It’s planting season again in Minnesota. It’s so amazing to see the tractors rolling
day and night putting in the crop! I am
often amazed at the hard work of all farmers, but even more so by their ability
to be optimists. When they look at a
barren field; black and empty, they see a canvas waiting to be worked, cared
for, tended, seeded, nurtured and harvested.
They look at that field and see potential, not dirt, but life giving
soil, which they are responsible for.
Soil, not dirt, is a delicate ecosystem of macronutrients,
micronutrients, soil bacteria, soil insects and organic matter (decomposing plant
material). Dirt doesn’t give life, but
soil is filled with potential to give and support life! Farmers carefully till the soil, working it
to the right conditions for seeds. Some
farmers do no-till, some do deep tilling, some do shallow, each type specific for
the type of soil they have.
As you drive by a field you may see sprayers and other
agronomy equipment cruising through. I’ll
bet most of you will jump to the conclusion that these farmers are applying
dangerous chemicals to their fields to control weeds and pests. I’ll bet you would be surprised that these
farmers are actually applying fertilizers, micronutrients, seed treatments, and
yes some herbicides and pesticides. Farmers
work with agronomists to make the best choices for their soils. I’ll be you didn’t know what farmers often
take soil samples each fall to determine specifically which fertilizers will be
needed. In fact, with GPS technology we
can even apply specific fertilizers in certain places in a field so we don’t
waste resources and produce a more consistent crop.
Some farmers will apply herbicide (weed killer) at the
beginning of the season to give the crop a head start without competition for
resources (sun, rain and soil nutrients) from weeds. Once the crop canopies over (the point where
the foliage covers the soil below the plant) sunshine is prevented from
reaching weeds below. That means for some fields, one application is all they
will ever get of herbicide, and they will grow chemical free for the remainder
of the season. You see, farmers are very
wise with their choices. Herbicides and
pesticides are expensive, farmers work on very tight budgets and can’t afford
to overdo it. They have to use a smart
combination of tillage practices, crop rotations and seed selection to help
them control pests, weeds, use their resources wisely and take care of their
soil.
Most farmers are the
product of multiple generations of farmers and they have hopes of passing their
farm onto the next generation, their sons and daughters. It’s in their best interest to care for their
soil the best they can because it has the “potential” to support the next
generation of America’s farmers. Farmers
don’t see dirt, they see Potential!
