You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
managing your soil<br />
The crops came up, and they looked<br />
good but not great, he said.<br />
About that time he also noticed a<br />
neighbor doing something different and<br />
his corn looked better than everyone<br />
else’s.<br />
Dierickx asked him what he was<br />
doing and began to further his education<br />
about soil health. That led to the second<br />
component of building soil health. He<br />
essentially learned to apply only the<br />
nutrients the crop and soil needs, where<br />
it needs it, and when it needs it.<br />
“The beauty of farming in the Midwest<br />
is everyone can farm in a different<br />
way and at the end of the day, try to<br />
make a living,” he said. “I found I can<br />
make a better living by not tilling.”<br />
When he goes in to certify his yields<br />
with his crop insurance agent, he’ll ask<br />
“How are my yields compared to my<br />
peers?”<br />
The answer he receives now is: “Your<br />
yields are in the top 10 percent. Whatever<br />
you are doing, keep doing it.” n<br />
— Nancy mayfield,<br />
eastern iowa farmer<br />
heritagemutual.net<br />
When tragedy strikes, rely on a local <strong>Iowa</strong> insurance company.<br />
Proudly protecting <strong>Iowa</strong> farms since 1874.<br />
Visit www.heritagemutual.net to find an agent near you.<br />
66 <strong>Eastern</strong> <strong>Iowa</strong> <strong>Farmer</strong> | spring <strong>2017</strong>
Change language