The driving force behind raising crops is soil health, said South Dakota farmer Dan Forgey.
“I spent the first 24 years of my farming career destroying the soil on our farm and I’ve spent the last 24 adding practices to improve soil health for the next generation,” said Forgey, who is a keynote speaker at Soil Health U and Trade Show, Jan. 24 to 25, at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center, in Salina. “We’ve been 100 percent no-till for 24 years and have used cover crops since 2006.”
Cattle are a big part of Forgey’s 9,000-acre operation. Grazing of cover crops by the cowherd allows feed for the herd, plus provides soil improvements.
Calves are pasture weaned on cover crops, which has worked well for Forgey. “We turn out pairs on the fields. They all eat the cover crops and cows are then removed to wean and the calves accommodate well to the weaning since they are already on full grazing,” he said.
Several different cover crops are used and have been tried. Oats, flax, forage barley, field peas, turnips and radishes are common and a 12-way mix of seed has also been used for extended grazing.
“We take soil tests on all fields to know how the cover crops are helping to improve soil health and we also like to compare yields to see differences,” Forgey said.
In the low rainfall environment near Gettysburg, South Dakota, Forgey said residue is always left on the soil surface to help conserve moisture. All soils are tested to determine the needs of the ground and to show any changes.
Rotational grazing is used in the cover crops and 80 percent of the residue is left on the field. Cows can typically graze 30 to 45 days on cornfields where cover crops are grown.
“We have seen an increase in organic matter of 1 percent since we’ve been using no-till and cover crops. I consider that a move in the right direction,” Forgey said.
It is critical for the carbon in the soil to be high and crop residue helps build the carbon. It is amazing to see the layers of organic matter building in the soils, he said, adding that his farm is still a cash farm, so they have to do things to make the operation profitable and improving soil health has done just that.
“Our neighbors might wonder what we are doing or why we are doing it and it is all to improve the land for future generations,” he said. “This isn’t a magic bullet, but rather a tool to help us continue to be responsible for the land and the crops that are coming off of the land.”
The soils are giving back and helping raise the 11 different crops on the farm, including wheat, barley, field peas, lentils, flax, sunflowers, corn and soybeans. Each grain has a purpose and each one fits into a diverse rotation, Forgey said.
Jennifer Carrico can be reached at [email protected].
