Agricultural Sector's Bountiful Harvest: A Boon for Ukraine
Ukraine’s rich, black soil is one of the country's greatest resources. It is becoming increasingly important to the rest of the world.
The vast fields of wheat, barley, rye, oats, sunflower, rapeseeds and other grain and oil crops have long made Ukraine a “breadbasket.” In 2011, the country enjoyed a record harvest of 56.7 million tons of grain. That growth in harvest is a major boon from just two years ago when the grain harvest was 40 million tons.
Ukraine exports substantial amounts of grains, vegetables, sugar, sunflower oil, milk powder and meat. The government is already encouraging the production of fruits, berries and grapes, including the revitalization of a wine industry that once supplied the Czars and royal families. There is still enormous potential for further development of the country’s agricultural land, and Ukraine is poised to become a global player in food production.
“I believe that the development of the agriculture sector should become the most powerful engine of the entire Ukrainian economy,” said Mykola Prysyazhnyuk, Ukraine’s Minister of Agriculture. “The ability to restore the status of Ukraine as a breadbasket of Europe is now becoming a reality.”
Foreign Agri-Business in Ukraine
The continued modernization and development of the country’s agriculture sector is a key government goal. Increasingly, it is also an attractive venture for foreign investors. European countries such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are among the principal foreign investors in Ukraine as major agri-business moves East in search of fresh land to farm. More than 70 percent of all land in Ukraine is agricultural, and nearly 60 percent of that is black earth soil. Already, major American agriculture and agri-food companies such as Cargill, John Deere and Kraft Foods have begun to invest in Ukraine, often with local partners. The country is also researching and investigating the best practices of major agricultural powers such as the United States to bolster its own farming methods.
John Deere extended its dealer network in Ukraine in 2011. “Within the CIS region, Ukraine remains one of the most important markets for us, in as much as the country’s soils, climate, farm structure and infrastructure make it an ideal breadbasket between the continents. Ukraine will be well advised to capitalize on this particular strength as demand for food, fiber and renewable energy will increase in its neighboring markets,” said Peter Krimm, Country Manager Ukraine and General Manager John Deere in Ukraine.
Major American agriculture and agri-food companies such as Cargill, John Deere and Kraft Foods have already begun to invest in Ukraine, often with local partners.
Global Demand for Grain
Global demand for food is accelerating with population growth, pushing prices to their highest levels since the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization started monitoring them in 1990. Ukrainian officials have said the country can play a major role in global food security and they are committed to a number of multinational initiatives, including the 2009 L’Aquila Food Security Initiative and the 2010 Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.
To foster the development of agriculture, Prysyazhnyuk has laid out a number of necessary reforms. First, issues over land ownership, a legacy of the Soviet past, need to be clarified to allow the transparent sale of land, and the government plans to lift the moratorium on the sale of arable land. The government is also seeking injections of investment, both domestic and foreign, to increase productivity. The government intends to identify priority areas within agriculture and to support the educational and scientific infrastructure that will encourage growth, innovation and competition.
Fishing in the Azov and Black Seas is also playing an increasingly important role in the Ukrainian economy with the catch growing each year. Ukraine has also begun to develop fish farming, including the cultivation of Russian and Siberian sturgeon.
The Bread Basket Goes Organic
By virtue of its unspoiled soil, Ukraine is also emerging as a major producer of organic food. Already, hundreds of thousands of acres are devoted to organic farming and agricultural officials and outside experts believe that Ukraine can become a major exporter and help satisfy the increasing demand in Western Europe for such products.
Today, 70 percent of all organic products in Ukraine are exported. Yet, at the same time, there is an emerging and growing demand for organic products inside the country as well. Ukrainians are used to growing their own food, or local food. Increasingly, consumers,particularlyyoung mothers, are demanding organic food in the stores.
Byron Agro, an organic farm outside Kyiv, grew out of a family farm. “My cousin has a baby and she needed milk,” director Yuriy Serheyev told the international edition of Ukrainian Week. “That’s how it all began.” Serheyev trained for his organic farming business in the United Kingdom. “I have two degrees, in marketing and economy,” he told the Ukrainian Week, adding “I’m learning through doing.”
Foreign investors are also just emerging in the trend to farm Ukraine’s rich, black soil without pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. However many small Ukrainian farmers do not use chemicals but just do not have the official status of being organic. More of them are creating joint ventures with foreign investors.
Today, seventy percent of all organic products in Ukraine are exported. yet at the same time there is an emerging and growing demand for organic products inside the country as well.
The cost of organic production is lower than the cost of crop production with chemicals once the turnover has been made, according to studies. As the cost of conventional farming continues to rise, Ukraine may well emerge as a beacon, as its farmers are used to using little or no petroleum-based chemicals.
Eco Tourism Emerges
Ukraine is also experiencing the beginnings of agricultural and green tourism with more than 1,000 family farms offering accommodation in farmhouses on pastoral land, overlooking rivers, streams and rolling hills. Some offer horse-back riding, hiking and other outdoor experiences for families. Thatched roofs and colorful, wooden farmhouses delight foreign tourists. And opportunities do not abate in winter when hiking tours turn to cross-country skiing along the riverbanks. Green tourism, a new and emerging industry, has great potential for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Black Soil is Golden for the Economy
Ukraine’s ‘‘black soil’’ is rightly famous, a rich soil that is well known for its fertile qualities.
Thirty percent of the world’s black soil is in Ukraine, and 42 million of the country’s 60 million hectares (231,660 square miles) is agricultural land where wheat, barley, rapeseed and sunflowers grow in abundance.
In Soviet times, Ukraine was known as the breadbasket of Europe, the land that fed the world and provided one-fourth of the Soviet Union’s agricultural output.
Today, the country’s agricultural industry represents almost 10 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, but its potential for growth remains vast.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko recently said that the agricultural sector could increase fourfold in the next five years, and investors mark out Ukraine’s agricultural industry as one to watch in the future.
Foreign investment in the agricultural sector hit a high point of $3.2 billion in 2008 and then dipped after the world financial crisis but is picking up again, spurred by rising world food prices.
In 2011, Ukrainian food exports reached $12 billion, an increase of 28.5 percent over 2010, led by sunflower oil, in which Ukraine is the world export leader.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has long been a strong supporter of investment in Ukraine and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of the last two decades. Most recently, it said it would invest up to $10 million in the Paris-based agricultural company AgroGeneration, which produces cereal and oilseeds at six farms in northwestern Ukraine.
As in many post-Soviet countries, Ukraine’s agriculture sector needs further reforms. The government is pushing through a land law that will allow agricultural land to be sold — although foreigners will still be barred from purchasing land — but it is not expected to come into effect before 2013.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych says: ‘‘A properly functioning market for agricultural land should be in operation in the next few years.’’
The passing of this law will undoubtedlyservetoprovide fresh impetus to the agriculture sector.
A Bumper Crop Inspires a Global Grain Reserve
Оnce known as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine is trying to regain that place as harvests soar. Last year, Ukraine suggested to the United Nations that it create a world grain reserve on its territory for times of famine.
‘‘This would provide for the stability of world grain prices as well as guarantee the food security of the global population,’’ said a statement from Ukraine. ‘‘Given the ongoing famine in Africa and global food insecurity, the creation of the world grain reserve is expected to be a useful tool for the U.N.’’
The reserve would be used to intervene on the markets when grain supplies are low. The move was made after the exceptionally good harvest of 2011, which was 35.6 percent higher than the previous year’s. In total, 55 million tons of grain were harvested. Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said in an interview with the Ukrainian media that the country could provide an annual quota of 10 million tons to the reserve. Ukraine’s total grain production can reach up to 100 million tons, although less is expected for 2012. The reserve would be managed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, with international financial institutions providing financial backing, says Mykola Bezuhly, president of the Ukrainian National Academy of Agrarian Sciences.
The move comes at an opportune time, as world food prices have soared in recent years on the back of rising demand in China and India as new middle classes emerge. Gilles Mettetal, director for agribusiness at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, has said that Ukraine is poised to ‘‘regain its position of a major breadbasket in the world.’’ Apart from the reserve, Ukraine is also expanding its agricultural exports, with strong showings in Africa and on the Asian markets. Exports hit $12 billion last year and new markets were also found, with exports to Bangladesh and Asia and a deal made to supply barley to Saudi Arabia, the agriculture ministry reported.
‘‘It is very good that we are expanding the geography of our supply of agricultural products,’’ said the agriculture minister, Mykola Prysyazhnyuk.
Pros and Cons of Soil Insecticide Use for Corn Rootworm Protection
Entomologists say root protection from single traits that are working well will not increase when an insecticide is added on top of the trait.
Should you use a soil insecticide at planting this season to protect your corn against corn rootworm pressure?
It depends, according to university entomologists.
"We have shown in our field trials that an insecticide on top of a single trait only improves relative root protection if the single trait is starting to fail in the field," notes Lance Meinke, University of Nebraska-Lincoln entomologist. "In this case, root protection improves but selection for resistance to the trait continues, so this is not a good long-term solution to the problem.
"Root protection from single traits that work well will not increase when insecticide is added on top of the trait," he says. "Also, we have not seen an increase in root protection when an insecticide is added on top of a pyramid containing Cry34/35Ab1. So in most cases, we do not recommend using a soil insecticide on top of a pyramid that contains Cry34/35Ab1."
If you plant a pyramided corn hybrid with multiple Bt events to protect your crop from rootworm larvae, the chance of an economic return-on-investment is unlikely when using a soil applied insecticide, adds Mike Gray, University of Illinois Extension entomologist.
However, another consideration is how much damage is your corn crop likely to experience this season from other pests such as grubs, wireworms and seed corn maggots, asks Mike Hancock, corn segment manager for FMC Corporation, which manufactures Capture LFR.
"There are a variety of pests waiting to attack that seed as soon as you close the furrow that an insecticide put down at planting can protect your crop against," he says. "An in-furrow treatment can help you increase your stand count and protect yield potential through the life of the crop."
As for rootworm management, the issue continues to be a major concern for farmers across much of the Midwest. Earlier this year, a webinar "Corn Rootworm Management in the Transgenic Era" was presented by five land grant entomologists. During the program, the entomologists detail rootworm management challenges and recommendations for 2014. The webinar was supported by a USDA-NIFA North Central IPM Program grant.
Soybean Rust Outlook
Researchers see little evidence of the disease going into spring.
Mother Nature can be your friend or foe, and a lot of farmers believe she has been largely the latter most of this winter. One plus from the tough cold weather conditions she has dished out, though, is that researchers have found little evidence of soybean rust overwintering on kudzu plants in the far southern regions of the U.S.
"We haven’t been able to detect the disease on kudzu here in Alabama or from my counterparts in states Coast along the Gulf" says Ed Sikora, Extension plant pathologist at Auburn University.
That is significant news as it means fewer spores are likely to be available to cause a disease outbreak in soybeans planted later this spring, Sikora notes.
Daren Mueller, Iowa State University plant pathologist, adds that he does not anticipate soybean rust to present much of a threat to Midwest crops in 2014, based on the "really solid cold spells" much of the South experienced this winter.
"Everything would have to go wrong for it to be a problem (in the Midwest) this year," he says.
That’s not to say soybean rust will not be a problem for some farmers. It simply means farmers are unlikely to see the severity and reach of the disease that they saw last year through much of the South and into the lower Midwest.
"It was a big problem here," Sikora recalls. "We saw yield losses in some cases of more than 50%, more than we’ve observed in any of the previous eight years since we started tracking the disease."
A tropical storm could have compounded the problem, he adds.
"If we’d had one come through here and move northward early in the growing season, things could’ve been a lot worse. Instead of rust being an Alabama problem it would’ve been a U.S. problem," he explains.
As it was, soybean rust was detected in 408 counties in 13 U.S. states in 2013, according to the Integrated Pest Management Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education (IPM-PIPE). Total counties and parishes reporting rust problems included: 107 counties in Georgia, 82 counties in Mississippi, 67 counties in Alabama, 59 parishes in Louisiana, 22 counties in Florida, 20 counties in Arkansas, 13 counties in South Carolina, 10 counties in North Carolina, nine counties in Tennessee, eight counties in Virginia, four counties in Illinois, three counties in Kentucky and two counties in Texas.
Mueller says the work done by southern researchers and farmers to scout for soybean rust and raise the alarm when the disease is found has been a huge benefit for growers in the Midwest.
"We’ve had the luxury of not having to worry about it as much, which has allowed us to focus more on the issues we face more often, such as sudden death syndrome and frogeye leaf spot," he notes.
While the current threat of rust is low, how the weather conditions progress this spring will influence the level of rust farmers ultimately see. The lack of inoculum causes Sikora to think that when the disease does show up it will occur later in the season. However, he says wet weather conditions early in the growing season could allow the disease to build up quickly, and an active hurricane season could change things in a hurry.
If rust shows up any time after the soybean crop reaches pod fill, about R6, it is unlikely to be of much economic consequence, he says.
David Wright, University of Florida Extension agronomist, says farmers’ fungicide use has significantly curtailed soybean yield losses to rust in the state.
"Ninety-five percent of our growers use a fungicide application, and the average damage is less than 5% even though in most of our fields you could find some soybean rust in it," he says.
Wright and Sikora teamed up earlier this year, along with other land-grant university researchers from around the country, to develop two rust videos for farmers’ reference.
A Deeper Understanding
New laboratory testing procedures lay the groundwork for improving soil health
When you start thinking in terms of soil health, soil testing takes on a whole new significance. You move beyond an exclusive focus on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and pH levels to an acute awareness of the overall well-being of your soil. Once you reach that point, you can start to correct the weaknesses that limit the soil’s productive potential.
"Improving soil health involves assessing all three aspects—chemical, biological and physical," says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie. "Some aspects of your soil might be healthy while others have room for improvement. The first step is to establish baseline levels. Then you can monitor your progress as you take steps to correct yield-limiting factors."
You can conduct several soil health tests yourself—water infiltration, soil respiration, aggregate stability, pH, surface hardness, compaction and density. Other aspects require the help of a soil-testing laboratory, which offers some tests you might not have encountered before, such as aggregate stability, texture analysis, active organic matter and mineralizable nitrogen.
"Some of these new soil health tests are not widely available yet," Ferrie notes. "As more farmers integrate soil health into their management plan, they will become more common."
Soil chemistry. The basic soil test you’ve probably been using for years measures the chemical aspect of soil health. A soil health test is similar but more comprehensive.
"Besides testing for macronutrients—N, P and K—we now need to test for micronutrients," Ferrie says. "Overapplying or underapplying any macro- or micronutrient might be detrimental to soil health."
Misapplication of one nutrient can trigger a chain reaction. For example, if you apply excess nitrogen to a soil where pH is optimum, the extra nitrogen stimulates microbial populations, Ferrie explains. Those microbes release soil carbon, which might be lost as carbon dioxide.
"Down the road, you might need to apply more nitrogen fertilizer because you reduced the supply of nitrogen stored in the soil," he adds. "If you apply an ammoniacal source of nitrogen, which creates acidity, soil microbial activity might be reduced. Then you will need to apply more limestone to correct the acidity."
Farmers who irrigate or apply manure should also test for sodium. "Excess sodium prevents clay particles from flocculating (just like hydrogen in an acid soil), so the soil particles run together and structure is destroyed," Ferrie explains.
In other words, balanced fertility, which includes the right amount of each nutrient and proper pH, is a key component of healthy soil.
Water pH versus buffer pH. Since proper pH is essential to soil health, you need to understand how much lime you need to apply. That requires a more sophisticated soil test that reports not just the traditional water pH reading but also the buffer pH reading.
"The water pH reading (which is the only one reported on many soil tests) measures soil acidity as it affects plants and microbes," Ferrie says. "But you can’t use that reading to determine how much lime to apply because the amount needed to neutralize acidity varies with different soil types. The reading that tells you how much to apply is buffer pH, which takes into account the soil’s buffering ability."
It works like this: A light soil, with low organic matter and low cation exchange capacity, might have a water pH of 4.9. A heavier clay loam soil might have a water pH of 5.5. Because of the difference in the soils’ buffering ability, the light soil might only need 1 ton of lime per acre to correct its acidity, while the heavy soil might need 3 tons. Liming both soils at the same rate would be a mistake, Ferrie adds, because the wrong rate on one field would reduce microbial activity.
Cation exchange capacity. Until now, you probably have viewed cation exchange capacity (CEC) as an indication of how well your soil retains nutrients—whether you could apply a larger amount every few years or whether you needed to apply a smaller amount every year.
"But the CEC reading also helps identify the texture of your soil," Ferrie says. "The higher the CEC reading, the more clay particles and the fewer sand and silt particles. This gives you an indication of the productive capacity of your soil so you know what you can expect it to produce in a perfect state of health.
"A very light soil, even in the best of health, might not match the yield of a darker soil in poor health. It’s like comparing a 17-year old to an 80-year old—even though both are healthy, the teenager is more athletic.
"Even if the 17-year-old is overweight, he might still outrun and out-jump a fit 80-year old," he adds. "By making all our soils as healthy as possible, we maximize each one’s productive capacity."
You put this knowledge to work when you implement a soil health management plan. "For example, consider CEC when selecting a cover crop," Ferrie says. "If your soil has a high CEC, you have a lot of clay, so the soil is probably tighter, with higher bulk density. Radishes would be a good choice because they create biochannels that improve air and water flow.
"If your soil has a lower CEC, it probably has a sandy loam or sandy silt loam texture. A cereal rye or annual ryegrass cover crop would help improve aggregate stability," Ferrie says.
Physical soil aspects. You can measure aggregate stability and soil texture in the field, but both can be analyzed in a laboratory for increased precision and repeatability of results, Ferrie says.
The aggregate stability test determines how well soil structure is likely to withstand rainfall or tillage. "In the lab, soil is placed on top of a sieve and water is applied with a rainfall simulator," explains Thomas Zerebny, Ferrie’s assistant. "The volume of the total sample remaining on the sieve is the percentage of aggregate stability."
Soil texture is determined by the percentage of sand, silt and clay particles (from largest to smallest). "Texture affects the size of pore spaces, water infiltration rate, available water capacity, permeability and cation exchange capacity," Zerebny says.
"When soil structure is destroyed, clay and silt particles percolate downward, leaving the sand particles," Ferrie explains. "If you find that the percentage of sand particles in the top 6" is increasing, it means the aggregate stability has failed and the healthy crumb-like structure has been lost."
Biological testing. The biological components of soil health are organic matter (or carbon) content and microbial activity. Organic matter, which is made up of decomposed plants and microbial organisms, holds nutrients, helps build soil structure and improves water-holding capacity.
"The amount of total organic matter, which you’re familiar with on soil tests, is an indicator of soil health, but it is slow to change," Ferrie says.
"Although it might take many years to make significant improvements in total organic matter content, it’s worth the effort in terms of higher yield and lower commercial fertilizer cost," Ferrie says.
You can measure the amount of organic matter in soil by comparing it to a simple color chart. "But a laboratory test is better because the results are repeatable in future years," Ferrie says.
Different laboratories might use different organic matter tests, so it’s important to stick with one laboratory for repeatable results. Sampling depth is also important. Soil within 2" of the surface will show changes in organic matter content faster than soil at 7".
Active organic matter. One portion of total organic matter can help farmers measure their changes in soil health over a relatively short time period. That fraction is called active organic matter (or active carbon).
"Active organic matter is the portion that breaks down fastest and makes nutrients available to plants," Ferrie says. "Unlike total organic matter, the active organic matter value can change fairly rapidly in response to changes in crop rotation, the use of cover crops and aggressive tillage."
Mineralizable nitrogen. Mineralizable nitrogen is nitrogen in the ammonium form, which plants and microbes can use. It might be provided by soil organic matter during the growing season.
"When you learn your soil’s potential to mineralize nitrogen, temperature and moisture conditions during the growing season will give you an indication of how much ammonium nitrogen might become available," Ferrie says. "That will help you decide whether to make a late-season application of nitrogen fertilizer.
"I think of soil with high mineralizable nitrogen values as being nitrogen-friendly," Ferrie adds. "On those soils, it is easier to pull back on nitrogen fertilizer rates."
Root health assessment. In a root health assessment, technicians plant a seed in a soil sample to determine the diversity of soil microorganisms.
"After four weeks, the plant’s roots are washed and given a score based on their health," Zerebny explains. "The healthier the roots, the more diverse the microbial population and the healthier the soil."
"A more diverse microbial population results in fewer disease issues for the crop because the beneficial microbes prevent pests from building to damaging levels," Ferrie says.
At the day-to-day management level, the test might suggest whether or not you need to apply a seed treatment, Zerebny adds.
Collecting your samples. "Take your soil samples and measurements in the spring when soil moisture is close to capacity," Ferrie advises. "Record the locations using GPS, so you can
return every three to six years and measure your progress as you implement your soil health improvement strategy."
The soil health tests mentioned in this story are offered by some commercial laboratories and Cornell University (http://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu). (See "New Soil Health Tests" below.) Ferrie expects that additional laboratories will begin offering more soil health testing services in the near future.
New Soil Health Tests
Soil-testing agencies are responding to the growing interest in soil health by developing new tests that add knowledge, precision and repeatability. Two of the newest tests include:
Low-Tech Management Equals Big Benefits
Wisconsin producer's back-to-basics approach pays off for the farm and the environment
You don’t need all of the latest tools to be a good farm manager. Mark and Cora Liebaert’s beef operation in South Range, Wis., proves that point.
"We’re pretty low-tech," he describes. Low-tech is putting it modestly—the Liebaerts follow a well thought-out, back-to-basics management system that minimizes outside inputs and keeps nutrients from washing into water sources.
Two rivers that pass through the Liebaerts’ farm flow into Lake Superior. "Our goal is to have no nutrients leaving our farm," Liebaert says. "We know we’ll always have an impact on the environment, but we want to make it as small as possible."
The Liebaerts question whether each input is really needed and use forage efficiently through rotational grazing. As a result, they were named state Conservation Farmers of the Year in 2008. Recently, they were recognized as Upstream Heroes by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC).
Our Upstream Heroes series salutes efficient nutrient managers who keep nutrients from leaving their farms. Nitrogen and phosphorus can travel into lakes and reservoirs, and even all the way down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Liebaerts raise about 50 purebred Angus cows, selling their offspring as yearlings for beef or as breeding stock. They feed almost exclusively forage—230 acres are devoted to hay and 133 acres to pasture. The same grasses and legumes grow in every field.
When the Liebaerts’ forage was analyzed as part of their state conservation award entry, eight species of grass were found. But the makeup of each field changes yearly, depending on rainfall and temperature. "In any given year, a field may contain birdsfoot trefoil, timothy, brome or red
clover. Canarygrass grows in the wet areas," Liebaert says.
"Years ago, we tried to manipulate things more," he says. "Now we accept what’s out there."
Liebaert stopped reseeding fields after he realized seed was present in the soil and just waiting for the right weather conditions to germinate. Sometimes he lets his cows do some reseeding for him—if he sees a good crop of trefoil coming on, he modifies his grazing schedule, so there will be viable seed when cows graze it the second time. "After I move the cows, they reseed another area," he explains.
One study found the Liebaerts were producing hay for less than $30 per ton, including all costs.
Intensive grazing. Rotational grazing is the key to the Liebaerts’ system. Confining cattle in small paddocks for a short time forces them to eat all the forage that’s present before they move to a new area. Using single-strand electric fencing, Liebaert divides his land into about 45 paddocks, with portable water tanks in each paddock.
Moving cattle to a fresh paddock takes less than half an hour. "It’s as simple as opening a gate," Liebaert says. "The electric fences around each paddock remain in place year-round. I check the fence for deer damage, fix any problems and the fence is ready to go.
"We typically move cattle two times a day in the spring, and every two days when the forage is taller," Liebaert explains. "It depends what’s growing."
Moving cows between paddocks lets Liebaert inspect their condition. Small paddocks facilitate breeding because the bull is never more than 50 yards from a cow.
The system even protects cattle from predators. Although there are timber wolves in their area, "we have no predator losses," Liebaert says. "In small paddocks, wolves have to challenge the entire herd. And they like to watch a herd a couple days before they attack. By the time they get ready to attack our cows, the herd has moved."
Liebaert usually hays each pasture in the early spring, and then grazes it three times. With hay fields, he usually takes only one cutting. In the fall, he adds the hay fields to his pasture rotation to harvest the second crop.
But there are no hard and fast rules. "Sometimes, if pastures get ahead, we make hay," Liebaert says. "In a dry year, I may pasture a field instead of cutting it. We can pasture a hay field early and not hurt it because the forage has time to grow back."
Scissor-cut forage analyses typically range from 20% to 24% crude protein.
Hay and compost. The Liebaerts pasture cattle until about Dec. 1. Then they feed hay, in large round bales, near their farmstead.
The only exception to the Liebaerts’ all-forage ration is that calves get ¾ lb. to 1 lb. of grain per day in the winter. "They gain just as much without grain," Liebaert says. "But feeding grain gets them used to me and makes them easier to work with.
"Our one way of splurging is to let the cows waste some hay," he notes. "I feed one bale, then feed the next one in a different location, and the cows lay on the remains of the first bale. They have a dry place to rest, and we get some hay in our manure, for composting."
About 95% of the manure from the feeding area winds up in compost. "We push the manure into a pile in May, turn it one time and then spread the compost the following fall, after haying is
finished," Liebaert says. "By then, it looks like black dirt. By composting, there’s no risk of manure washing off the field, and it costs less to spread than raw manure."
The Liebaerts have direct-marketed their beef to area residents for about 20 years. Customers place reservations for quarters or halves more than a year in advance, and drive to the farm to pick up their meat. "People buy our beef because they like it and they know where it comes from," Liebaert says. "Some buy it because it is grass-finished, but others don’t even know. The butcher who processes our animals doesn’t know, either—he just says they have great fat cover."
Some of the Liebaerts’ management practices—such as applying no fertilizer or lime—go against traditional wisdom. But their success shows that every farm situation is unique.
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