The mild winter and early spring got crops off to an early start.  In mid-March we applied a comprehensive custom blend of granular fertilizers based on detailed soil testing results.  UP soils, particularly lighter sandy soils, tend to be highly deficient in Potash.  We applied potassium sulfate in the amounts needed to get to the threshold level for this nutrient.  We also applied Sulfur, Boron, Manganese, and Zinc.  Consistent rainy and cloudy weather delayed the first cutting to July 9^th.  This gave us courser hay than we like, but you cannot make hay in the rain!  Our first cutting yield was the highest we have seen on this field, probably going back a hundred years!  Although we cut later than we did the past couple years, and we had a lot of rain, we are clearly doing something right.

      Soil fertility is important, and soil biology determines what nutrients in the soil are actually available to the plants.  Sap testing is like a blood test for plants, and it tells you how well the plant is doing at extracting what it needs from the soil or air.  By comparing results with sap test results from the most healthy and vigorous plants tested around the world, you can determine how the plant is performing.  This defines deficiencies and excesses, which provides critical insight into what is needed to optimize plant performance.  We ran sap tests in May and repeated them in mid-June.  Deficiencies are defined, and prescriptions are developed for foliar sprays.  Plants can absorb nutrients from their leaves, and this technique results in a much quicker response, with less mineral application.

     Getting plants to optimum performance produces not only higher yields, but more balanced forage, with a full dose of all the nutrients that particular forage can provide.  There are big differences in the nutritional density of plants, even when comparing alfalfa to alfalfa.  Sap tests showed deficiencies of Molybdenum, Cobalt, which are very important in supporting rhizobium, that fixes nitrogen.  Other deficiencies were not as severe, but supplementation of Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, and Copper were included in the foliar treatment, which was applied on 30 July.  Giving the plant everything it needs relative to nutrients and micronutrients gets the plant to a point where it photosynthesizes at maximum capacity.  This means that the plant stores excess sugars in the rhizosphere, allowing soil biology to thrive, which in turn helps build organic matter and a healthier microbiome, which is critical to the plant long term.  Improving soil health is really our primary driver, and this will help us provide better forage crops in the future. 

      We are looking forward to seeing how the field responds to the 30 July foliar treatment.  Good rain, warm temps, ample sunshine, and complete nutrition should result is what may be our best hay crop ever.  The bigger concern is the weather.  With today’s weather forecasts it is getting easier to avoid rains.  Dew is often overlooked, and we are focusing on this in order to provide the highest quality hay.  We have to work with what we are given, but hopefully we are making the best balanced choices. 

    The SAP test comparing an untreated area of the field to the treated field can be found under the sap test heading.  Results show that the foliar treatments of August 10 had a profound impact on plant nutrition relative to the minerals targeted.  Very significant differences can be seen in elements that were included in the foliar treatment.  Specifically, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, and Co show treated plants that are now at optimum levels.  Old lower leaves and younger upper leaves are tested separately, because nutrients that are mobile within the plant can help identify deficiencies.  The plant prioritizes new leaf nutrition, and will rob nutrients from older leaves, if they are not readily available from the soil.  When older leaves have lower nutrient levels, it is often due to deficiencies.  This impacts forage quality.

     Forage analysis results are shown under the Forage Analysis tab.  Our second cutting came in with a Relative Forage Quality rating of 227.  This is an amazingly high number, and significantly topped our best forage numbers ever.  We are clearly seeing results.  The sap analysis suggests that although our soil has high P levels, it appears that P is what is limiting plant performance.  P is a tricky nutrient, and although you can add P fertilizer, it is quickly tied up in the soil and is not available to correct the deficiency.  We will be seeking a biological solution to this problem.  The microbes are better at extracting P from the soil than the plant itself, and we are always looking for ways to boost our microbes.  We plan on applying a couple tons/acre of carbon to feed our biology, and will also be inoculating with a desired microbe strains.

     We ran an experiment with cover crops that would be helpful to the bees.  The planting featured about 30 different plants not commonly grown in the UP.  The wet year probably helped, but the crop did amazingly well, on what was probably the poorest soil on the farm.  We will be doing more cover crops in 2025.  The biomass will help increase soil organic matter, and soil health in general.  The photo on the Apiary tab shows a mix of Sunflowers, Buckwheat, oats, millet, sweet clover, African cabbage, and Fenugreek.

    Much of our machinery used for hay making is in its first or second season on our farm.  The first cutting saw the initial use of our New Holland 166 inverter, and our New Holland BC5070 baler.  We were very happy we had the inverter for the first cutting because the hay we too heavy for the V rake.  The baler was pretty trouble free, and tied flawlessly, but bales were a little too heavy, and inconsistent in length, which contributed to weight differences.  The baler had been set up for wheat straw which is softer due to hollow stems.  We removed a pair of wedges and adjusted the side doors to reduce resistance.  This will allow us to control bale density with the hydraulic tension system, as the system was designed to do.  This should also help get to more consistent bale length.  Really heavy bales might be a good deal, but if they cause back or muscle problems, they really are not that great of an idea.  We ended up breaking a needle as we set up for the second cutting, and were able to use a friend’s baler! 

     Given the late first cutting, and delayed second cutting, we are not sure we will take a third cutting this year.  Leaving the crop standing will help the plants survive the winter and will help feed the microbes that will improve the soil and help with next year’s crop.   We have some interest in baleage, but will need different moisture meters and a different style wrapper.  There seems to be some interest with our customer base, and this would be helpful in situations where weather does not cooperate for dry hay. 

     We did our first Haney test in September, 2023 and are looking forward to seeing how well we did relative to improving soil health in 2024.  The Haney test provides an accurate assessment of soil health, beyond simply measuring concentrations of nutrients.  Ongoing testing provides a measure of how well we are doing on our journey and how good we are at stewardship.  We will be doing soil testing in both September and late October.  The early test will guide fall fertilization.  The later test will give us a better year to year comparison of soil health.  We expect soil health the benefit from our 2024 nutrient applications.

   In recent years the role of soil microbes has also become better understood, and a growing community of growers has emerged under the banner of “Regenerative Ag”, that are heavily focused on soil microbiology. The microbes consist, at a fundamental level, of a broad number of different bacteria and fungi. These microbes feed larger soil life forms, some invisible and others larger. Earth worms are some of the larger beneficial life forms that play an important role in recycling soil nutrients and in building soil health. Tillage practices, fertilization choices, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides all have a large impact on soil microbiology. Things like cover crops have been shown to be highly beneficial to the soil biology, partly because the crops feed the microbes late in the fall and early in the spring when the microbe population is declining rapidly because of the lack of food.
     A vigorous and diverse population of microbes builds organic matter in the soil, and also helps the soil retain water and promotes soil aggregates that affect the soil’s ability to allow water to better entry the soil profile. The microbes are much smaller than root hairs and can access water that the roots cannot. Microbes also produce enzymes that can dissolve minerals in the soil. Fungi form large networks that basically connect everything in the field and can be viewed as a major extension of the roots. Plant roots connect to both bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere where they exchange sugars that the microbes need, for minerals that the plants need. The microbes are basically part of the plant’s supply chain. They are also an important source of water. The degree of this synergism is dictated by soil health, and it greatly impacts plant health and yields. Plants grown on soils with healthy biology are not only more robust, but they are also typically much higher in nutrition. Our forages tend to be preferred by animals because they can taste the difference. Growing grass/alfalfa forages basically follows most Regenerative AG practices since we do not disturb the soil, do not use chemicals, and apply fertilizers at low rates so as to not burn the microbes. Alfalfa does remove a lot of nutrients from the soil due to it’s very high nutritional profile, so some of these must be replenished in order to maintain a healthy soil.

     In 2023 we ran many tests in order to better understand our soil status and plant health. Typical soil tests were done to understand what nutrients might be deficient in our soil. The UP is not a big farming area and much of what has been learned in recent years has not yet been translated into cropping practices. Soils are always unique with their own particular strengths and weaknesses. We have unique deficiencies that are not always understood. Soil testing can be confusing because only some of specific minerals in the soil are available to the plants, and test results will vary depending on the extractant used by the test to dissolve the minerals. You may have thousands of lbs of K, but only a few pounds might be plant available because it might be tied up by soil particles that hold on to it harder than roots can pull it away. 

     We did a new type of test in 2023 called a total digestion test, where a very aggressive extraction process is used. This typically involves a very acidic extractant that dissolves the particles and releases all the minerals. This test proved very useful and helped define what was actually present in the soil profile. We have been told that there is typically a lot of K in the soil, but it might not be available. UP soils, at least on the Dynamite Hill Farm just do not have a lot of K, and this must be added for crops like alfalfa, which needs a lot of K. Understanding this helps greatly in our efforts to optimize mineral availability. We love our microbes, but they cannot make something available if it is not there in the first place!

     Another new test we used in 2023 was the Haney test. This is comprised of a series of tests that help define soil biology. Soil microbes breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide just like we do. By accurately measuring CO2 in the soil under controlled conditions, the test yields an accurate indicator of biological activity in the soil. Our soil respiration came in at 107.5 ppm C, which is a pretty high number. Our soil health calculation was 12.68, which is OK. The lab likes to see scores above 7, and the typical really good Iowa soils might score 25 – 30. What the test showed was that we need additional carbon. A hay crop removes all residue from the field, leaving little to recycle. In 2024 we will be adding several different carbon sources to help feed our biology. This should significantly improve plant vigor. We actually noticed areas where some hay was left in the field were much more lush and about twice as tall. Although antidotal, this seems to support the findings that we are short on carbon. 

     We also ran several plant sap analysis tests in 2023. This is the latest technology in plant analysis. By looking at nutrient values for all critical nutrients, and knowing what the cultivar needs for optimum health, you quickly see if there are any real deficiencies. Even though the soil may be low in some elements, the Sap test tells if the plant was actually able to get what it needed. By comparing old and new leaves, you can tell if the plant was pulling minerals out of old growth to support new growth, providing additional clues as to the status of mobile nutrients. This information is used to prescribe a foliar spray that will get any needed nutrients to the plant before deficiencies affect plant health. This approach will be used to help ensure that our forages are as nutritionally complete as possible. We sprayed foliar minerals in 2023, but the K and carbon deficiencies likely limited plant development. 

Another ten acres of sainfoin was planted in the west field in early June. We planted a mix of orchard grass and birdsfoot trefoil in addition to sainfoin.  Our cultipacker made a good difference in how the plants germinated.  Although the sainfoin came up well, it showed little vigor.  The trefoil emerged very well and is thriving in quite a thick stand.  The orchard grass seems to have also caught well.  We planted primarily for bee pasture, but this may also provide good forage.  Trefoil is a good nectar source for the bees, and it blooms for an extended period.  It is also a good feed for goats.  Trefoil will not yield like alfalfa, but it will grow where alfalfa might not thrive.

     Honey production appears to be light this year in the UP, due at least partly to the rainy weather early in the season.  Later dry conditions may change the situation.  We were depending on the sainfoin flowering, and this has been disappointing so far.  We applied a comprehensive nutrient program to the west field that was similar to the east alfalfa field.  We have not given up on sainfoin, but we have more work to do here.  Another challenge for 2025.  We do plan on building out a winter haven for our bees, that will shelter them from the temperature extremes of UP winters.