When it comes to producing bin-busting crops how do you plan for that?  Well, it all begins with your emergence and making sure everything is starting off right.  Today we are joined by farmer Patrick Howard as he walks us through his process for planting.  From knowing the right time to plant to tracking weather patterns, and going back and checking on the emergence, and making sure it’s where it needs to be.

We also tackle the difficult decision of replanting.  Replanting can cause us to feel like we are failing with our crops, but oftentimes it’s due to something completely out of our control and we discuss the emotions that can come into play during those times.

We also talk about what determines if your soybean or corn crops are too thin, and what tools are a must-have when checking your fields. 

Questions asked:

• How do you know when to take the planter into the field?
• How do you watch the weather to know when to plant?
• How do you look at corn and soybean emergence?
• How do you know if you need to replant?

Topics covered:

• The best time to plant.
• The importance of emergence.
• What to look for when going in the field.
• Must have tools for checking your fields.

Listen to on:

Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bin-buster/id1539932560

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NeeISyT1fsTgHHlQVhbj7

Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/Bin-Buster-id3524084?country=us

Are you trying to get your yields up, but struggling to know where to start?  You’ve checked your nitrogen levels but what else is missing?

In this episode, I sit down with the corn king himself Kevin Kalb.  He is known worldwide for his high-yielding crops.  Kevin utilizes dekalb seed.  He has been featured on the TV show “Corn Warriors.  He runs a big family farm in Dubois Co, Indiana.

In our interview, Kevin tells us how important it is to play with ten acres of your land and be free to experiment with it, try new things and see what works and what doesn’t.  He talks about what some game-changers for his crops have been and what practices he has in place in order to get the best yields possible.

He also shares with us things that he wishes he had done differently and offers bushel loads of information that we can take to heart and apply to our own crops in order to increase our yields.

Questions asked:

• What was it like being on corn warriors?
• How did you get started chasing high yields?
• How important is it for farmers to do soil and tissue tests?
• What are some basic recipes for high yields?
• How to find the right people to work with. 

Topics covered:

• Why it’s important to try new things on your crops.
• Why you need to be doing soil tests. 
• How to make a farm operation successful.
• Leaning into Soybeans.

Connect with Kevin:

• Website: https://www.midwestadvancedcrop.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigyieldscorn

Listen to on:

Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bin-buster/id1539932560

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NeeISyT1fsTgHHlQVhbj7

Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/Bin-Buster-id3524084?country=us

In today’s episode, I sit down with Matt Parmer to discuss how to take the next steps to achieve better yields in our harvest seasons.  Matt starts by walking us through the steps we need to be taking each planning season and how this winter “down” time should be utilized in order to make sure when it does come time to plant we are as prepared as possible.

We also discuss the importance of utilizing people, teams, and retailers around you.  There is no one-size-fits-all for every farmer, field, and crop which is why it is vital that we try new things, take advice from people who are experts in their field, and take steps to implement tactics and procedures that can take our yields from good to great.

We also talk about having the freedom to try new things, and the freedom to discover more about ourselves and those around us, and how thankful he is that his parents taught him this from a young age.  They allowed him to come into his own interests and passions, and Matt correlates that to our mind of exploration that we need in the agricultural industry.

Questions asked:

• What are the steps farmers should be taking right now?
• Why do you think farmers should have the mindset to try new things?
• What are some ways that retailers can help farmer’s operations?
• How do we not settle for just ‘good’’?

Topics covered:

• Experimenting with what works and what doesn’t. 
• Stepping out of our comfort zone in order to take risks that may yield better results.
• Utilizing the planning season.
• Surrounding yourself with the right team.

Resources Mentioned: Outliers: Malcolm Gladwell 

https://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930/

Listen to on:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bin-buster/id1539932560

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NeeISyT1fsTgHHlQVhbj7

Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/Bin-Buster-id3524084?country=us