| |Return to Conference page | |
Vosburg Farms
Climax, Michigan
Cereal by-products are fed to cattle instead of going into landfills as before. The cereal is easily digested by cattle which decreases manure.
The Vosburgs operate a notill system to reduce energy consumption on the farm by minimizing the use of equipment. Besides enhancing production efficiency, this practice conserves soil and fossil fuels and improves yields.
Crop rotation helps improve weed and insect control.
To prevent erosion, soybeans are harvested earlier by selecting other varieties to allow time to plant a cover crop (wheat) immediately into the soybean stubble prior to winter.
Year round vegetative cover increases vegetation and reduces the affects of erosion. Cover crops such as rye, oats and wheat are frequently used to protect soil from erosion.
Nutrients, organic matter, and humus are returned to the soil to eliminate volatilization of nutrients and to decrease odor.
Livestock manure is analyzed for its nutrient value and calibrated to determine the best application rates. The manure is then spread over the farm on a regular basis.
Animal waste storage containers are found in each of the livestock barns enabling the Vosburgs to hold manure until needed. Using manure management optimizes the use of nutrient humus and the organic value of the livestock by-product while avoiding nitrate contamination.
By distributing the manure into the fields, the Vosburgs are receiving both economic and aesthetic benefits from their conservation practices. By utilizing manure, the Vosburgs minimize the loss of nitrogen values and reduce odors.
Using the manure as fertilizer on their fields has saved the Vosburgs on commercial fertilizer costs. Furthermore, soils that receive animal manure yield better than soils treated with their store-bought counterparts.
Jan's great-great-grandfather purchased the farm in 1850, and now Jan and Nellie Lou's three sons work hard to keep Vosburg Farms in the family.
Address for this site: http://www.wisc.edu/farmasyst/private/nca3317.html
NOTE: This page was downloaded from the Stewardship Club of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Modified by: Richard Castelnuovo, rcasteln@students.wisc.edu,
Last modified: September 6, 1996