Biological & Regenerative Ag News

Are Your Forages the Best They Can Be?

After your forages are harvested is a good time for you and your BioAg consultant to evaluate your forage program and your crop ration.
Evaluate Your Forage
It takes some time to evaluate what you have for forages and to what groups of animals they would best be fed. Some dairy producers have had the experience of feeding more alternative annual forage varieties due to the improved crop rotation and soil health. These dairy producers have been pleasantly surprised by the digestibility of their crops if …

Internal Parasites in Sheep & Goats | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Gastrointestinal parasites cause significant economic losses and are listed in the top three fatal conditions in sheep and goats. Internal parasites in sheep and goats cause disease when they are present in large numbers or when the host animal is weakened by another disease or by poor nutrition. Damage to the host occurs when parasites attach to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and ingest blood – large numbers of parasites can create anemia from blood loss.

Rumen Development in Calves | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

When calves are born, they start out as simple stomached animals. The change from one digestive method to another is a process that is called rumen development. The first two compartments make up one large fermentation vat, the third is an unusual-looking organ that absorbs water and minerals from digesta leaving the rumen, and the fourth is the true stomach that functions like the stomach of monogastric (people and pigs). All four of these stomachs are present at birth; however, only the abomasum is fully developed …

Why feed kelp to your herd?

Kelp is a natural feed supplement that is packed full of bioavailable minerals and vitamins. Kelp can be fed to cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, and even chicken. Feeding kelp to livestock is an excellent source in filling in micronutrient deficiencies so the herd can improve digestion functions, reproductively, and their immune system. Healthier animals equal better productivity.

Here at Midwestern BioAg we provide Thorvin Kelp. Thorvin Kelp contains a broad array of bioavailable minerals, amino acids, and vitamins for superior …

Goat Nutrition | Bailey’s Bit About Nutrition

Goats are small ruminant animals that have no upper incisors or canine teeth but a dental pad instead. The rumen is the largest part of the four stomach compartments, with a capacity of roughly 2-6 pounds. Some bacteria and protozoa are normal habitants of the rumen which break down food into volatile fatty acids along with vitamins and amino acids. Daily feed take of goats ranges from 3-4% of body weight as expressed in pounds (dry matter/head/day).

Measuring your soil health like never before

Midwestern BioAg recently partnered with Trace Genomics in order to adopt the most advanced commercially available soil testing in the industry. Trace Genomics is a soil testing company that provides a full chemical as well as 21 biology and pathology analyses. Midwestern BioAg will be implementing these analyses to improve our scouting and recommendations to our customers.
Midwestern BioAg has been promoting biological farming for nearly 40 years. We’ve known from our extensive time as crop and soil consultants that biology is equally as important as …

Chris Kniffen begins as Director of Agronomy at Midwestern BioAg

Chris Kniffen of Yankton, S.D., begins as Director of Agronomy at Midwestern BioAg. Kniffen brings nearly 15 years of experience in agronomy and soil health. His priorities heading into the new role are to build new educational models and content funnels that can increase practice adoption and the advancement of biological agriculture.
“I am most excited for the opportunity to learn from the top minds and farmers in biological agriculture,” says Kniffen, “my goals are to identify and develop solutions as a team that overcome the …

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