All soil types are different. Remember, improvements are realized after the 3rd year of reduced tillage. The soil is different, water movement is different and the planter runs differently. But we can believe that your overall experience will be better and your practices will be more sustainable.

Strip-till delivers more fertilizer in closer reach to the seed. The soil is fractured four inches on either side of the seed and the same depth as conventional tillage, but the seed doesn’t know any different. In time, the water percolation attribute of less tillage will become apparent; soil structure will improve and the yield may increase.

Conservation tillage or any reduced tillage is a change in mindset. Our suggestion is to try it on a small but measurable basis. Start with 5-10% of acres, but not less than 20 acres. Begin the practice somewhere that you are forced to drive past it every day. Does your comfort level change? Remember, give the treatment the full three years to see results and then fairly compare practices.

You can save money with strip-till by fewer trips across the field and concentrate the fertilizer at lower rates. However, next fall, if the plan is to bury the crop residue and destroy soil structure improvements achieved by reduced tillage, nothing is gained for your operation. The 3 years needed to see results will never occur.

Our Montag fertilizer metering system is able to apply four separate products. We have two bins that hold 1,500-2,000 pounds and two bins that hold up to 9,000 pounds each. Each bin can be run via variable rate technology or static rates at the same time. For example, we can apply a static rate of urea and variable rates of straight or blends of micronutrients, phosphorus and potassium. Rates range from 50 pounds to 500 pounds per acre.

We use a Twin Diamond Strip Cat tool. It has a lead coulter that cuts residue with gauge wheels to control depth. A pair of Sunco row cleaners is placed immediately ahead of a mini mole knife for deep fertilizer placement. The berm builder follows to close the knife and build a ridge. For spring strip making, strip refreshing, and fertilizer application we replace the knife with a pair of disks. The placement is not as deep as the fall knife, but fertilizer is mixed with more soil. This system works very well in areas where fall tillage has not been finished.

Yes and no. It helps us with planning. We have a specific target number of acres needed to meet our payment obligations; expressing an interest early is appreciated. A contract is signed when the commitment is made to serve you, our customer. Once we start the season, late acres don’t move to the front of the line. Our goal is to keep moving one direction on fields that are ready to go. When you contract with us, it secures your acres, rather than a place in line. We will keep your fields in consideration and will follow-up throughout the season. If the season allows, we will get to your acres mentioned after the start of the season. However, we can’t commit once our acreage goals are met or if the season has an early end.

We use Ag Leader In Command 1200. We can utilize your existing maps if Ag Leader SMS or if you can provide headings. It is our objective, but do not guarantee, that we can supply you with those guidance lines for planting.

Yes, the contract signed before the season is binding and shall be paid in full amount. However, if situations such as weather occur and the field is not ready, LFPA and the customer will discuss other options and agree on changes to the contract.

Unless you irrigate, you have little control of water coming to the field, but the soil is different. Undisturbed soils tend to be cooler with less evaporation. Both the temperature and moisture play a different role at different stages in the plant development. In dry summers, crops will “hang on” a little longer because of just a little more moisture. This is not a drought instance though. By definition, the plant has used all available water in a drought. The best way to begin to prove this is to install soil moisture sensors in fields.

Let us cover 40-80 acres of our own ground first. It takes time to set the tillage machine correctly, calibrate application, tune guidance and technology. There becomes a point where we “hit a stride.” We strive to get there quicker by proper setup. That is best done not in a customer’s field.

No. Extended winters with heavy snow and spring rains will flatten a berm. The concept and objectives are not lost, though. The clean dark strip is ever present. We can refresh the strip in the spring if needed. When refreshing, it is a good time to apply nitrogen.

We cannot hit target rates exactly; mapping doesn’t always work perfectly and overlapping on curves and waterways happens, fertilizer densities vary. Acres are not always what FSA, Google Earth or Great Grandpa said they are. Consider 3-5% added fertilizer from the beginning so we have a cushion and do not need to reorder for your last field at 9:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. The customer is happier if little long knowing plant nutrients are there and available. We will empty the applicator before we leave your farm.

This is a question better suited for an objective third party, farm financial analyst, or crop consultant with a strong financial knowledge. But we can offer some insight. First, don’t always assume a yield drag from a change in practice. If concerned, scout with more focus on plant population, growth relative to planting date, and overall field maturity to a comparable conventionally planted field. Use soil tests and plant tissue tests to determine if plants needs are being met, and apply nitrogen and micronutrients as needed. But that is a common rule in all fields. So, if still concerned, there is a yield drag you need to analyze the information at the end of the year. Next, look at the cost of inputs such as fuel, fertility, and machine cost, either lease cost, custom hired costs, or cost of ownership. All other input costs should be comparable to conventional cropping systems. Typically, the return to the operator is greater to strip-till fields due to the lower input cost. But as the practice continues into year two, then three new realizations occur.

Source: University of Minnesota, Center for Farm Financial Management, FINBIN analysis is a great tool for comparing different practices. It is important to look at the specific inputs. Only the items that have a direct correlation to input cost are the real determinates.

It is true that by neglecting the top four inches of the soil may leave it sticky at seed depth. But look at it this way. What has been gained if it is so sticky that it is only leveling the field, not properly incorporating fertilizer and herbicide applications or creating a slimy barrier at the three- or four-inch level and finally visible wheel tracks, then what has been gained?

One of the first indicators of soil structure changes are earthworm mounds. They are natures tiling machines, leaving tunnels that allow water to move down through the soil.

Check with your county USDA/NRCS or SWCD office.

We use Ag Leader in Command 1200. We can utilize your existing maps if Ag Leader SMS or if you can provide headings. It is our objective, but not our guarentee, to supply you with those guidance lines for planting.

We do not use any specific supplier. You still purchase fertilizer and agronomy services from whom you choose. We own a tender truck and can pick up loads.

We may go before soil temps are below 50 degrees if not applying urea. There is not a discount schedule.

Yes, but we hate to see you go. We will inquire why you chose not to utilize our services.

1. The field does not need to be black at the end of the season 2. Corn stalks do not need to be buried in order to enhance breakdown to release plant nutrients back to the soil 3. Contrasting green plant against a black soil at the V3 stage may not be necessary for optimum crop growth 4. All soil, regardless of density and organic matter, is suitable for the strip till

Strip-till does not lessen the need for weed control. It may require a different program. But in time, weeds will have a harder time growing in the deep residue.

Strip-till does not increase the need for weed control. It may require a different program. Overall, weed control costs do not need to be greater than conventional practice.

The information we collect prior to the start of the season includes contact information for your agronomist and fertilizer supplier. You can go ahead and have Rx maps prepared and have the files emailed to LFPA. Confirm with your agronomist or supplier what your goals are for each field and leave the rest to us. We will call ahead to be sure trucks are placed as we need them.

Our goal is to keep moving one direction on fields that are ready to go. When you contract with us, it secures your acres, not a place in line. We will be honest in saying where we are, and approximant time of arrival. We like to be close to home over the weekends. We have help with harvest and it is easier to manage all aspects of the business if closer together. That does not mean that we will leave and come back on Monday if everything is going well and we are 30 miles away. It does mean if you are in central Jackson County we may break up field to field and cover yours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Keeping the strip till tractor and tillage tool moving comes before our farming operation.