Madison, Wisconsin is to be our base for the next three days and what a wonderful place it is. The heart of the city is situated between lakes Mendota and Menona which freeze up during winter and create an amazing setting.The greater Madison area has a population of around 500,000 with the city itself being 240,000. The university itself contributes 50,000 to this.
| Winters day on the Lake in Madison |
We are here for two meetings,the first of these is with Don Reicosky at our hotel. Don lives in Morris Minnesota, and has a soil consultancy business. He describes himself as a soil physician and although retired, is kept busy presenting papers around the world and previously worked for the USDA as a soil scientist. He has a real passion for all things soil, no-till in particular.
Don talked about natural fertility in the soil has ability to feed 4 billion people, with nitrogen feeding the other 3 billion.
Synergy Crops - formerly called Cover Crops, as he calls them, and no-till are a key component in sustainable crop farming. Co2 is the big loser when it comes to tillage and the amount lost is directly related to the amount of soil moved during the tillage process. The carbon cycle is essential for 'gettin the bugs goin' and also a loser in tillage systems.
The Mid West is losing soil at a rate of 5t - 40t per acre /yr and so a little tillage is better than a lot in that respect. By using Synergy Crops made up of the correct mix which not only draw up moisture and improve soil structure, but get things in balance. Use of leguminous plants as we know will lessen the need for artificial N. What I wasn't aware of is the extent of the sterilizing effect artificial N has on microbial activity.
We talked about government support to agriculture and Don has the view that subsidies for corn and soy would be better directed to Synergy Crops to encourage the improvement of soils and in turn, the corn, soy and whatever else we choose to grow.
Food for thought don't you think....?
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| Steve Wilkins Peter Kaylock David Cook and Don Reicosky |
Don has a huge amount of knowledge in the subject of soil and is more than willing to share it. I came away from the meeting armed with a memory stick packed full of presentations and articles on soil health and a range of contacts in all aspects of agriculture.
Thank you Don.
A keen fisherman, Don is more than a little jealous that we live not more than 400 m from some of the best trout fishing in the world in the Mataura River.
What is that phrase about the closer to the river you live the less you fish......
The next afternoon we make a trip out to Otter Creek , the farm of Gary Zimmer about 40 miles east of Madison at Spring Green.
Gary has around 1000ac with dairy, beef and crops and also owns Mid Western Bio Ag a consultancy firm working with thousands of farms around the globe. He made special mention of a dairy operation he is involved with in Africa with 70,000 cows in 1000 cow units, which are modeled on the New Zealand system.
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| Steve Wilkins Gary Zimmer and David Cook |
Gary also manages Bio Ag Learning Centre, a demonstration farm where he tests methods and products. While Gary practices organic farming, he isn't preaching the benefits of organic during our meeting, but rather takes a holistic approach and knows his stuff with many of his own books on the shelf to back it up. Gary tells us that 870 million tons more chemicals are used annually than before the introduction of biotech, or GM. Gary is a firm believer in getting the soil in the right condition to get full potential from your crops rather than relying heavily on artificial products.Excessive N in plant tissue causes fungal infection.
The meeting with Gary lasted for around three hours, and his enthusiasm on the subject never wavered We could have carried on for another three, except that Gary had to babysit his granddaughter.
This few lines doesn't do the man justice,but take a look at his book 'Advancing Biological Farming' It's not all about organic farming, its about getting thinks in balance and there is something in it for everyone involved agriculture.
Or if you do a search on youtube there are some entertaining clips on Gary!
As a matter of interest, the area where Gary farms was the home of Architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The 660ac farm that was where Wright spent most of his life until his death in 1959, is now open to the public and host many educational programs.
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| Barn on Gary's Farm designed by Frank Lloyd Wright |
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