Category: Farming Forward

For Derek Axten, changing nitrogen management on over 10,000 acres first required changing the goal. Shifting from a production-maximizing mentality to a profitability-first and resilience mindset is more fun, he says, though it’s not without its share of challenges. The Axtens have been using several different management tools to make the shift to a soil-health… Read More

There are a number of key inputs that are required for a crop to be successful and at the top of the list is nitrogen. While crops need nitrogen in order to thrive, there is a balance to be had and too much N is money waste and a potential risk to the environment. In… Read More

It seems that everywhere you go right now, farmers are talking about cover crops. Producers across the country are not only using a diverse plant mix to provide feed for livestock, but also as potential solutions to compaction, a lack of nutrient availability, and to address weed issues in their fields. In this Farming Forward… Read More

Are crops really inefficient at taking up nitrogen? Actually, no — crops take up and store N in grain and also in stalks, stems, leaves, and roots, which can sometimes be overlooked in nitrogen removal calculations, leading some to think that there is more N “lost” than is actually so. But if crops are pretty… Read More

What does soil look like after 20 years of applying the GRASS principles? (Those are covered in this video) A soil pit in this pasture that Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching has grazed cattle on for about 20 years shows the results of using animal impact and strategic rest periods to build not just… Read More

Cover crops can do a number of things, such as hold soil in place, cycle nutrients, suppress weed growth, and fix nitrogen. They can also interfere with planting and seeding the next crop if not terminated properly. There are several options available for terminating cover crops: choosing species that will winterkill (most of the time!),… Read More

Soil tests are one tool for determining fertilizer needs of a particular field, but several other factors impact the overall productivity of any soil zone, regardless of nutrient level. Factors such as physical make up of the soil, salinity, internal drainage, field position, and organic matter levels, all play a role in determining the high-yield… Read More

Advanced grazing can be summed up in one word: GRASS. But we’re not talking the actual grass, we’re talking about the GRASS principles of advanced grazing. In this episode of the Farming Forward video series, Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching, explains the principle that stands for:  G – Graze period R – Rest period A… Read More

Cover crops can be a non-starter in dry areas of the Prairies — or are they? A lack of moisture is definitely a concern when working to establish cover crops; however, over the long term, farmers Derek and Tannis Axten of Axten Farms at Minton, Sask., are finding covers build soil water holding capacity. That’s… Read More

Choosing the right protection product for nitrogen fertilizer comes down to hedging against the most likely risk of loss. Enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, sometimes referred to as EEFs or EENFs, work well to protect against nitrogen losses, but they don’t all work in the same way or in the same situation. In this episode of… Read More