Please join us in welcoming our 2014 summer interns!

Meet our 2014 summer interns here!

Think Spring with Alfalfa Management Planning

Although Mother Nature hasn’t given much indication that Spring is on its way anytime soon, now is the time to think proper alfalfa management, so that when it does arrive growers are ready for a bountiful alfalfa season. 

What’s the Plan?

Proper pH and fertility levels in fields should be tested the year prior to planting the alfalfa seed to ensure the ground is properly ready for a successful crop.  Picking the genetics that is best for your operation is also very important.  What factors are most important:  an intense cutting schedule, type of hay, risk levels, RR Alfalfa—just to name a few, are important factors to discuss with your Landmark agronomist in preparations for a successful crop. 

With shorter rotations of alfalfa now being used, it is very important for growers to get the most out of each rotation.  Therefore, when planting alfalfa it is best to start clean and take advantage of alfalfa that will provide a healthier and more vigorous stand.  Growing crops with proper management can allow for longer rotations on alfalfa, without sacrificing quality.

 

Do you ASPIRE for Great Alfalfa Production?

Potassium, sulfur and boron are the essential elements for alfalfa production.  Although only small amounts of boron and sulfur are required by the alfalfa plant and are considered micronutrients, in alfalfa production they should be treated as essential macronutrients.  Until recently proper distribution of boron granular was a challenge due to the small amounts applied per acre, resulting in not all alfalfa plants receiving the necessary amounts of boron. 

Enter Aspire—a new kind of potash that contains boron in every granular.  This new way of applying macronutrients to the alfalfa plant ensures that boron is properly received by each and every alfalfa plant, resulting in maximum yields.

Application of sulfur is important in two types—a mix of ammonium sulfate that breaks down the sulfur fast, and elemental sulfur which will spoon feed the alfalfa over a longer period of time, both of which are key to alfalfa success.

 

MICROmanage your Alfalfa

In most situations, micromanaging is less than ideal.  However, that’s not the case when managing alfalfa micronutrients.  As with all crops, tissue sampling is essential for the best results in alfalfa production.  Once alfalfa is tissue sampled your Landmark agronomist can customize a micronutrient package based on the results shown through the tissue sampling, to ensure the most economic return to your farm. 

If tissue sample results indicate that additional micronutrients are needed for higher quality alfalfa, simply micromanage them by impregnating the fertilizer with added Wolf Trax nutrients that are very customizable to the needs of a specific field.  ZN, MN, CU and B can be micromanaged to provide growers with the highest alfalfa efficiency.    

 

 

Make Alfalfa "HEADLINE"s with a Bumper Crop

Production and protection are two very important factors for the longevity of alfalfa.  By applying Headline to the first two crops of alfalfa, production significantly increases, resulting in more homegrown feed and the need to purchase significantly less feed..  A third application of Headline during last crop will ensure a healthier and more consistent stand going into the winter.  The primary advantage of Headline application on alfalfa is the increase of leaf retention in the lower half of the canopy, allowing the harvest of more protein per acre. 

“Proper alfalfa planning and management can significantly increase both the quality and quantity of your alfalfa crops.  Landmark’s agronomy team has many tools in their toolbox to assist alfalfa producers and help them grow, just as they have been doing since 1933,” notes Joe Slosarczyk, Agronomy leader for Landmark’s East team.

 



Joe Slosarczyk is a Landmark Agronomist,industry leading expert and Certified Crop Advisor.
He shares his knowledge and expertise in this blog.
Joe can be contacted at 608.669.0896
or joseph.slosarczyk@landmark.coop

 

Are your cows in danger of being "stressed out?"

After the winter we had, it seems surreal to be discussing and contemplating heat stress in dairy cattle. Yet here we are- getting out the sunscreen, dreaming of summer, and planning for heat stress in our beloved dairy cattle.

I am a huge fan of summer. For the typical reasons us Wisconsinites have; brats, fairs, sunshine, etc. Our dairy cattle (if they could vote) would probably vote for seasons such as spring, fall and winter. Did you know cattle sweat only 10% as much as a human, and that panting (mouth open, tongue out) helps cool them by 20%? Fun facts! Dairy Cattle get heat stress quickly and the effects of heat stress can be severe.

I decided to ask our resident expert on heat abatement, Michelle Woodman, PAS, MS, Animal Nutrition expert here at Landmark what her thoughts were. Great minds think alike, and Pam Jahnke, Fabulous Farm babe also interviewed her on the topic.

Hear what she had to say here!

 

If you want an expert to help you with your “heat abatement” program, definitely connect with the Landmark Experts- they are “cool like that” when it comes to helping you stay profitable!

Happy Summer- to the coolest cows in Wisconsin- “Be Cool!”

Cassandra Strommen, VP Marketing Development of Landmark is no stranger to agriculture. Strommen worked in Animal Nutrition for five years prior to her current role with Landmark. She has a passion for cows and all things agribusiness. If you'd like to get in touch with her, she can be reached at cassandra.strommen@landmark.coop.

 

Mold, a Corny Story of Unwanted Spores

When it comes to corn, cultural diversity is not a good thing.

I love cultural diversity, I love different cultures and learning about places far, far away. I love history. I have never ever once in my life thought that cultural diversity wasn't fascinating and somewhat necessary. Today, I feel like my world and sense of all that is enriching for human existence has been turned on its "ear." Ok, ok, so I am being a bit dramatic, and my puns are mediocre at best, but there is a point to this rant.

 

I am talking about mold. In your bin. On your corn. YUK! I know it's "corny" but all things considered, your grain bin is the last place you want to find diverse kernels of corn. I like to think that we should always invite everyone to the party, but when  mold shows up, he isn't the best guest. He brings nothing but spores, and more spores, contaminating the whole party. Talk about a social epidemic. Seriously, check your bin for party crashers, you might be surprised to find you have the mold epidemic!

So who invited the mold spore family named aspergillus? Here is the scoop, straight from Joe Speich, resident agronomist, "It's naturally present everywhere, it is an opportunist mold. It was a cold winter, with a not so normal spring, and then we jumped right into a warm, humid late spring. Natural condensation happens, creating a perfect environment for mold spores to ignite. Once they ignite, it's like a fire, they proliferate or reproduce very rapidly." 

 

So what's the moral of the story? An empty bin can't throw a mold party...move your corn to market, call Landmark grain to get the best price.  After you sell your corn to Landmark, take your spouse out for date night and celebrate. Have a party, be culturally diverse, with the exclusion being aspergillus!

 

Cassandra Strommen, VP Marketing Development of Landmark is no stranger to agriculture. Strommen worked in Animal Nutrition for five years prior to her current role with Landmark. She has a passion for cows and all things agribusiness. If you'd like to get in touch with her, she can be reached at cassandra.strommen@landmark.coop.

 

Heat Abatement isn't just for cows

 

 Did you know...dairy farmers take great measures to ensure their cows are comfortable and in proper condition to withstand the heat they experience during the hot summer months.  Likewise, not only the farmers that care for those cows but all homeowner's should take the appropriate measures now to ensure their home comfort systems are also prepared for the summer heat.  That's right, heat abatement doesn't just affect cows.

Landmark HVAC are experts in ensuring your home comfort after a long day in the heat.  Now is the time to contact them for your air conditioner tune-up.  This year is more important than ever to get your air conditioner tuned up, following last years extended run-time which made units more dirty than in past years.  Those conditions resulted in lower efficiency making it all the more important to get them cleaned and tuned to have them running at their full potential. 

Not only is air conditioner tune-up important this time of year, taking care of humidity in the home is equally as important.  By installing a humidifier it not only keeps families comfortable during humid conditions, but also helps to keep mold and mildew out of basements.  The efficiency of this system is second to none.  At a mere $.27/day, this machine outshines most others on the market. 

Although the summer is hot and humid, it's time to start thinking about helping out our neighbors in
need this fall season.  Landmark is again partnering in the Heat UP Wisconsin program to provide a very deserving family with a new furnace heading into the winter season.  Nominations can be submitted here.

The Landmark team is dedicated to being involved in the community--this is very evident as the team looks forward to the Heat UP Wisconsin event each year.  October will mark the 4th year that Landmark HVAC has participated in this very noble cause.

Learn more about Landmark HVAC here or call 1.608.251.9010. 

 

Tom Krausse is Landmark's Vice President of HVAC. With over 25 years of industry involvement, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the heating and cooling industry.

Spring Landscapes Magazine

 

If you're having trouble opening the file, click here.

 

WIIFM...Everyone Tunes into this Station

WIIFM. The acronym for “what’s in it for me”.  Yep, there, I said it. I said what everyone says, either out loud or sub-consciously before making choices or decisions on a daily basis. It is human instinct. It is how we survive as a species.

There, with all of that being said- let’s talk about what’s in it for you, when you work with Landmark Cooperative and the ProfitEDGE team.

If you’re reading this- chances are you are in the business of agriculture. Chances are, you deal with adversity, variables out of your control, and family on a daily basis. Your livelihood is determined by markets, weather, hard work, and smart decisions. The last time I checked, you can only control two of those variables- and they are not markets and weather! It goes without saying you work hard and you love it- otherwise you wouldn’t do it. Again, it goes without saying that you make smart decisions when it comes to your operation, right? Right! How many times have you second guessed a decision, or googled some bit of information to help with a decision? How many times have you wondered who you could trust to get valuable information to make an educated decision?

ProfitEDGE is really just a label or a brand if you will, to explain and define this simple statement…. “ We help farmers grow.”  ProfitEDGE is that expert to help you make informed decisions. Think of ProfitEDGE as your personal team of experts taking a look at your operation and uncovering areas within it that could potentially be costing you money, or could potentially be giving you MORE PROFIT.  Let me give you an example.  You look at your grain bin and there is a blatant hole in it where you are losing grain- day after day. You fix it and voila- no more grain loss. That was easy. You could see it, so you could fix it and stop loss.

Now, visualize this. Your milk components went down, but milk production stayed the same, or a small decrease is happening. Where do you begin to uncover the cause? It’s costing you money, but the fix isn’t so obvious. You have blamed your nutritionist, the hired man, the weather, the milk hauler and everyone and everything in between. Your Landmark nutritionist suggests a milk parlor audit. You are skeptical, but at this point you are probably willing to try anything! And, by the way, it doesn’t cost anything. You are a member, and this is a benefit of doing business with your cooperative. (Even better-right?!)

 

The ProfitEDGE team comes in and audits everything from how the cows are brought in to milk, to how long they wait, to what they eat, to the cleanliness- and everything in between. Foot Health, Teat health, forage quality, vaccum on milkers and every little (and BIG) thing involved gets looked at. Guess what? The pieces of the puzzle are brought together and it is solved. A subtle change in forage caused a decrease in the components- giving not so great results for butter fat and protein. Seems silly doesn’t it? Along with the solving of the component challenge, the profitEDGE team also gave other recommendations like increasing foot bath usage, fixing vacuum on some of the milking equipment and three time a day milking vs two. You decide you are going to implement those suggestions and now not only are your components up- but your production is up too! The cows are healthier and happier, Your profitability just doubled, and you have an extra $400,000 a year to put in the bank! (BTW- this number is completely random and this story is simply an example. Based on our experience however, this number is not out of the question and has fit some of our member scenarios.)

“We help farmers grow.” That is a promise. We do it every day. It is the reason you are committed and loyal to your cooperative- because our “WIIFM” is truly to help you grow- and to help you do what you do, even better.

 

 

Cassandra Strommen, VP Marketing Development of Landmark is no stranger to the dairy farm. Strommen worked in Animal Nutrition for five years prior to her current role with Landmark. She has a passion for cows and all things agribusiness. If you'd like to get in touch with her, she can be reached at cassandra.strommen@landmark.coop.