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On July 2nd, 16 farmers, ranchers, and conservation professionals gathered at Joe Breker’s to look at something that he has been working towards over the last two years; a twin row, 60-inch spaced corn field with cover crops growing between the rows. The 2-hour tour covered 2 main topics. The first session highlighted some of the challenges faced in transitioning to a 60” corn system and showcased equipment that has either been altered or built from the ground up to meet his needs moving forward.
The second session highlighted how Joe has incorporated 60” corn and cover crops into his various crop rotations. The first site the group looked at was a corn-soybean rotation that will now have the added benefit of cover crops to help build soil health. The second rotation demonstrated how Joe planted 60” corn into rye this spring that was seeded last fall. The goal of the rye is to have a plant shielding the ground over winter and have a living plant to start using excess moisture as soon as spring comes. The rye was terminated just prior to planting the corn but cover crops were interseeded between the corn rows and will be maintained throughout the cropping season. As Joe was discussing 60” corn to the group there is one quote that stood out to me the most; “Even though I am just beginning down this road, there are so many small positives that I have seen than I did not expect. Whether it be additional forage for cattle, increased wildlife, or better soil health; there are certainly a lot of extra benefits to be excited about.”
We will be planning more events like these as the summer progresses, so if you are interested in attending events like these, either contact our office at (701) 724-3247 ext 3. or like us on Facebook. The tour was put on by the Wild Rice Soil Conservation District and the Conservation Cropping Systems Project with assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality 319 program.
First Day on full season cover crop.
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Manager Update April 12, 2017
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It is the goal of the Wild Rice Soil Conservation District to educate and help the local land users (for conservation of soil) right here in Sargent County. We do this by offering a variety of services and making available various technical, financial, and educational resources.