executing our growth plan, further scaling up our operations and delivering locally grown, fresh and delicious produce to consumers across the country.”

The only aspect of Local Bounti’s growth that will wane as the company continues to scale its U.S. network of farm facilities is the presence of its Pete’s brand, acquired in 2022, Cook said.

“As our plan to have a nationally known presence through locally grown facilities continues to take shape, the Pete’s brand will fade to promote to consumers the great values of Local Bounti,” Cook told The Packer.

Proprietary grow technique at the heart of production

At the heart of Local Bounti’s growth strategy is cultivating its leafy greens using its proprietary “stack and flow technology” method to grow plants indoors.

“In essence, we are combining the best of both growing methods,” Cook said. “In the early phase of the growth cycle, we grow our plantlets to a specific size where the effectiveness of vertical farming peaks. We then introduce the plantlets into the greenhouse for its final growth cycle using reduced resources and Mother Nature to finish.”

The end goal is to increase output and improve unit economics within the greenhouse-grown CEA model. As Local Bounti continues to scale and grow, having a tight production strategy will be key to thriving in additional facilities across the U.S.

USDA takes swift action on ambitious Equity Commission road map to reform

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 21:11:11 GMT

Many U.S. farmers have met roadblocks in trying to secure assistance from the government, and for decades the USDA has faced criticism from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and other minority farmers citing accounts of discrimination in lending practices and program administration.

To reform these systemic inequities and respond to criticism, the Biden administration in early 2022 launched the USDA-focused Equity Commission, co-chaired by farm labor advocate and United Farm Workers President Emeritus Arturo S. Rodriguez, alongside departing Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Jewel Bronaugh.

“The goal was to bring serious people to the commission — people who had life experiences, who understood and appreciated how the USDA may have fallen short in the past,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press briefing on Feb. 28. “Folks who have dedicated their professional life [to] studying and understanding the intricacies of issues surrounding equity and folks who had a deep and abiding concern for all the people of this great country.”

The commission delved into a deep review of the department’s issues, challenges and gaps, holding four public meetings and soliciting stakeholder input on programs and practices.

In late February 2023, the commission sent its recommendations to the USDA in a comprehensive report.

“I think it’s fair to say that they met and exceeded expectations. They have put together a very serious report with specific recommendations, some of which can be done relatively soon. Some that can be done relatively easily, but many that will require time and many that will require effort,” Vilsack said in the briefing. “They dug deep. They looked at systemic issues and they raised issues that had not been raised before.”

Related news: ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ podcast — Can farmworkers star in big agtech innovations?

The 2023 Interim Report from the Equity Commission outlines a list of recommendations for the “ways USDA’s headquarters operations, field offices across the country, and its various program areas can make changes to better serve the unique needs of the department’s many and diverse stakeholders.”

The USDA has taken steps in response to the recommendations. First, the department appointed L’Tonya Davis as its first permanent chief diversity and inclusion officer.

Additionally, the USDA has just launched a program with $2.2 billion in 2023 funding to give farm assistance to farmers, ranchers and landowners that have experienced discrimination.

Equity Commission Interim Report recommendations

“The Equity Commission’s recommendations address issues that are not new to USDA, but they do require a renewed commitment to improve access to programs and services for all stakeholders and communities, inclusive of people of color, farm workers, women, Tribal and Indigenous communities, individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, rural communities, and LGBTQI+ communities,” Rodriguez, the commission co-chair, said in a news release.

In the 37-page report, the commission’s top priorities for the USDA boil down to expanding access, removing barriers and making committees more representative and accountable.

“It’s not just about improving this department for particular groups of people, it’s about creating a model department that sends a very strong message about the importance of inclusion, the importance of equity, the importance of diversity, the understanding that this is how you get one step closer to what our Constitution requires of us,” Vilsack said in the briefing. “We have a long way to go to become a perfect USDA, but you provided us a road map for how to get there [and] how to take a step closer to realizing our fullest potential.”

Top recommendations in the Equity Commission Interim Report include:

Offering new sources of capital to owners with inherited property and fractionated or split land.
Introducing steps to prevent the creation of segmented types of property to reduce additional barriers to USDA programs.
Making USDA’s county committees — an important mechanism for connecting USDA’s programs with farm communities — more equitable, representative, accountable and transparent.
Improving language access to USDA programs and services for linguistically and culturally diverse communities.

A final version of the report, which will include additional recommendations from the Rural Community Economic Development Subcommittee, is slated to release in late 2023.

Authorized and funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, the Equity Commission is an important component of the department’s and President Joe Biden’s vision to advance racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government .

“The USDA is committed to turning the tide and ensuring those who seek access to land, capital, markets, nutrition assistance and agriculture education and experience can do so, regardless of their background. We’re confident the work of the Equity Commission will bolster our efforts to realize lasting change at USDA and are grateful to the members for taking on this work,” Vilsack said in a news release.

Assistance for farmers who have experienced discrimination

In response to the commission’s recommendations to end and repair historic discrimination practices, the USDA confirmed a 2023 program to offer financial assistance to farmers, ranchers or forest landowners who have previously suffered discrimination from the USDA’s farm lending programs.

The department set a target for distributing the $2.2 billion in appropriated funds, which were authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, to borrowers by the end of 2023.

“These funds are yet another stepping stone in the long march towards justice and an inclusive, equitable USDA. Through this program and a neutral, comprehensive financial assistance process, USDA will acknowledge wrongs of the past and open avenues that provide farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who have experienced discrimination by USDA the opportunity to be heard,” Vilsack said in a release.

“As we work to make all our programs more equitable, accessible and accountable, we are applying these same principles to make sure all Americans know how to engage with USDA’s services so we can prevent more inequities and build new levels of trust with the People’s Department going forward,” he said.

Appointing L’Tonya Davis as the USDA’s chief diversity and inclusion officer

Further bolstering the USDA’s equity strides, the farm agency recently announced the appointment of L’Tonya Davis as its first permanent chief diversity and inclusion officer. Davis will lead the USDA’s efforts to improve diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility across the department, and overseeing the implementation of the USDA’s first-ever DEIA Strategic Plan , according to a news release.

“As part of our commitment to provide equitable services and mission delivery to all, USDA is also focused on its greatest asset — its people. USDA is working to provide equitable service and mission delivery to all, including the dedicated employees who are at the heart of the service we aim to provide. Our workforce will benefit from Ms. Davis’s leadership and her commitment to ensuring our programs benefit every American,” Vilsack said in a news release.

Davis joins USDA after serving at the Food and Drug Administration, where she was most recently the director of communications and project management in the regulatory affairs office. Davis led the office’s strategic communications, public affairs, project management, and executive secretariat activities. She also served for 10 years as its official executive DEIA champion, where she established the office’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) infrastructure strategic goals.

“Ms. Davis will join a team of talented, hard-working USDA employees whose work touches the lives of every American, every day,” Deputy Agriculture Secretary Jewel Bronaugh said in the release.

With Davis’ track record of management and adept leadership, she will steer the USDA to become an organization that centers employees, values, and dedication, Bronaugh added. Davis will also address persistent challenges and barriers and create a culture where everyone feels welcomed, she said.

More information about this work can be accessed at usda.gov/equity , where USDA will continue to share updates on its progress.

Who Can Afford These Soaring Farmland Prices?

Sat, 07 Jan 2023 14:14:19 GMT

Farmland prices continue to soar, as a new record Iowa land sale occurred in Dubuque County, Iowa last week with High Point Land Company claiming it auctioned off 60 acres for $30,000 per acre.

With the financial stakes so high, who can afford to make these big money moves?

Bill Gates

Amassed with a newly purchased 2,100-acre farm in North Dakota, Bill Gates’ Red River Trust now holds the title of a cool 270,000 acres of land across the U.S.

(Farm Journal)

However, AgDay reports the tech moguls’ entrance into North Dakota, at a cost of $6,000 per acre, might not be the warm welcome he may have received in other states.

Law-Abiding Citizens

North Dakota hosts “corporate farming laws” that barres corporations and limited liability companies from owning and leasing farms and ranches.

With the Gates’s new $13.5 million farmland purchase, North Dakotans—including the attorney general—are concerned the sale violates the state’s law.

The North Dakota attorney general’s office sent a letter to the Red River Trust on Tuesday, alerting the trustee of the North Dakota land law.

“Our office needs to confirm how your company uses this land and whether this use meets any of the statutory exceptions, such as the business purpose exception,” wrote Drew Wrigley, North Dakota attorney general.

The attorney general has not yet released a response from the Red River Trust.

A Dose of Perspective

The Microsoft cofounder isn’t far ahead in the private farmland ownership charts.

As of 2022, Gates sits on the farmland list among other celebrities mixed with a few farmers:

Bill Gates: 270,000 acres in 19 states, with his largest holdings in Louisiana (69,100 acres), Arkansas (48,000 acres) and Nebraska (20,500 acres).
Ted Turner: Founder of CNN who owns over 200,00 acres in Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, South Dakota and New Mexico.
Stewart and Lynda Resnick: Owners of Wonderful. The two boast 192,000 acres in California and Texas.
Offutt family: Owners of RDO Equipment, also own 190,000 acres in North Dakota, where they primarily grow potatoes.
Fanjul family: Florida Crystals Corp. owners tend 152,000 acres of sugarcane production in South Florida.
Boswell family: Owners of the JG Bowell Tomato Company that tend to 150,000 acres of tomatoes and cotton in Central California.
Stan Kroenke: Real estate mogul and owner of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment who owns 124,000 acres in Montana.
Gaylon Lawrence Jr: CEO of the Lawrence Group who owns 115,000 acres from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
John Molone: Founder of TCI—a company he later sold to AT&T for a cool $50 billion—hosts 100,000 acres in Colorado, Wyoming, Maine and New Mexico—land thatincludes various well-known ranches.
Simplot family: Operate 82,500 acres in Idaho and Washington including potato production and cattle feedlots.

More on farmland:
New Farmland Price Record: $25,000 Per Acre in Plymouth County, Iowa

Up, Up, Up: 3-Year Farmland Price Trends from 18 States

No Price Top in Sight for Farmland Values

Who's Really Behind All These Record Farmland Sales?

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 15:11:51 GMT

The number of record farmland sales was a major story in 2022. Just when farmers thought a $20,000 per acre farmland sale was rare, a $30,000 farmland sale happened late in 2022, further concreting the idea that 2022 would be a historic year for the land market .

Farmers National Company released its 2023 land values report this week, showing landowners selling property experienced values never-before-seen for their farmland. Land sold at auctions set records in several states with values across Corn Belt states seeing a year-to-year increase between 20% and 34%.

What’s driving the dynamic land auction market? Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company says strong commodity prices, along with not enough supply to meet the demand, are the main drivers today.

“I’ve been in this business over 25 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Schadegg. “I’ve been through the ebbs and flows of some of these ag cycles and saw land markets come up in the 90s, in the early 2000s, that we thought we’d never see those values again. But we’ve never had everything come together with such strong commodity markets and such strong demand.”

Historic Farmland Auctions

Farmers National Company says it saw record sales volume of $766 million in 2022, which exceeds the previous record set in 2021. The majority of those sales were through auction. Farmers National Company says the auction market brought increases in both total transactions, as well as acres sold, but the hunger from buyers was still more than the land market could produce.

“Our data is showing that nearly 80% of the buyers, the final buyers of land, are still those local owner operators that have been looking to add land to their operation,” Schadegg points out. “But with that being said, the reason that there’s so much competition in the market is that you have these either individual investors or investment groups who are helping to drive that those bids up there. So even though that investor may not have been the buyer, they were part of the equation and cause that operator to bid it up.”

Farmland Outlook for 2023

While not every sale is coming in above $20,000, each region is reporting a slew of record farmland sales, which is a theme that seems to be on track for 2023. Schadegg says his outlook for farmland prices in the new year is one that takes into account the amount of land available and options to reinvest that money somewhere else.

“My thought is that we’re probably going to see, values stay really strong, because there’s still a limited amount of, of land come into the market. We’ve got a lot of landowners that they look at that opportunity to sell at record prices. But then they look at what am I going to do with that money? Where am I going to reinvest that money that is anything better than what I have? And so there’s some that they consider selling, and then they decide, you know, I think I’m going to hold on to this asset,” he says.

The one caveat is the outlook for commodity prices. With higher input prices, inflation, along with the possibility of pressure in the commodity price sector, Schadegg thinks those factors could impact overall farmland values in the new year.

“We’re coming into 2023, similar to what we did 2021 where we’re very cautious about where where’s this land market is going to go,” he says. “One little glitch in commodity markets is we continue to see interest rates rise and we continue to see inflation increase and inputs costing more. We are very cautious about where this land market could go. I don’t think it’s going to drop out of the sky, but I really think we’re going to see some kind of a settling of values just because of all those other factors that weren’t quite as strong and play a year ago.”

5 Eye-Popping Farmland Sales from 5 States

$30,000 Per Acre? Yep, The Details on the Latest Record-Breaking Farmland Sale

Beyond the Buzz: Land Values, Fundamentals and New Services

Why water is the new oil for landowners

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:00:30 GMT

There are signs that water is the new oil.

This is a question sent in by U.S. Farm Report viewer David Marshall of Lafayette, Indiana: “You’ve covered the subject of foreign land ownership and rightly noted that it’s a very small percentage. I think the issue that we really need to address, especially in the southwestern states, is the purchasing of farmland by corporate entities that have nothing to do with farming but who solely want to obtain the water rights that the purchase of the ground includes. Their main reason for purchasing the land is to have a resource that they can sell to the highest bidder. How long before hedge funds and corporations own all the water rights and the farmer and the public are left to be the highest bidder or do without the needed resource?”

As Mark Twain said, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.” While our arguably arcane water rights laws have provided thousands of billable hours for water lawyers in the West, I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet.

“First in time, first in line” may have seemed like a good idea centuries ago when rivers and groundwater appeared inexhaustible, the enormous use by modern agriculture — about 80% of our nation’s resources — is testing the practicality of those laws. I can’t imagine modern lawmakers reforming our laws with the needed speed, so the backup method of acquisition for water consumers is to buy the water needed from agriculture.

Bluntly put, there is a price for every gallon, and many farmers are just now realizing how extremely valuable those gallons are.

As I have argued in every land-use debate — from solar panels to suburban development — with rare exceptions due to location or unique qualities, the rights of landowners should be preeminent to allow the market to redistribute those assets.

Consider the rapidly growing cities of the Southwest, like Phoenix. Spending millions to buy water rights from nearby farmers currently growing alfalfa in the desert to feed dairy cows, when milk is being dumped in Wisconsin, looks to me like an inefficient market hampered by regulation and unable to rationally allocate assets.

Between our outdated milk pricing programs and water laws, the outcome you describe is capitalism’s way of solving a problem. Farming may always be the optimal use for our ever-scarcer water.

I think not, but I think this is a problem being solved by accountants, not lawyers.

Communication Builds Strong Partnerships with Landlords

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 15:23:09 GMT

I’ve spent enough time coaching teams, volunteering in organizations and working with groups of people to know communication is hard. As a result, most of time it’s poorly executed or simply nonexistent. While it’s important for everyone to participate, I believe good communication and updates fall squarely on the shoulders of the organization’s leader.

As I think about farmers and landowners, it’s clear good communication is a pathway to stronger relationships and improved trust. Of course, not everyone has a landowner to satisfy, but for those who do, here are a few tips from my own experience on both sides of this relationship.

6 QUICK TOUCH POINTS

Check out this simple list. With just six quick notes a year, you can provide real, relevant information to your landlords.

Spring Field Work: Before showing up on a farm, send a text or email saying when you’re coming and what you plan to get done.

Post Field Prep: Update on how field work went and any relevant info about planting or nutrient management plans.

Planting: Share a note that it’s happening and pertinent weather conditions i.e. “We’re behind because it’s been a wet spring.”

Mid-Season: If you’re flying or spraying a field, a heads-up before starting ensures the landowner doesn’t have plans interrupted.

Harvest: Let owners know when you’re starting and actual yield data. That’s all they want to see after an entire season of watching crops grow.

Payment: Regardless of if you’re crop sharing or cash renting, share two updates: one to note payment is due and one to let them know when it’s on the way.

Remember, for many a farm might have been in their family for generations. They have a vested interest in seeing it cared for and managed.

Plus, they own it. They deserve to know what’s happening.

Of course, you’ll need to spend time with these landowners when it’s renewal season. Keeping them informed of your efforts throughout the year is sure to payoff.

Can you get by with less? Yes, but diligent communication is never a waste and might solve problems before they ever become an issue.

High Exposure: Understand How Record Farmland Prices Impact Your Estate Plan

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 19:40:35 GMT

When you hear of a new record sale of farmland it raises eyebrows — and your farmland’s worth. With this key asset rapidly increasing in value, you need to analyze your estate plan.

“All farmers undervalue their land,” says Randall Borkus, partner with Borkus Law Group. “They always think people overpay for farmland, but what neighbors pay is essentially the fair market value for your land.”

On average, he says, 80% of a farmer’s assets are tied up in farmland. This is important when it comes to planning. For 2022, the lifetime estate tax exemption is $12.06 million per person, meaning you won’t owe federal estate taxes for gifting that amount or less to children or other beneficiaries during life or at your death. You could owe up to 40% estate taxes on above that.

The exemption will adjust for inflation through 2025, but then it is expected to drop to nearly half of that ($6.5 million to $7 million) in 2026. “As a result, you could quickly have a tax exposure,” Borkus says.

ASSESS YOUR ASSETS

To understand your situation, start with an inventory of your assets and debts. “Essentially, create a rough balance sheet for your farm,” says Roger McEowen, agricultural tax expert at Washburn University School of Law.

As the planning process progresses, those estimates need to become specific.

“The only way to really determine what land is worth is to sell it,” Borkus explains. “If you’re not ready to sell it to find out the value, you have to have a formal appraisal.”

Another option is to compile farmland survey data from universities or farmland management companies. With reviewing sales data, McEowen suggests throwing out the outliers. Instead, watch the trend lines.

“Land values have in essence doubled in the last year or two,” he says. “For instance, if a 500-acre Iowa farm sells at $15,000 per acre, that’s $7.5 million.”

You want to review your plan when you have a change in your family or goals or when there’s a policy change. A doubling in your biggest asset easily qualifies.

Read More

3 Reasons Your Family Could End Up in Court (And How to Avoid It)

Who Gets What? Take This Important Estate Planning Step

Power of Portability: This Estate Tax Tool Can Save You Millions

4 Keys to Building Land Lease Relationships that Last

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 18:29:01 GMT

With farmland sale prices reaching $30,000 in some parts of the Midwest, the prospect of leasing land—as the owner or producer—has become increasingly more favorable.

If you’re renting farmland to or from others, you have many things to consider – from managing long-term lease agreements and land improvements to zeroing in on the right farm insurance and liability protection.

Max Wenck, who farms and leases land in both South Dakota and Wisconsin, tells Andrew McCrea he’s learned a thing or two from being on both sides of the lease fence. Here are his tips:

1. Find Your Equilibrium

Trust is the mold to a lasting farmland lease relationship, in Wenck’s view.

“It’s hard to build trust when one party doesn’t feel that they’re being treated fairly,” he says. “If something isn’t working for you, it’s your job to explore that and figure out how you can make that right.”

With trust as the mold, Wenck says fairness is the mortar that needs to be reapplied each season.

“A lot of people have different approaches to price negotiations. My approach has always been to have some basis for why I believe the transaction is worth whatever it is. This helps to come to an agreement that is fair, meets each person’s needs and based on fact, rather than something I’ve heard or feel.”

In order to build on trust and fairness, Wenck expects a steady stream of communication.

2. Bring Data to the Negotiation Table

According to Wenck, high commodity prices are a catalyst for a lot of conversation in his neck of the woods, and he’s concerned for those leasing and leasing out.

However, if either side of the fence proposes a change in rental prices, Wenck says both sides can prepare by having data at the ready.

“You want to make it fair. But as a tenant, you need to prove what’s fair,” he says. “If you can provide some information to back up the cost of inputs and what it takes to raise your crop, you might be able to take a significant rent increase off the table.”

Along with data, Wenck says it’s also important to have insurance knowledge on hand.

3. Ask the Difficult Insurance Questions

If you don’t know what to ask, ask what to ask. That’s the insurance advice Wenck imparted on McCrea in the episode of Farming the Countryside.

In Wenck’s experience, there are a few heavy hitters that often get overlooked:
• Mutual understanding of the liability insurance.
• Items covered in the farm’s buildings—structure and its contents.
• FSA payment entitlement

“In the past, when I was farming leased land, I wasn’t proactive in communicating to the landowner some aspects of a farm program we were enrolled in. The landlord felt entitled to an FSA payment and had to go to the local agency to get an answer. But that was a big miss on my part as the tenant,” he says.

And he adds the scenario taught him to be more upfront with landlords about all aspects of FSA programs, while also working to communicate he cares about the land and the landowner.

4. A Time to Share

According to Wenck, there are three “great” opportunities to communicate as a landowner.

“With most of our leases, there’s a spring and fall payment. These are opportunities to write a little note about how the season has played out on their land in particular,” he says. “If I have a moment, I’ll snap a picture of their farm and the newly planted or harvested field and send it in a text.”

Over time, Wenck says these small acts will amount to a stronger relationship that might “surprise” both parties. He says the tenant will understand this surprise once he sends the note and text.

“Sometimes it has nothing to do with price and everything to do with the extra things you’re willing to put forth, to know, and to care about your land or someone else’s,” he says.

Want to Know More?

McCrea’s conversation on insurance will continue in coming weeks as he will moderate farmland lease panels on Nov. 29 and Dec. 9.

To register for the panels, visit AgWeb .

More on farmland :

$30,000 Per Acre? Yep, The Details on the Latest Record-Breaking Farmland Sale
High Exposure: Understand How Record Farmland Prices Impact Your Estate Plan
Foreign Farmland Ownership to be Addressed in New Study

John Deere Partners With Open Platform

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:30:32 GMT

With recent updates and emerging partnerships, John Deere operators are one step closer to fully integrated and wireless data transfer from the field.

For example, farmers can opt-in to upload their harvest field data directly into Pioneer Field360 Select software from their John Deere GreenStar 3 2630 display through MyJohnDeere. With this wireless data transfer, farmers have full access to the Pioneer Field360 agronomic services. Select software can also be used at other times of the year to generate planting and fertilizer prescription files and send them directly to the farmer’s GreenStar 3 2630 displays in the field.

The company is exploring software and application development with more than 45 partners

Introduced in 2012, MyJohnDeere.com is the online portal that connects the management of various equipment information, production data and farm operations. It’s an open platform site, meaning that approved partners can provide software and applications on its main portal.

To explore potential software and application partnerships, John Deere hosted a conference this past fall, which brought together more than 45 companies.

MyJohnDeere is part of a three-pronged strategy, which also includes JD Link and wireless data transfer. It aims to provide a centralized platform for farmers to share their data with trusted partners, including John Deere dealers or other service providers.

Customers are able to view and manage their information from smartphones, tablets and computers when and where they need it.

John Deere differentiates data into three categories: machine, production and other. Machine data examples include fuel consumption, machine health indicators, vehicle diagnostic codes and engine performance. Production data generally relates to the work farmers do with the equipment and the land on which the work is performed. For example, this category includes crop yields, field task details, materials moved and agronomic inputs applied. Other data can include variable-rate prescriptions for the field, plus user-entered notes and reports.

For more information about the company’s position on data management, including security measures, visit www.JohnDeere.com/Trust .

Give Your Soil a Physical Exam

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:05:06 GMT

New tools and tests provide benchmarks to measure progress as you improve the health of your soil

It’s a good idea to pay a visit to your doctor every year—even if you’re feeling fine. A complete physical exam can give you the piece of mind to keep doing what you’re doing, or it could uncover areas of concern.

Soil is no different. “By evaluating the health of soil, we can get an idea of what’s good; what’s bad; learn where to start making improvements; and set benchmarks to measure progress,” explains Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. “The process can tell you whether a piece of land you’re thinking about renting or purchasing will be a sound investment.”

There’s no time like the present to add a soil physical exam to your arsenal of management tools. “The sicker soil gets, the harder it is to bring it back to health,” Ferrie says. “New tools and laboratories offering soil quality analysis enable us to give soil a physical exam.”

You can’t expect all soils to attain the same level of health, Ferrie points out. “That would be like expecting an 83-year-old person to perform like a 17-year-old,” he says. “When you
understand your soil, you can make the most of what you have.”

A penetrometer measures soil resistance to penetration in pounds per square inch.

What to assess. A soil health evaluation involves assessing chemical, biological and physical aspects. You’re already familiar with the chemical aspect, which is your soil test. The biological aspect includes soil microorganisms that break down old crop residue and make nutrients available to plants.

Physical aspects include soil texture, aggregate stability, available water capacity, surface and subsurface hardness and infiltration rate. Texture and aggregate stability are key factors
that influence the other three traits.

“Soil texture—the amount of sand, silt and clay particles—affects nutrient- and water-holding capacity,” Ferrie says. “Farmers know water percolates easily into sand because of its large particles and pore spaces, but it tends to move right on through. It’s harder for water to infiltrate into a silt loam soil, but it tends to stay there after it enters. So the silt loam has more water-holding capacity.”

Think of aggregate stability as how well the soil maintains a crumb-like structure, in which sand, silt and clay particles are held together by organic matter and glues given off by mycorrhizal fungi.

“A healthy, crumb-like structure provides a stable structure for infiltrating and storing water,” says Robert Schindelbeck, Cornell University soil scientist. “The large macropores
between crumbs allow for rapid water intake and air exchange.”

A crumb-like structure allows better water infiltration, and downward and upward movement through the soil profile (via capillary action). “If we destroy that crumb-like structure (with abrasive tillage, for example), the soil surface will seal up, and water will run off,” Ferrie continues. “The surface will crust over and plants will have a tough time emerging.”

How to test. You can determine the percentage of sand, silt or clay by squeezing moist soil in your hand and trying to make a ribbon. “If it won’t make a ribbon, it’s sand,” Ferrie says. “How long a ribbon you can make determines whether it is silt loam, clay loam or some other texture.”

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers an online soil survey to help determine soil texture. You can also have it analyzed in a commercial laboratory.

“The online soil survey is an excellent resource,” Ferrie says. “Just choose your state and location, and it will tell you your soil types. From that, you can figure out the physical properties, such as organic matter content, bulk density, percent sand, silt, clay and water-holding capacity.”

Using GPS technology, an app called SoilWeb lets you stand in a field and pull up information about the field’s soil type and associated properties.

Aggregate stability can be determined by a lab, or you can figure it out yourself in the field using a slake test or a rainfall simulator, such as the Cornell University Sprinkle Infiltrometer.

“Degraded soil melts into a gooey mess after water is applied,” Schindelbeck says. “This can dry into a sealed surface crust. Well-aggregated, healthy soils have more crumbs, which retain
their structure and functionality after water is applied.”

To measure soil hardness, or compaction, you or your consultant will need to go to the field with a soil penetrometer. “Measurements must be taken when the soil moisture is at field capacity because dry soil might show resistance without being compacted,” Ferrie says. “Look for resistance above 300 psi because that’s the amount of hardness that roots have difficulty penetrating.”

There are an array of soil penetrometers on the market, with varying degrees of sophistication.

A logging penetrometer made by Spectrum Technologies measures resistance for every inch of soil. Connected to a GPS unit, it creates a map that identifies density layers in the field. Several years later, the farmer can return to the same spot to see if he has made progress in removing dense layers.

A simple infiltration rate test involves driving a 6" ring into the soil, pouring in a known volume of water and recording how long it takes to soak in the ground.

You can also measure the amount of organic matter in soil by comparing it to a simple color chart—but Ferrie recommends a laboratory analysis for repeatable results. “You need a laboratory to measure the amount of active carbon,” he says. “This is the fraction of organic matter that breaks down fastest and makes nutrients available for plants.”

“Different labs may use different organic matter tests,” points out consultant Dan Towery of Ag Conservation Solutions, West Lafayette, Ind. “It’s important to use the same lab each time, for repeatable results. Sampling depth also is important. Soil within 2" of the surface will show changes in organic matter content much faster than soil at 7".”

Another important component of soil health is mineralizable nitrogen. That is ammonium nitrogen, a form that can be used by plants and microbes, which might be provided by soil organic matter during the growing season. “If you know the soil’s potential to mineralize nitrogen, temperature and moisture conditions during the growing season, it will give you an indication of how much ammonium nitrogen will become available,” Ferrie says. “That will help you decide whether to make a late-season application of nitrogen fertilizer.”

Mineralizable nitrogen can be measured using the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test or the Cornell University Mineralizable Nitrogen Test.

Take a deep breath. Ultimately, soil health boils down to the health of soil organisms, Ferrie says—healthy soil contains more life. “It’s no exaggeration to say the “livestock” in your soil are as important as the livestock in your feedlot or dairy, and just as sensitive to their environment,” Ferrie says.

“An experienced agronomist actually can estimate the amount of life in soil by smelling it,” Ferrie notes. “It’s the scent you detect when soil is tilled. But this is subjective and difficult to document. So you need to run a soil respiration test and establish a numerical value that you can work with.”

Because microbial organisms breathe (sort of like humans), the soil respiration test reflects how many creatures are present, doing their jobs by decomposing plant residue and releasing nutrients for your crop.

The necessary equipment to measure soil respiration is included in some commercially available soil health kits. “Results will vary, depending on soil temperature and moisture levels,” Towery adds.

“The soil respiration test can be done in the field or in a lab,” Ferrie says. “For repeatability of results, always use the same type of test.”

On the road to better health. Studying your soil health analysis report along with your own yield zone map will show you where to start making improvements, Ferrie says.

Like every aspect of management, soil health requires a long-term strategy. “Take your soil samples and measurements in the spring, when soil moisture is close to capacity,” Ferrie advises. “Record locations using GPS, so you can return every three to six years and measure your progress.”

Some aspects of improved soil health—such as balancing nutrients and pH, removing compaction layers (and keeping them out), installing drainage to manage the water table and applying manure to increase organic matter—probably will boost yield and profitability quicker. Other improvements will take longer.

“Soil health is somewhat like human health,” Ferrie says. “The immediate consequences of being overweight and out of shape may not be a big deal when you’re young. But they can shorten your life, or reduce the quality of your life, many years later.”

“Improving soil health takes time, maybe several years,” Towery says. “Soil improvements you make now may or may not show an immediate benefit to your bottom line. Over time, they will result in a farming system that is profitable and sustainable for you, your kids and your grandkids.”

Soil Health Tests and Tools

The following four tests can analyze the state of your soil’s health. Most of the tools are included in commercially manufactured test kits.

In many cases, the tests can also be done by commercial laboratories. When tests can be done both ways, it’s a good idea to compare the results of both to make sure they are similar.

Soil hardness, or compaction, can be measured with a penetrometer. An Internet search will reveal several penetrometer manufacturers.

Soil respiration is measured with carbon dioxide meters or infiltration rings and Draeger tubes. In the latter technique, air is drawn through the Draeger tube and comes in contact with carbon dioxide-sensitive paper. The test measures the carbon dioxide given off by the microorganisms as they breathe.

Sprinkle Infiltrometer With Accessory Kit

The Cornell University Sprinkle Infiltrometer simulates rainfall onto the soil surface. Apply a given amount of rainfall, and measure how much soil falls through a screen. The more soil remaining on the screen, the better the crumb-like structure and the healthier the soil. You can also use an accessory kit with the Sprinkle Infiltrometer to measure the infiltration rate of water. Drive a ring equipped with a hose that captures runoff into the ground. Use the Infiltrometer to apply a given number of inches of water per hour. Subtract what runs off from what was applied to get the infiltration rate for a given period of time. Or, you can simply drive the ring into the ground and record how long it takes for each inch of water to soak into the soil.

Slake Test

“The slake test involves scraping soil off the surface, dropping it on a screen inside a cylinder and immersing the cylinder in water several times,” explains Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. “If the soil is poorly aggregated, the onrush of water as you immerse the cylinder will blow the structure apart. Then smaller silt and clay particles will fall through the screen.” The cylinder on the left in the photo shows properly aggregated soil, and the one on the right shows poorly aggregated soil.

Air Dry Clods

One way to evaluate soil structure is to air dry clods from the same soil type but with different management systems in a jar of water, says Dan Towery of Ag Conservation Solutions, West Lafayette, Ind. With healthy, crumb-like structure (right), soil particles will hold together, bonded by organic matter and by glues produced by mychorrizal fungi, which are found around plant roots. With poor structure (left), the soil falls apart, or “melts away” when immersed in water.

Cornell University Takes Lead on Soil Health

Soil health is on its way to becoming a new buzzword in agriculture, and Cornell University is leading the charge.

The Cornell University Soil Health Team was formed in 2001. The primary goal of the soil and plant researchers was to learn why plants perform poorly in degraded soil conditions, explains Cornell University soil scientist Robert Schindelbeck.

“They concluded soil degradation had reduced the functioning of multiple soil processes,” Schindelbeck says. “They realized that soil physical and biological processes, which were not represented in standard soil nutrient analyses, needed to be routinely evaluated.”

The researchers set out to develop rapid, reliable and low-cost techniques to measure indicators of essential soil processes. Their efforts resulted in a soil health test that identifies constraints on the functions of healthy soil.

The university’s soil health testing service assigns a numerical value to four physical, four biological and four chemical components of soil. The color coded Cornell Soil Health Report report flags a grower’s attention to components that are constraining soil health and crop yield.

“I’m not aware of any other soil health test that provides the holistic assessment of soil constraints that ours does,” Schindelbeck says.

The university’s Soil Health website ( http://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu ) describes the test and provides sampling and shipping instructions. A downloadable Soil Health Manual provides more information about the tests. There are links to management strategies farmers can consider to address soil health constraints. For farmers who wish to conduct their own tests of aggregate stability and infiltration, the university offers the Sprinkle Infiltrometer.

You can e-mail Darrell Smith at dsmith@farmjournal.com .

A Tale of Two Soils

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:59:23 GMT

On-farm tests help restore healthy soil characteristics

Imagine two farms less than a mile apart with the same silty clay loam and silt loam soil composition. During the past three years, corn yields on Farm A have averaged 200 bu. per acre on the silty clay loam soil and 187 bu. per acre on the silt loam. Farm B, on the other hand, has averaged only 130 bu. per acre on its silty clay loam portion and 123 bu. per acre on its silt loam.

The farmers of the two tracts use similar practices—no-till and a mostly corn/soybean rotation. The primary difference is that Farm A has been no-tilled for 30 years, and Farm B for only two years. Prior to that, it was farmed using horizontal tillage.

The massive structure of Farm B’s unhealthy soil shows why water fails to infiltrate and crop roots don’t penetrate.

Leaves, husks and silks were still evident on Farm B two years after a corn crop. Their presence indicates an absence of soil organisms, which indicates poor soil.

Perhaps you’ve seen similar yield differences in your own fields and wondered why one area yields more corn than another. Modern testing tools can help you pinpoint the culprit. On Farm B, the lower yields can be linked to poor soil health.

Farm A and Farm B are real. Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie has been working with Farm B for four years, helping the farmer restore soil health in order to boost yields.

In the beginning, Ferrie used soil pits and visual observation to evaluate soil health. But now, simple on-farm tests let him and any farm operator give the soil a “physical exam.” The tests provide numerical soil health ratings, which serve as benchmarks for evaluating soil health improvements.

Ferrie gave both farms a physical exam this past spring. “Because of the difference in soil health, the best soil on Farm B still can’t yield as well as the poorest soil on Farm A,” he says.

“Improving soil health means sustaining productivity and profitability,” Ferrie explains. “It requires a systems approach because healthy soil involves many components. The components fall into three categories—physical, chemical and biological.

“In some cases, it might be possible to fix physical and chemical problems fairly quickly. Often, improvements take many years, especially when the biological component is involved. Even so, the 70-bu. yield difference between the two farms shows that improving soil health is worth the effort.”

A physical exam—just like the one your doctor gives you—begins by assessing the farm’s appearance. Even after four years of effort on Farm B, the visual differences were still striking.

“In spring 2012, despite some heavy rains, all of the old crop residue remained in place on Farm A, which even has some slopes.” Ferrie describes. “On Farm B, with much less slope, the old crop residue and the soil eroded away, carried off by water.”

A glance at the soil surface revealed part of the reason why water is infiltrating into the soil on Farm A but running off the surface on Farm B. There were thousands of night crawler burrows visible beneath the residue on Farm A but almost none on Farm B. “Among the benefits of night crawlers, their burrows allow water to infiltrate the soil,” Ferrie says. “They also help remove excess water, functioning like part of your drainage system.”

Part of the reason water couldn’t infiltrate the soil of Farm B was its degraded structure. Digging revealed impenetrable blocks of soil, compared with Farm A’s healthy crumb-like soil structure containing macropores for water and air.

Another symptom of poor health, visible on the surface of Farm B, was two years’ worth of old crop residue. Not only was 2012’s soybean residue present, but even the fine leaves, husks and silks, which should be among the first and easiest to decompose, were present from a corn crop grown two years ago.

“That indicates a biological problem because residue is decomposed by soil organisms,” Ferrie says. “The absence of night crawlers is one of the indicators that confirms it.”

Simple tests conducted by Ferrie’s assistant, Thomas Zerebny, placed the degree of Farm B’s problems on a numerical scale. He used equipment from a Gempler’s Soil Test Kit.

A slake test, which involves immersing surface soil in water and seeing whether it holds its structure, produced scores of 2.7 for Farm B’s silt loam and 5.0 for its silty clay loam, compared to 3.7 and 5.7, respectively, for the same two soils on Farm A. The higher the score, the healthier the soil structure and the less chance it will seal over during a rainstorm and restrict infiltration.

Zerebny used a rainfall simulator, available from Cornell University’s Soil Health website, to analyze aggregate stability or structure in the top 6" of soil. It revealed that structural problems on Farm B are not limited to the surface of the soil.

The rainfall simulator also documented the difference in water infiltration caused by poor soil structure. Farm A’s silty clay loam took in 8.6" of water per hour, compared with 2.8" per hour for Farm B’s silty clay loam. Farm A’s silt loam soil took in 3.6" of water per hour, compared with only ½" per hour on Farm B’s silt loam.

Gas detection tubes (also called Draeger tubes) were used to measure the amount of carbon dioxide being released by soil organisms. The beneficial organisms breathe oxygen and release carbon dioxide, just like people, which is why soil needs pore spaces—to provide oxygen for the microbes. The amount of carbon dioxide is an indication of microbial activity. The results showed about 50% more microbial activity in the healthy soils of Farm A.

Health quest. Ferrie’s examination of the results showed that the operator of Farm B needs to continue to focus on physical and chemical issues to improve soil health. The operator is using vertical tillage tools to remove hardpans, compaction and tillage layers.

Vertical tillage and liming work together to fix structural problems. “When a field gets extremely acid, acidity destroys structure and stops water infiltration,” Ferrie says. “When we apply lime, we are attempting to flush out the acidity. If we have poor infiltration, we can’t get water into the soil to make the lime work.

“Applying lime, (calcium carbonate) helps fix structural problems and keeps pH in the 6.3 to 6.5 range, which is optimal for soil microbial activity. The carbonate bonds with hydrogen (acidity) and helps flush it out of the soil.”

Calcium improves structure by helping to flocculate clay particles. Flocculation means the particles are held together, yet somewhat apart. “It’s the first step in creating better aggregate stability or structure,” Ferrie says. “A healthy crumb-like structure lets water infiltrate and contains macropores. The macropores hold air and usable water, which is accessible to crop roots.

“Together, vertical tillage and lime applications will let us gradually build up soil pH from the 5.0 range, where it was when the operator took over the farm,” Ferrie says. “Eventually, after soil health improves, he will no-till Farm B just like his other farms.”

Cover crops are also part of Farm B’s recovery plan. Deep rooting crops can penetrate some hardpans and compacted layers. The roots of grass crops aid in the process of producing a glue-like substance that helps bind soil particles together.

In fall 2012, the farmer’s initial attempt to aerial seed a cover crop of annual ryegrass and tillage radishes failed, apparently because of environmental conditions. That illustrates how resuscitating abused soil takes a long time—probably decades for Farm B.

Regardless, gradual improvements in soil health will lead to gradual improvements in yield, Ferrie concludes. They will also lead to healthier water sources because of fewer nutrients washing away and a more sustainable farm for future generations.

Building on the Systems Approach, the Soil Health series will detail the chemical, physical and biological components of soil and how to give your crop a fighting chance. www.FarmJournal.com/soil_health

You can e-mail Darrell Smith at dsmith@farmjournal.com .

Join Farm Journal at Ag Connect Expo 2011

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:31:57 GMT

Here’s the full list of Farm Journal Media co-located education programs and events at Ag Connect Expo 2011. The second Ag Connect Expo will take place Jan. 8 to 10 (with special preview day on Jan. 7) in Atlanta, Ga. http://www.agconnectexpo.com/

The Farm Journal events include a Pro Farmer Profit Briefing Seminar; Corn College for the South; Corn College Short Course; Leave a Legacy Workshop; Dairy Today Forum: Meeting Dairy Challenges: In the Parlor, In the Field, In the World; and Beef Today Forum: Keys to Forage Profitability.

Pro Farmer Profit Briefing Seminar

Thursday, January 6, 1-5 p.m. and Friday, January 7, 7-11 a.m. (includes breakfast starting at 7 am)

Cost: $129

Tap into the extensive expertise of the Pro Farmer team at the Profit Briefing Seminar. You’ll hear an up-to-the-minute commodity market outlook, a farm policy update and analysis of the economy and land values. Click here to learn more

Agenda

Thursday, January 6

11 a.m. Registration Desk Opens

1 p.m. Welcome

1:15 p.m. Habits of Highly Successful Farmers - Danny Klinefelter

3 p.m. Break

3:30 p.m. 2011 Economic Outlook - Vince Malanga

5 p.m. Networking Reception

Friday, January 7

7 a.m. Breakfast speaker TBD

8 a.m. Policy Update - Roger Bernard

9:15 a.m. Technology Update - speaker TBD

10 a.m. Break

10:15 a.m. Commodity Market Outlook - Chip Flory

Corn College for the South

Friday, January 7, 1-4 p.m. and Saturday, January 8, 8-11 a.m.

Cost: $129

Corn growers in the South will learn how to meet the agronomic challenges of growing the crop in their geographic area. The practical tips provided will help lay the foundation for high-yield success. Click here to learn more

Corn College Short Course

Saturday, January 8, 12-3 p.m.

Speaker: Ken Ferrie and Missy Bauer, Field Agronomists, Farm Journal Media
Cost: $49

Learn the top 10 tips for increasing corn yields from Farm Journal Field Agronomists Ken Ferrie and Missy Bauer. You’ll capture knowledge you can take home and implement in your own fields – and boost yields. Click here to learn more

Beef Today Forum: Keys to Forage Profitability

Saturday, January 8, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Speakers: Garry Lacefield, Extension Forage Specialist, University of Kentucky and Don Ball, Extension Agronomist, Auburn University
Cost: $49

Feed costs are the largest drain on dollars in most cattle operations and an area where small changes can pay dividends. Participants in the forum will learn from expert forage specialists the keys to forage profitability and the importance of forage quality, whether grazing or putting up hay. They will discover how to get the most from inputs, like fertilizer and herbicides, to boost production without breaking the bank. Also they will learn about forages for the future. Click here to learn more

Dairy Today Forum: Meeting Dairy Challenges: In the Parlor, In the Field, In the World

Sunday, January 9, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Cost: $49

BMR Forage Sorghum: Opportunities and Challenges
Speaker: Robert Lemon, Agrithority

Making Milk Quality Simple
Speaker: Dave Sumrall, President and CEO,Dairy Production Systems, High Springs, FL.

Dairy’s Brave New Exporting World
Speaker: Jim Dickrell, Editor, Dairy Today

With the new year dawning, the Dairy Forum will help producers regain their footing after a devastating 24 months. Our top line-up of speakers will help dairy producers’ profit in the field by growing new varieties of high tonnage, high-quality BMR Sorghum. They’ll discover how to better manage their milking parlors by focusing on details most farmers miss. And they’ll learn of new export opportunities as China drives to triple its per capita consumption of dairy products. Click here to learn more

Leave a Legacy Workshop

Monday, January 10, 8-11 a.m.

Speaker: Kevin Spafford, Founder, Legacy by Design, LLC
Cost: $49

Creating a lasting legacy, preparing the operation for generational transfer, developing leaders for long-term growth, or planning for an unanticipated contingency—a comprehensive succession strategy is fundamental to every agribusiness. This workshop, a part of the Farm Journal Legacy Project, offers hands-on training with succession planning expert Kevin Spafford. It covers the step-by-step process for succession planning. The Legacy Project is developed by Farm Journal Media and supported by Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. Click here to learn more

Saturday, January 8, 8 - 9 a.m.

Education Breakout: Business track

Farm Land Values, Speaker: Mike Walsten, Editor, Landowner

You won’t want to miss the state-specific analysis of today’s farm land values and cash rent trends provided by Landowner Editor Mike Walsten. His report will help you know what your land is worth – and what you should or shouldn’t be paying. Click here to learn more

Saturday, January 8, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Education Breakout: Business Management track

Grain Systems for Today and How to Expand for the Future, Speaker: Gary Sorgius, Vice President, Ripco Ltd

Focus of the presentation will be on grain system design for the large grain farm operator and covers material handling, storage and drying. Gary will also discuss site selection, various types of handling, applications and different drying methods. This session will apply to existing facilities and conclude with ideas on future expansions. Click here to learn more

IMG Citrus acquires farmland and new cold storage facility in Florida

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 21:27:16 GMT

IMG Citrus, a Vero Beach, Fla.-based integrated fresh citrus company, is acquiring J&J Fresh Produce assets located in Vero Beach.

The purchase includes a new 185,000-square-foot cold storage and packaging facility along with 1,000 acres of farmland in the Delta Farms water district of Florida, according to a news release.

“This is an exciting acquisition and a key component of our growth strategy,” Melanie Ressler, co-CEO of IMG Enterprises — the parent company of IMG Citrus, said in the release. “We have been replanting citrus in Florida for the past decade while developing a summer citrus import program with strategic partners in South America. We have outgrown our existing facilities, and this acquisition will allow us to continue our growth trajectory while significantly strengthening our supply chain and logistics capabilities.”

The facility is between Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike, a few hours north of Port Everglades and the Port of Miami. The new facility will support IMG Citrus’ supply chain integration with over 3,000 pallet positions, state-of-the-art refrigeration technology, 20 dock doors and space for additional expansion.

Strategic growth through expansion and imports

“We are more than a grower. We are a strategic partner for retailers, wholesalers, importers and exporters who want to work with Florida and access the Southeast markets with the most efficient cost structure and the shortest transit time to market,” Ressler said in the release. “This facility allows us to reduce costs, food miles and increase freshness for our partners.”

Related news: Federal citrus breeding program expands to the West Coast

Despite challenges facing the Florida citrus industry in recent years, IMG Citrus has made significant acquisitions, including the 4,000-acre Happy Food citrus grove in 2019 and the 2,500-acre Imagine grove in 2021, according to the release.

“We are passionate about Florida citrus,” Ressler said in the release. “Florida produces the best-tasting grapefruit in the world, and our customers are passionate about the product. This is what gives us the confidence to invest in challenging times.”

In addition to doubling down on its commitment to Florida citrus, IMG Citrus has embraced a year-round citrus strategy by developing imports from South America.

“Our customers want citrus year-round, and they trust us to provide solutions in this category,” Ressler said in the release. “We saw an opportunity to meet their needs and utilize our packing house and cold storage facilities in the summer with imported fruit from Peru and Chile.”

The growth of IMG Citrus’ import business, which started in 2017, has exceeded 1.1 million cartons per year and is expected to continue to grow as the company expands its cold storage capacity and distribution capabilities, according to the release.

“We are excited about the potential for this new facility to support our growth and strengthen our position as a leading provider of fresh citrus,” Ressler said in the release. “We are committed to delivering the highest quality products to our customers and this acquisition allows us to continue to do so.”

Citrus under protective screens

In 2021, IMG Citrus planted its first Citrus Under Protective Screen project, a controlled environment that allows growers to produce in a citrus greening-free environment. CUPS offers several additional benefits, including reduced wind scarring, vigorous tree growth, large fruit size and opportunities for automation in production and harvesting, according to the release.

“We are encouraged by what we are seeing from our trees in CUPS, and we plan to expand the CUPS program over the coming years to further increase supply and diversify production risk,” Ressler said in the release.

Currently, most of IMG Citrus’ 11,000 citrus production acres are in traditional open-air groves. To improve and maintains these groves, IMG Citrus has adopted innovative production practices such as tree protector bags, irrigation automation, intelligent sprayers, cover crops, composting, beneficial microbes and the reduction of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals.

These practices, along with an aggressive planting program of over 100,000 trees per year, have allowed IMG Citrus to maintain profitable yields and continue to supply markets with Florida citrus, according to the release.

Field Compaction Cuts Corn Yields

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:58:31 GMT

Field compaction can cut corn yields by up to 20%

Six-foot-tall corn with stunted ears was a common sight in Luke Huysman’s fields this past season due to extreme drought conditions. In the years prior, Huysman saw the same short corn but for a different reason. The contributing problem then was compaction. Plaguing 600 to 700 corn acres, compaction was evident wherever trucks, heavily laden with manure, had traveled over the gently rolling fields.

Today, the problem is basically nonexistent on his Fabius, N.Y., farm, which includes 4,400 acres of corn and alfalfa-grass hay and a 1,400-head dairy cow operation. Huysman owns the farm with two partners.

The solution to Huysman’s compaction issues was vertical tillage. The practice involves tillage that’s deep enough to break up hardpans and horizontal layers.

Complete, full-bore shatter between the tillage tool shanks and also between passes is needed to make vertical tillage effective.

“The ground upheaval resets the soil profile,” explains Frank Mutz, Empire Tractor territory manager based in Cazenovia, N.Y.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie adds that vertical tillage done in the fall needs to be followed with a vertical tillage leveling pass the next spring before planting in order for the practice to be effective.

Seeing is believing. To show farmers that compaction is present in their fields, Mutz likes to use a soil probe.

“A lot of farmers are in denial and tell me they don’t have compaction. I tell them they’re full of crap,” Mutz says, with a good-natured chuckle.

The soil probe quickly determines who’s right. If a horizontal layer is present, Mutz usually finds it at roughly 8" deep. He often likes to hand off the soil probe to farmers to find and feel the hardpan for themselves.

“Few corn roots are going to penetrate a hardpan,” Mutz contends.

Most of his customers agree, once they see compaction for themselves. Some don’t, he acknowledges, noting: “There are guys out there who won’t believe it exists no matter what.”

Those growers lose out on increased yield potential and, ultimately, more money in their pocket. Yield losses due to compaction in tracked areas can range between 10% and 20%, notes Mark Hanna, Iowa State University Extension agricultural engineer.

Knowing that compaction is an issue and then correcting it can boost yields. “I have one farmer who’s seen a 14% increase in his corn yields,” Mutz reports.

Those kinds of results convinced Mutz to start helping more of his customers implement vertical tillage. In Huysman’s case, he began running a Great Plains Turbo-Chisel between 10" and 14" deep in affected fields in the fall to get below the hardpan that was present and shatter it.

“The ground isn’t superdry with the manure, but we are able to get the shatter effect because the plow has shanks close together with shark-fin points on them,” he explains.

Complete, full-bore shatter between the tillage tool shanks and also between passes is needed to make vertical tillage effective, according to Ferrie. He says farmers might need to make their passes closer together when using vertical tillage, especially in a dry year like this one.

“Stop equipment and dig in the soil between passes from time to time to make sure they aren’t creating a ripple effect,” Ferrie encourages. “If you typically make equipment passes within 24" of each other, you may need to reduce those passes to within 15" instead,” he adds.

Expect to use more fuel when implementing deep tillage because the process creates more pull for the tractor, Huysman cautions.

“It requires 5 gal. more per hour when I’m crossing 12 acres an hour,” he reports. The additional costs are more than offset by the yield gain.

When to wait. Ferrie notes that now is a good time for tillage, especially where compaction already exists.

“Dry soils help you get good fracture,” he says. “We have some pretty good-sized basketballs out there that need to be sized down so Mother Nature can freeze and thaw them this winter and help us out.”

However, Ferrie says, those farmers who have received considerable moisture lately might need to delay deep tillage until their soils dry in order to get the traction they need and the shatter they want.

Tillage in wet soils can quickly create or compound an existing compaction problem, says Randall Reeder, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension agricultural engineer emeritus.

“Compaction in wet soils destroys soil structure,” he explains.

Ferrie adds that not everyone is experiencing compaction in their fields this year as a result of the drought. In Illinois, for example, collapsed soil seems to be more of a problem.

“The more clay in the soil texture, the more likely it is to collapse under drought conditions,” he explains. “Farmers with sandy to sandy silt loam soils in this area, which may not have collapsed, are in pretty decent shape.”

Furthermore, Ferrie says, while vertical tillage is useful to many farmers, not everyone benefits from it.

“We don’t need it in a good no-till or strip-till program that has no horizontal layers,” Ferrie says.

Sidestep compaction. Conservation tillage practices and traffic management need to be the main strategies to avoid soil compaction. Hanna’s advice: Till only to the depth needed to break up compacted layers.

In addition, farmers need to evaluate their field operations that might have caused the compaction and attempt to avoid those practices in the future. Otherwise, soil can be recompacted to the depth of the tillage used.

OSU’s Reeder is a proponent of controlled traffic and no-till practices.

“Firm, no-till soil resists compaction,” he says, noting that “the first trip across loose soil with a heavy axle load usually contributes roughly 75% of the total compaction.”

Regardless of the tillage practices used to eliminate compaction, the first step is to realize and accept a problem exists, says Empire Tractor’s Mutz. His advice: “Invest $49 in a soil probe and take care of compaction before you lose your shorts and your yields.”

Compaction Defined

Soil compaction is a problem for corn growers to varying degrees across the country, says Mark Hanna, Iowa State University Extension agricultural engineer. “The problem occurs in fields when soil aggregates and particles are compressed into a smaller volume,” he explains. “As soil is compacted, the amount of open pore, or void space, decreases and the density, or weight of the soil per unit volume, increases measurably.”

Soil density increases naturally with depth. “Soil below the surface is naturally more dense than the surface layer because it supports the weight of overlying material,” he says. “Excessively compacted soil results in prob-lems such as poor root penetration, reduced internal soil drainage, reduced rainfall infiltration and lack of soil aeration from larger macropores.” Practical information on how to identify and address compaction issues is in Hanna’s recent booklet, Understanding and Managing Soil Compaction.

Learn and Profit from Corn Navigator

The Corn Navigator series will focus on various sources of crop stress and how to manage the situation in order to drive corn yields and profits higher.

www.FarmJournal.com/corn_navigator

Producers Invest in Water Infrastructure

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:58:35 GMT

Producers invest in water infrastructure to control risk

Mother Nature’s highly unreliable temperament in recent years is prompting farmers to take matters into their own hands. Center-pivot irrigation systems, once thought to be suitable only
for Kansas, Nebraska or California’s San Joaquin Valley, are going up in the eastern Corn Belt.

“Irrigated land comprises 30% of Lawrence County, Ill.’s total acreage, but 60% to 65% in Russell and Allison townships,” says Norm Kocher, chairman of the Russell-Allison Water Authority, farmer and dealer for T-L Irrigation. “That’s double the amount in the two townships from 10 years ago.” That’s an extreme case, but it puts numbers to the brisk adoption rate.

“For Reinke, the market has increased rapidly in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and western Tennessee,” says Tim Goldhammer, Reinke Mfg.’s vice president of marketing. “We’ve added dealers in those high-demand areas.”

Several factors—such as high-priced grain, rising input costs, sky-high land values and rents, and, more often than not, quirky weather—are working in concert to drive the trend to irrigate.

The cost of erecting a center-pivot irrigation system varies significantly, says Rich Panowicz, vice president of North American sales for Valley Irrigation. As a rule of thumb, a total irrigation installation for 130 acres requires an investment of approximately $1,000 per acre, plus costs for underground pipe and electrical tie-ins. The cost of drilling a well can bring the price tag much higher, depending on how deep you need to go to reach water, he notes.

Tired of dealing with dry weather every year, Cecil, Ohio, producer Curt Potter invested in a new irrigation system earlier this year. The ability to water when needed did the trick—he realized a 100 bu. per acre difference between irrigated and nonirrigated acres. After an initial investment of $1,100 per acre, the estimated costs have been just a few dollars per acre.

Get started. Before you grab your checkbook, there are several factors to consider to determine if irrigation is right for you, says Lyndon Kelley, an irrigation specialist for Michigan State and Purdue universities.

First, Kelley says, you need water. Access differs dramatically by location, even within the same township.

“You need a water source that allows you to pump 500 gal. of water per minute for 100 acres for corn. That’s the bare minimum,” Kelley says.

At this rate, producers can generate 1" of water every four days, which is what corn requires. Soybeans need less water, so some producers with less than ideal volume might still be able to irrigate with scheduling changes. Corn and soybean peak water demand comes at different times, as well.

Second, what soil types do you have? Sandy loam soils respond well to irrigation, and sandy soils that are most vulnerable to drought are probably the best place to begin. That’s not to say that heavier soils should never be irrigated, however, and some producers who irrigated for the first time this year report excellent yield responses from soils with a denser profile.

Existing irrigators are also taking advantage of strong incomes to upgrade systems, Panowicz says. More growers are adding corner units to minimize the number of acres that are not reached by the center-pivot circle.

New technology, such as variable flow rates that take into account variations within a field, allows for finetuning of existing irrigation systems.

“As the cost of putting in a crop has increased in the past five years, farmers can’t afford to have a crop failure due to drought conditions even one or two years out of 10,” Panowicz adds.

Another factor driving irrigation’s renaissance is high-priced farmland, which is requiring farmers to reap every last bushel from fields before expanding, says Randy Wood, vice president of irrigation, sales and marketing for Lindsay Corporation.

“Irrigation is an efficient method of increasing yields,” he says. For example, if irrigation means an extra 100 bu. in yield (not the case every year), it means investing $1,000 with a rapid payoff, as opposed to paying as much as $8,000 an acre to buy land, assuming you can find any.

Other benefits. An irrigation system does more than just allow producers to boost yields. This fall, Potter’s soybeans, for example, had only 9% to 10% moisture. At harvest, he turned on the irrigation to achieve his desired 14% moisture.

Crop and livestock producer Steve Miller uses his new system to capture the value of the manure from his hog buildings. He can apply nitrogen throughout the year by mixing manure at a 4-to-1 ratio (water to manure).

“We can apply manure with no soil compaction, and we don’t lose any of manure’s nutrients,” says Miller, who farms near Bucyrus, Ohio.

At a loss about the logistics of manure irrigation at first, Miller estimates a 100 bu. per acre yield pop on fields that were irrigated this year. He is hoping for a modest 30 bu. per acre yield advantage over a 10-year period.

He plans to increase the number of acres irrigated in 2013. However, irrigation is not for every farmer in the Midwest, he admits. “It wouldn’t work a few miles from here,” he explains because of the difference in water accessibility.

Federal crop insurance was not a good investment for Sandborn, Ind., farmer Vaughn Huey, so he instead invested in irrigation for the first time. It worked to his advantage—he harvested 170 bu. more corn per acre on irrigated ground. “From June 1 to the end of July, I ran the unit 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I knew it would be a good investment. I just didn’t know it would be this good.”

Farmers Test Kinze’s Autonomous Harvest System in the Field

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:31:07 GMT

Three farmers test Kinze’s Autonomous Harvest System in the field

In the middle of harvest, Monmouth, Ill., farmer Rick Elliott got a call from one of his neighbors. “He was driving by and asked me, ‘Is there anyone in that grain cart tractor?” Elliott says.

There was no cause for alarm—the tractor was following the combine through the field, unloading on the go, without anyone in the cab. Elliott’s farm was one of three in Illinois testing the Kinze Autonomous Harvest System.

“After unveiling our project in July of 2011, we are excited to demonstrate it in the field,” says Susie Veatch, vice president and chief marketing officer of Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.

The Kinze Autonomy Project started in the lab in 2009 and was tested on the Kinzenbaw farm until this year. The harvest fleet includes a combine, tractor and grain cart outfitted with GPS sensors and rugged computers. The system is controlled by the combine operator’s tablet computer, eliminating the need for an operator in the tractor cab.

“The goals for this system are efficiency, productivity and safety,” says Rhett Schildroth, Kinze product manager. “Farmers are experiencing a shortage in skilled operators for the seasonal work at harvest and planting. We also know that it’s key for the system to run as safe at the end of the day as it did at the beginning.”

“Our system takes control of the tractor’s engine, transmission, steering and brakes,” Schildroth explains.

Components on the tractor are: GPS receiver; inertial measurement sensors for hills; wheel encoders; LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors; radar sensors for far-reaching sensing; and a camera to see what the systems sees.

Components on the combine are: an emergency stop button; GPS receiver; communication module that networks the machines; and a tablet computer, which is the user interface.

The Kinze Autonomous Harvest System is controlled by a touch-screen tablet, as demonstrated by Rhett Schildroth, product manager.

How it works. The system performs in four modes: follow, unload, park and idle. In the follow mode, the tractornand grain cart follow the combine’s path through the field using GPS guidance. The system reads where the combine has operated and designates those areas as safe for travel. If obstacles are known or encountered in use, the operator marks them to be avoided.

When the combine is ready to be unloaded, the tractor and grain cart pull alongside it and sensors provide real-time reaction to any adjustments made by the combine in regard to speed and direction.

“The system is continuously scanning for obstacles in the field so that when it’s time to meet the combine, it calculates a path factoring in any obstacles. If it can’t map around an obstacle, it stops,” Schildroth says. “Right now, it doesn’t run as fast as a human operator would—7 mph when following the combine; 9 mph for field travel.”

To park the tractor and cart, the combine operator hits the park button and the machinery returns to a designated area at the edge of the field.

In idle, the system comes to a stop wherever it is until further instruction.

“The technology is hidden from the farmer. He has the tablet and that’s all—four buttons and an aerial view of the field,” Schildroth says. “Keeping it simple means our farmers learn how
to use the system in an hour, and within a day it’s part of their routine.”

Field tests. Kinze worked with district sales managers to find three farmers in western Illinois to test the automonous system.

“We wanted flat ground for this initial testing, and this area had good crops despite the tough growing conditions this year,” she says. “There were three farmers within 8 miles that were willing to be part of our project.”

Elliott Brothers Farms (brothers Rick and Dan and other family members), Kent Armstrong and Joe Krupps were chosen to participate. All are Kinze customers through Painter Farm Equipment.

“Ten years ago we were skeptical about GPS, automated steering, planter clutches and other technologies,” says Todd Painter of Painter Farm Equipment. “But those have been highly accepted by our customers. We have 80% or more of our customers using GPS technologies on their farm. Technology is here to stay, and this autonomous system is the next thing to come.”

Krupps, who farms near Galesburg, Ill., says he is not quick to adopt technology and doesn’t currently use auto-guidance or steering systems. But he says the autonomous system was easy to bring onto his farm.

“I’m not exactly a technology leader,” he says. “The whole system surprised me—how well it worked, how they made it user-friendly. It follows instructions better than some employees, including myself.”

Armstrong started using automated steering systems on his farm just three years ago and says he’s impressed with the accuracy of the system.

“I haven’t run any corn on the ground this harvest unless it was my own fault,” he says. “The tablet gives you a countdown for how long it’ll take for the cart to get to the combine, and the cart stays right with my auger.”

The Elliott Brothers farm has multiple machines with GPS auto-guidance and RTK steering systems, but Rick Elliott reports the system fit easily into their operation. “The system is designed the way a farmer would have done it,” he says. “It’s simple to give the system the command you want in the field—four buttons, that’s it.”

On and off. The tractor can be switched from autonomous to manual mode. When the tractor is in idle mode, the farmer lowers the bottom step, which uses sensors to automatically disengage the autonomous system. The operator has control until he exits the tractor and lifts the step to
re-engage the system.

In autonomous mode, before the tractor leaves its designated parking area, the lights flash and the tractor beeps and revs its engine to send an alert that it’s about to move.

The company has demonstrated the technology on John Deere tractors but says the system is compatible with any make of tractor or combine. Once it is commercially available, Kinze plans to offer kits for specific models.

For now, the system is designed for a variety of harvesting conditions. For example, when cutting soybeans at an angle, the system follows the combine path and reacts in real time. Amid waterways, it understands tilt, and if the wheels start spinning in wet conditions, the tractor shuts off.

Field testing yielded some changes as well. “The biggest improvements this year are that we added the tablet as the user interface, and with adjustments to the software, we improved the time it takes for the tractor’s path to be determined,” Schildroth says.

Although there isn’t yet a date for commercial availability, Kinze is working on autonomous technology for planting applications. The system is designed only for in-field, off-road use.

“Farmers want increased productivity and rapid return on investment, and we’ll continue to innovate around the autonomous solution,” Schildroth says. “Next year, we’ll have more testing.”

To watch a video of the Kinze Autonomous Harvest System in action, visit
www.FarmJournal.com/follow_the_driver

Subsurface Water Systems Boost Yields

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:58:35 GMT

Subsurface water systems can boost yields, carry nutrients

Nebraska farmer Don Anthony started using subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in 2006 on sections of his 1,200-acre corn and soybean farm in the Central Platte Valley. He began with a parcel of flat land that had a power line running diagonally through it.

Anthony had always used a centerpivot system, but a 1997 federal agreement affecting his state requires field corners untouched by pivots to be watered as well. Failing to irrigate those areas would result in the loss of their irrigated status, meaning they could never be irrigated again.

Since 2005, Anthony has added 250 to 300 acres of SDI, which delivers water to crop roots through a series of pipes and nozzles normally buried 10" to 14" below the surface. This year, one 80-acre section of corn—irrigated with 15" of water throughout the course of the growing season—yielded 188 bu. per acre.

“My experience in the past seven years with the pivot here versus drip across the road is that I’ll put on about twothirds to threefourths the amount of water with drip as I do with pivot and get the same yield,” Anthony says.

He’s not alone. The subsurface irrigation method, first adopted in the U.S. for vegetables, fruits and nuts, is supplementing and even replacing center-pivot systems for field crops. Representatives of three of the top SDI businesses—Netafim, the Toro Company and John Deere—say the system is attractive to farmers worldwide because of its potential to save water, boost yields and reduce fertilizer runoff.

Netafim is the world’s largest manufacturer of microirrigation equipment, including subsurface drip components. Michael Dowgert, Netafim USA communications director, attributes the increased interest in subsurface irrigation to GPS development.

“Now you are able to find the dripper lines,” Dowgert says. Subsurface irrigation has been in use since the 1970s, but its use with GPS started in the late 1990s.

Cotton tops the list of U.S. field crops most often used with subsurface. In the West Texas area, Dowgert says, close to half a million acres receive belowground irrigation. Corn ranks second, and SDI is being explored in states such as Nebraska, around the Ogallala Aquifer, where water scarcity is a key concern.

Just a few years ago, Netafim installed about 400 acres of subsurface systems in alfalfa, Dowgert says. This year, the company expects to install more than 4,000 acres for alfalfa alone.

While alfalfa often is flood-irrigated, using subsurface can remove stress on the plant and result in “fairly significant yield increases,” Dowgert says. Farmers can even irrigate the crop while harvesting it.

Interest grows. Hubert Frerich opened Eco-Drip Irrigation in Garden City, Texas, in the early 1980s after successfully irrigating his watermelon and cotton crops with a subsurface system. No high-producing wells existed in the area, so limited access to water made subsurface an efficient alternative, says Craig Hoelscher, who now co-owns the company along with three of Frerich’s children.

“It helps make every drop count,” notes Hoelscher, who adds that the system is also used to spoon-feed crops with fertilizer. Eco-Drip has installed as many subsurface acres in the past 10 years as it did in its first 20, totaling 200,000 acres. The company is getting more questions about subsurface systems and seeing a small pickup in demand across the central U.S.

Some farmers are still using systems that were installed more than 25 years ago, Hoelscher says. In 2009, he notes, researchers at Kansas State University found that emitters in a 20-year-old subsurface system were providing more than 90% of the water flow they originally offered. Fewer than 2% of Eco-Drip’s subsurface systems stop working, he says, and those that do often fail because of poor maintenance.

Technological advances will only make it easier to install and maintain subsurface systems.

“Right now it’s simple, but it’s going to get even more simple,” says Nir Aloni, chief agronomist for John Deere Water. He says adoption of SDI worldwide depends on four factors: climate, crop type, capital availability and equipment.

Farmers in northwest China, for example, have quickly adopted SDI for their corn and cotton crops, as it fits very well with their crop rotation and climate. Meanwhile, farmers in Southeast Asia might install drip tape that lasts for just a year in order to capitalize on water conservation benefits, and then install a longer-lasting system when money is available.

Farmers often purchase SDI equipment for 40-, 80- or 160-acre blocks or irregularly shaped fields, says Inge Bisconer, technical marketing and sales manager for the Toro Company’s microirrigation business. The company offers an extensive line of products, including microirrigation emission devices, pipelines, valves, controllers and filters for use in surface and subsurface crop applications.

Toro has developed computer design assist software, known as AquaFlow 3.0, that allows farmers to build a virtual drip system to maximize water use and optimize maintenance. An online tool called Payback Wizard from Toro allows farmers to plug in five pieces of information to determine how long it will take for them to pay for their subsurface system.

How it works. To install the system, a toolbar fitted with coils of drip tape is mounted on a tractor, which places the tape below-ground using shanks. The tape contains emitters that release water. Single rows of drip tape can be as long as a mile, Bisconer says, but are typically a quarter- or half-mile long. The tape can remain functional underground for up to 20 years.

Trenches are dug to accommodate larger pipes, which are connected to the mainline. The mainline, in turn, is hooked up to the filter and pump station. After the parts are connected, the system is flushed and pressure-tested before the trenches are filled and pipes are buried.

Water used in subsurface systems generally flows from a reservoir or well, Bisconer says. It is then pumped through filters that clean the liquid so the laterals don’t get clogged. Fertilizers might also be injected, along with chemicals that help maintain pipes.

This sand media filter system in Nebraska connects to an SDI system. Other components can include valves that control water flow to a specific field section.

Factors to consider. Subsurface irrigation isn’t for every acre. Square fields, for example, might be better served with a center-pivot system paired with SDI at the corners. Farmers in states with ample rainfall might not see the economic benefits realized by those in more arid states.

Cost should also be considered. Installing a drip-line system generally costs about $1,400 per acre, Netafim’s Dowgert says. That’s roughly twice the cost of installing a center-pivot system.

Gophers pose a major problem to subsurface systems. Infestations can reduce alfalfa yields up to 50%, Dowgert says, and fields already populated by gophers are not ideal candidates for SDI. In the event that the creatures create problems after subsurface is installed, farmers can try using a product such as Netafim’s Protect-T, a rodent repellent that is piped through the drip system.

Maintenance is a mixed bag. While winterization is required after harvest to flush pipes and reduce buildup from hard water, experts say a variety of automation options lets farmers control how much time they spend turning valves by hand.

Anthony, the Nebraska farmer, thinks SDI will help him maintain a healthy standard of living: The 62-yearold says he’s getting to the point where his body can’t handle the intensive labor required for the alternatives such as flood irrigation.

“This is one of the things that will probably extend my farming career,” Anthony says.

You can e-mail Nate Birt at nbirt@farmjournal.com .

For more information about subsurface drip irrigation and the products mentioned, visit www.FarmJournal.com/subsurface_irrigation

Using Crop Residue to Reduce Erosion

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:58:31 GMT

A few simple measurements can help determine residue cover to reduce erosion and build organic matter

Splat. Splat-splat! Insect meets windshield is an exercise in violent physics. The same could be said of raindrops hitting unprotected soil. Unfortunately, soil particles aren’t durable like a glass
windshield and with raindrops intercepting bare soil at speeds of up to 20 mph, the damage can be immediate and long-term.

What’s at stake is the loss of organic matter, active soil microbes and soil structure. Fortunately, by using crop residue you can reduce erosion potential, increase water storage capacity and, with tillage and rotation tweaking, create a nitrogen credit for future crops by building organic matter.

No-till and strip-till farmer Nick Viney knows the value of evenly spreading residue behind the combine.

“We have large amounts of residue,” says Viney, who farms near Edgerton in south-central Wisconsin. “With 200 bu. or better corn and 65 bu. or better soybeans, it is imperative that
residue has been evenly distributed throughout the field following harvest.” Though he doesn’t measure residue cover, Viney says there’s very little soil visible on his no-till fields.

Terry Hill, a district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in central Missouri, says residue cover is not easy to accurately estimate visually.

“We usually find that farmers overestimate what they have. What they think is 50% usually turns out to be 20% or 30%,” he adds.

The line-transect method can be used to measure
residue for compliance with cost-share programs.

The amount of residue necessary to protect the soil is typically more than farmers realize. This year’s drought complicates matters since there’s less residue than normal.

Tillage plays a role in protecting valuable topsoil. When running a chisel plow, disk or vertical tillage tool following harvest to chop stalks and root balls, keep in mind that every tillage pass
decreases the amount of residue. According to Hill, the trick is to shred tough Bt cornstalks without burying too much residue. Otherwise, there’s nothing to protect the soil through planting season next spring.

For those farmers who mulch-till in the fall, NRCS research shows a field needs 30% residue spread uniformly to have enough to overwinter and last through next year’s planting season.

Measure to manage. To check residue cover for compliance with cost-share programs, Hill and his staff use a linetransect method. Other methods, such as using photos at various residue percentage stages for field comparison or calculating tillage effects and weathering, can give a close approximation.

The line-transect method is typically used after spring planting. To get an idea of what you have before fall tillage and/or residue weathering, stretch a 100' tape diagonally at a 45° angle from the direction of the rows. Disregard end rows. Looking directly above the tape, count the number of times a 1' mark on the tape intersects a piece of residue. Count only on the left or right side of the tape to be consistent and avoid overcounting. Repeat the process five times to give a representation of the field. For example, if six pieces of residue intersected only six 1' marker lines on the left side of the 100' tape, this represents 60% residue. Take four more transects and average the percentages to get your residue percentage for the field.

The way forward. J.R. Flores, state NRCS conservationist in Missouri, says that moving from mulch-tillage systems to continuous no-till and adding cover crops might be the next step for many farmers to increase their residue cover. This transition requires practice and a long-term commitment.

“Farmers can begin seeing the soil health and productivity benefits after around five years of continuous no-till,” Flores says. “In other cases, it may take up to 10 years.”

In the meantime, he notes, soil health programs have been initiated in some Corn Belt states focusing on the use of more Environmental Quality Incentives Program dollars for residue practices. NRCS has announced a new National Soil Health and Sustainability effort that will provide more focus on funding residue management practices nationwide, he adds.

That’s good news for farmers such as Viney, who aerial seeds cover crops on two-thirds of his acres, which is an added upfront cost per acre. “We feel [incorporating cover crops] will stimulate additional biological activity in the soil and improve the speed at which residue breaks down,” he says.

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The line-transect method can be used to measure
residue for compliance with cost-share programs.