Habitat Balance
In all areas of nutrition and agronomy, balance is essential. The same concepts apply for both. The proper pH for deer (ruminants) is 6.5 and in most cases it's the same for what you grow on your land. Maintaining proper pH is step one. Yes, you will still have growth or gain but you will not be realizing it's potential.
Nutrient balance of the soil is where 95% of the people I encounter need help with. Are you a soil miner or are you a soil maintainer? If you do not know what is required per ton of growth, you most likely are mining. If you don't measure your growth each growing season, how do you know if your not mining the soil. A depleted soil requires much more capital and years to regain balance. It is much easier to maintain balance than to try to rebalance,
One of the biggest things that makes me cringe when I am on properties is poor erosion control. In many areas across the United States, topsoil is severely eroded. Once topsoil is washed away, there is no way to get it back. To rebuild it, none of you would see that happen in our lifetimes nor our kids lifetimes. This is where I have all my clients use contour strips, interseed and over seed their soybeans and corn and lastly, work the ground less.
To be an effective manager requires work and creative thinking. With my business, our motto is tilt the table, in your favor, to achieve success. The concepts are simple. Everything we do has a positive or negative effect on the habitat. Challenge ourselves to learn more, do more and tilt the table. Why settle for average or above average. Why not be the best habitat managers that we can be. Be table tilters.
