Growers in the Red River Valley and surrounding regions are facing a number of challenges – some that are shared by farmers across the U.S. and others that are unique to this region with its fickle ecosystem and soil system.
When facing these challenges, a set of trusted advisors can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure for an operation. Growers report leaning on a variety of people and sources as trusted advisors for their farm or ranch, including:
● Certified Crop Advisors
● Retail contacts (seed, fertilizer, inputs, etc)
● Equipment dealers
● Local Extension specialists
● Grower organizations
● Crop-specific advocacy groups
● Conservation districts
● Friends or neighbors
● Online farmer forums
Through their knowledge base, trusted advisors can help tackle challenges and present new opportunities for growth or adoption. When it comes to soil health in the Red River Valley, trusted advisors like certified crop advisors (CCAs) can be one option for farmers who need extra hands to avoid soil health pitfalls that can damage their land in ways that wreak short and long-term harm.
We tapped some Red River Valley based CCAs to learn the ways that they can benefit operations and their advice for tackling soil health challenges in the unique ecosystem.
Crop Advisors Can Provide Guidance
Lee Briese from Centrol Ag Consulting likens his role to that of a doctor when you come to them with a sore joint or cough you can’t kick.
“Trusted advisors are the practitioners in this process,” he says. “They can help to identify areas of improvement and help to select the appropriate measurements to monitor. They can help to identify which practices are most likely to be effective for that particular soil, farm and farmer.”
Call in the Calvary
Think of calling a CCA or another trusted advisor like calling for back-up. But, CCAs rarely ever arrive completely alone.
Jason Hanson, owner and consultant of Rock and Roll Agronomy, often calls upon his network on behalf of growers. He doesn’t see any reason to hesitate to reach out to folks with more or different experience when you have a problem.
“Trusted advisors see more acres, practices, attitudes and innovation and can build on our professional network of other trusted advisors,” he says.
Advisors Can Create Confidence
Practice change on-farm is difficult and can be risky. When farmers go out on that limb, it can be helpful for them to pulse-check with another farmer, Extension agent or CCA, who often base their recommendations on expertise generated from their years of experience in the field and locally-relevant research.
Chris Huffman from Central Ag Consulting, finds significant value in being a sounding board for the farmers he works with.
“Producers need someone to bounce ideas off of,” he says. “They need someone who can shoot down an idea if it won’t be practical in a situation, or they need someone to say ‘yes, I’ve seen this done and I know it will work.’”
“A partnership between a trusted advisor and a farmer can help lead to confidence in changes being made in the soil health arena and can help give confidence to the producer that they are on the right track.”
What does a partnership with a local trusted advisor like a crop consultant look like?
Briese, Hanson and Huffman share the top advice they give to Red River Valley farmers when it comes to soil health:
Lee Briese, Centrol Ag Consulting
“Identify a problem, measure it, implement management strategies to improve this problem and monitor progress over time. Make sure to allow enough time to see results. A human health analogy applies. If you are overweight, get on a scale, modify your diet, exercise more and monitor your progress. One week is not enough time to make useful conclusions the same way one time/year trying a practice is not enough time.”
Jason Hanson, Rock and Roll Agronomy
“If you want to make changes, let’s start small.”
Chris Huffman, Central Ag Consulting
“Don’t start too big and don’t think soil health is something that it isn’t. Soil health practices aren’t a cure or an overnight fix, and they aren’t a magic yield maker all at once. What we are really talking about is a system of practical changes that can make a farm more successful over time by keeping their land productive for the long term.”
If you haven’t built a team of soil health advisors for your operation, start today by visiting www.trustinfood.com/soilhealthselfcheck to diagnose your top issues and see specific resources for operations in the Red River Valley.
