Indiana comes together to celebrate food and agriculture
Members
of Indiana’s Family of Farmers (IFoF), a
coalition of more than a dozen ag-related organizations, came
together at the Statehouse on March 21 to celebrate National Agriculture Day
and recognize the significant economic and cultural contributions agriculture
makes to the Hoosier state.
The celebration included a special ceremony, which featured Indiana's Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch. She remarked on Indiana’s long tradition of agriculture and how important the industry is to the state’s economy. She also thanked Indiana’s farmers and producers for everything they have done, and continue to do, for families across the state.
Winners of the first ever IFoF Ag Day Video Contest were recognized during the event as well. The contest was designed to challenge Hoosier students to think critically and creatively about the future of agriculture. Below is a list of the 2017 contest winners:
Grades
6-8:
- 1st Place Winner: Nathan Tuholski, from Mill Creek,
Ind.
- 2nd Place Winner: John Jackson, from Jamestown, Ind.
- 3rd Place Winner: Shenandoah Middle School, from
Middletown, Ind.
Grades
9-12:
- 1st Place Winner: Katelyn Smith, from Logansport, Ind.
- 2nd Place Winner: John Schuler, from Roann, Ind.
- 3rd Place Winner: Anna Taylor, from Corunna, Ind.
To
learn more about National Agriculture Day, visit www.agday.org.
Improving soil health and the bottom line
"Meeting with other farmers in small groups allowed us to consider management techniques that we aren't currently using and see how those might work in our own operation." This comment came from David Beard, a participant in INfield Advantage (INFA) from Clinton County.
Comments like David's are not uncommon when you talk to those who participate in INfield Advantage, a nutrient management program designed to help growers improve soil health and their bottom line. In fact, based on a survey that was sent out to 200+ participants, roughly 75 percent said the program helped them manage their nutrients more effectively.
So, how does the program work?
INFA focuses on regional groups that range anywhere between 10 to 20 growers. The groups are led by a local leader, which can consist of an ISDA, Purdue Extension or Soil and Water Conservation District staff member, who assist the participants and help them enroll their fields into the program. On average, most growers sign up anywhere from 2 to 6 fields.
Once in the program, there are many tools available to the participants at no cost to them that can provide insight into their nitrogen management practices including:
- Corn stalk nitrate testing: This will allow participants to determine nitrogen use efficiency at the end of the growing period.
- Aerial imagery: This will allow participants to discover possible issues, including soil compaction and equipment malfunctions.
- Replicated strip trials: This will allow participants to compare different rates, forms, timing and placement of crop nutrients within a single field to evaluate nutrient efficiency and associated yield.
By gathering this personalized, field-specific data (e.g., field history, crop rotations and nutrient management), an agronomist is able to analyze it and present their findings to growers during local winter grower meetings – one of the biggest advantages of being in the program.
These meetings bring together local participants, who are able to review their personalized data, collaborate with other growers and share best practices moving forward. It’s important to note that the individual field reports are kept anonymous and the locations are generalized to protect the grower’s information during the meeting.
This year, 33 meetings were held and attended by approximately 400 people. Over 90 percent of participants reported that they benefited from the conversations, and while each discussion focused on local results and concerns, many of the discussions were about the unusually high nitrate levels identified across the state. The 2016 values were significantly higher than seen the previous five years of the program.
There are many possible causes for high nitrate levels, but one strong possibility, which came out during the grower meetings, was the presence of a fungal infection in the crop, particularly Southern Rust. Although this information is not conclusive, the group leaders are reaching out to the participants to see if they had any issues, and if they applied a fungicide, to better determine the underlying cause behind the results. As an extra step, the program plans to work with Purdue University to further evaluate the results, as a way to ensure the growers have the best information possible – a key element of the program.
Visit www.infieldadvantage.org to learn more about INfield Advantage.
INfield Advantage is brought to you by: Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Pork Farmers, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Purdue Extension, Indiana Conservation Partnership and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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