Producer Resources
There are numerous resources available to producers to learn about soil health, ecosystem health, farm profitability, grazing management, etc. Here are a few resources that you may find helpful. Check back often as resources will be added regularly.
Newly Added Resources
- NEW! Biology of Soil Compaction - American Society of Agronomy Crops and Soils magazine July-August 2011 - This article explains how soil compaction is created and how explains the needed processes to reduce and eliminate it from our fields.
- NEW! Nebraska Farmer November 2023 Compost tea: Boost microbes to build soil health - Knox County Producer, Doug Steffen, is highlighted for his use of compost extract in his nutrient management plan. Doug was the host for the 2023 Bow Creek Field Day where he demonstrated his processes.
- NEW! To Which We Belong - Documentary highlighting regenerative practices. Features Green Cover Seed founders Keith and Brian Berns from Bladen, NE.
- NEW! Cover Crop Chart - The Cover Crop Chart (v. 4.0) is a decision aid to help select and manage cover crops. The chart, patterned after the periodic table of elements, includes information for 70 crop species that may be planted individually or in mixtures. Information on growth cycle, relative water use, plant architecture, seeding depth, forage quality, pollination characteristics, and nutrient cycling are included for most crops.
- NEW! Soil Food Web Introduction Video - Dr. Elaine Ingham introduces the soil food web and why it is important to profitable farming and ranching.
Bow Creek Recordings
- Rainfall Simulator conducted by Aaron Hird, NRCS Soil Health Specialist in Nebraska at the Bow Creek Field Day on June 25, 2021. Aaron demonstrates what happens when rain falls on bare soil compared to soil protected by residue. The dramatic benefits of a long-term no-till system on infiltration are highlighted.
2023 Winter Meeting Recordings
- New and Emerging Soil & Plant Tests - Lance Gunderson explains new and emerging soil and plant tests that can be used to evaluate nutrient cycling and availability potential. CEU credits are available until June 30, 2023, contact Becky Ravenkamp for more information on CEUs.
- Biology Drives the Nutrient Cycle - Virginia Jin discusses how management practices impact soil health and nutrient cycling. Jim Williams, SD farmer, explains how he uses compost and compost extracts to coat seeds and enhance biology-driven nutrient cycling on his farm.
- Coming Soon! Nutrient Cycle, Cover Crop Nutrient Release Research, and NRCS Program Review - The last Winter Meeting explores the nutrient cycle and new research evaluating how nutrients are released from cover crops. NRCS programs can help producers start conservation practices by offering technical and financial support. NRCS State Conservationist and nutreint management specialists explain the programs, and what is and is not allowable for nutrient management contracts.
2022 Winter Meeting Recordings
- Growing Nitrogen with Cover Crops - Dale Strickler breaks down how much nitrogen you can expect a cover crop to produce when it is available to the next crop, and gives examples of rotations that create windows for growing cover crops to improve farm profits.
- Ecosystem Process, Soil Health, and Nutrient Management - Becky Ravenkamp, Bow Creek Watershed Coordinator, discusses nutrient management in the context of the ecosystem and soil health principles.
Soil Health
- NEW! Soil Food Web Introduction Video - Dr. Elaine Ingham introduces the soil food web and why it is important to profitable farming and ranching.
- Menoken Farm Article introducing the five soil health principles and how those principles impact soil function.
- Rainfall Simulator Video at SD Soil Health Field Day. This video illustrates what happens during a rainstorm in various soil management systems.
- Soil Health Principles Video Featuring Jay Fuhrer - Jay Fuhrer explains the soil health principles and how we can increase soil health using these principles.
- Weed Population Dynamics - Randy Anderson, formally with ARS, explains weed population dynamics in the Great Plains. Although the predominant system is different than in the Bow Creek watershed, the findings still hold information that can be applied here. The main point that readers should come away with is the "rotation effect" on weed populations.
Land Restoration with Grazing
- Dr. Allen Williams - Growing Soil the Southern Way - In this video, from The Grassfed Exchange, Dr. Williams chronicles how he regenerated grazing lands using livestock, without tillage or reseeding.
- Four Steps to Rotational Grazing - Penn State Extension outlines the basic steps to calculate how many paddocks to subdivide pastures into.
Economics
- Economics of Small Grains - Practical Farmers of Iowa
- UNL Whole Farm Calculator - Online Whole Farm Program
- UNL Crop Budgets - Download the 2023 all crops budget
- UNL Crop Budget, instructions and demonstration
- Crop Budgets Reference
- Fieldprint Platform - Field to Market
Producer Success Stories
- Ed and Leta Olson - Leopold Conservation Award Winner, Burt County NE
- Scott and Pam Heinemann - Winside, NE
- Scott Gonnerman - Waco, NE
Reading Resources
- A Soil Owner's Manual: How to Restore and Maintain Soil Health by Jon Stika
- Management-intensive Grazing: The Grassroots of Grass Farming by Jim Gerrish
- Green Cover Seed Resources Page: Search by topic in the extensive library of articles