ECOSYSTEM
Why Fischer-Clark Practices Strip-Till Planting
Soil health is at the core of Regenerative Agriculture. Tilling releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and can affect climate change. When no-till is practiced, the carbon dioxide is trapped and stored in the soil and can help reverse climate change. When no-till is practiced, the carbon dioxide is trapped and stored in the soil and can help reverse climate change. Soil heath is improved and can mean increased productivity of nutrient-dense foods.
There is less of a need for farm machinery for plowing thereby reducing the need for fuel and labor and other expenses required to operate and maintain farm machinery. Soil erosion is lessened and the also the need for additional fertilizer and operating expenses. The overall health of the soil is improved and results in stronger, healthier plants that are more pest-resistant and higher crop yield.
Interview with Mike Fischer
Fischer Clark has been practicing regenerative agriculture since 2019. There are a number of regenerative methods used at the farm.
- Strip till. We have a soil warrior, strip till machine. We put our fertilizer in a 12” strip which we till with our Soil Warrior. After the strip is tilled, corn is planted into the strip using John Deere GPS guidance following the Soil Warrior guided track. This saves 2 tillage passes and a lot of rock picking.
- We have been planting Cereal Rye after corn silage harvest in September.
- After 2 years of corn silage, we rotate into oats which is planted to fall before the following spring we plant alfalfa.
- The second year of alfalfa, we seed meadow fescue grass in July into the alfalfa. This increases our haylage yield and quality the following year.
- Because of the grass which was seeded the 2nd year of the hay rotation, our fields are firmer and more resistant to erosion and soil compaction. This, also, enables us to spread liquid manure throughout the summer at a lower and more sustainable rate. Doing this greatly reduces what we spread in the fall.
The dairy operation started using no-till because it reduces planting costs, uses less labor, and causes less soil erosion and water loss. Profit is increased and nutrient management is better. Mike recommends hiring someone to no-till your corn into sod after hay. That’s how they got started 10 years ago.