Spring 2014 Archives | Midwestern BioAg

It’s All About Getting Your Fertility Right

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Weed Control, Technology, Fertilizer, Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, L-CBF

“Profitability.” That’s the most important thing Midwestern BioAg has brought to the Fairibault, MN farming operation of Bryan and Tammy Lips, says Bryan. Balanced soils, good fertility, and diverse rotations including cover crops and green manure crops are among the biological farming tools Bryan has been using for the past eight years on his 450 acres. He raises corn, oats, and alfalfa on a mixture of owned and rented land, with about half of the acres farmed conventionally and half certified organic.

Heifers: Increasing the Potential of Your Future Milking Herd

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Livestock Nutrition

Heifers are the future of your herd and your long-term success as a dairy producer. Heifer raising makes up 20-25% of the total cost of milk production. A successful pre-weaning calf program has been proven to increase first lactation milk yield by 1,000 lbs – 3,000 lbs. Genetic selection can account for 150 lbs-300 lbs greater milk production per lactation, but pre-weaning management can increase this 5-fold.

A successful pre-weaning calf program includes:

1 gal of high-quality colostrum within 4 hours of birth…

Alfalfa Stand Assessment

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Alfalfa

How have your forages fared in the unpredictable Midwest winter weather? Winter weather in the Midwest is unpredictable to say the least. Bitter cold, mid-winter rain, and extreme freeze-thaw cycles may have taken their toll. Use the prime times in April and May to evaluate your alfalfa fields. Are they going to be healthy, high-producing forage stands? Or is rotation the best option for maximum farm yield?
Tips for Evaluating Your Alfalfa Stands:

Healthy alfalfa stands will green up quickly & evenly.

Gimme Some Sugar

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · L-CBF, Soil Biology, Starter Fertilizer, Fertilizer, Organic Matter

Sugar: It has been part of Midwestern BioAg’s fertilizer line-up for over 25 years. Sugar is quickly becoming a staple in producers’ fertilizer programs across the country. In Nebraska, a study saw a 1.6 bushel per acre increase in yield across acres with foliar applied sugar. Another crop farmer sprayed his corn ground with a sugar and liquid carbon-based fertilizer mix with similar results. When tests were run in Ohio, researchers found a 6 bushel per acre increase in those acres treated with 7 pounds …

“Biology in a Bottle”: The Next Big Thing

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Fertilizer, Soil, Organic Matter

These days the ag world is buzzing with talk of yield enhancing biological products. “Boost plant performance”, “harness the power of nature”, “feed soil biology”, “unlock your soils’ potential to supply nutrients”: These types of slogans are heard and seen all over ag media. And you know what’s funny? A lot of these products are trying to do the same things that Midwestern BioAg has been doing for 30 years. The difference lies in the fact that MBA takes a systems approach, as opposed to the …

From the Farm of Gary Zimmer

By: Gary Zimmer, Founder · Soil, Forages, Fertilizer

Dear Farmer/Agribusiness person,
I think spring is finally getting close—I saw a robin today. They return as normal, despite our cold, late spring. Considering the weather we’ve had the last couple of years, I’m not sure what ‘normal’ is anymore. This winter seemed normal, at least, more like what I remember of winter as a kid here in Wisconsin. Then again, we remember best those cold, hard times. We also didn’t have the nice warm, water proof winter boots and clothing we have today.