Know how Farmers work hard in the fall to Winterize and Prepare for Spring

KNOW HOW FARMERS WORK HARD IN THE FALL TO WINTERIZE AND PREPARE FOR SPRING
Story by Richard A Nichols.


Jake Leguee grows wheat, canola, peas, oats, lentils, soybeans, and other crops near Weyburn, Saskatchewan. He holds a BSC in Agronomy, from the University of Saskatchewan and is a director for the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission.


"After harvest, it's very important to get rid of weeds, typically perennials like dandelions and thistle," Jake said. "In the spring, established weeds are hard to deal with. So post-harvest weed control is one of our more important fall jobs.


Grain farmers also must cope with straw left in the fields after harvest. In spring, straw residue can be difficult for seed drills to penetrate, so Jake does some light tillage in the fall to chop up that residue and make spring seeding easier.


"We generally avoid tillage, but sometimes do a little just to bust up that straw," he said.


To reduce the spring workload, Leguee Farms also applies some of its crop production inputs in the fall.


"We spread sulphur, because it breaks down slowly over the winter, and sometimes we also apply phosphorous, because we're seeing increased yields when we do."


Preparing equipment for winter is also a major task. After harvest, combines are covered in straw and coated with dirt, grain, and all the other crops the Leguee farm harvests. Leguee Farms uses an industrial air compressor to remove the surface dirt and then washes the machinery thoroughly so it can be worked on in the shop to maintain warranties and prolong service life. The farm's three combines are sent to a local dealership to make sure all warranty requirements are satisfied.


Larry Thomas is Manager - Environment and Sustainability for the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. He holds a Master's in Animal Science, specializing in range nutrition, from the University of Saskatchewan and represents Canadian cattle producers on many international sustainability committees.


Larry said five things should be done in the fall to ensure good animal care and profitability.


"Producers who grow their feed grain and forage should send samples to a lab to determine their energy levels and total digestible nutrients," he said. "Determine the body condition that will maximize production for each class of animal, then provide the amount of feed that lets you reach your production target for each."


Because beef is a tight margin business, Larry also suggests testing for pregnancy in the fall. If a cow is not pregnant, it might be best to sell it.


"I also advise producers to check with local vets to find out what parasites are present in the region and consider pre-treating for those parasites," he added. "The animal is using energy to combat the parasites. Veterinarians know what's going on in your area.


Finally, Larry urges producers to prepare animal shelters, particularly from wind. It's better to prepare shelter in the fall rather than trying to do it in the middle of winter. It's part animal welfare and part economics, because keeping them out of the wind reduces their energy expenditure.


"Producers tend to be ingenious. They will find all kinds of things that work for them," Larry said, "but these are the things I think everyone should consider. The economics apply to both beef and dairy operations."


Richard A. Nichols (www.ansoncopy.com) is a farm writer from Okotoks, Alberta.