Farm406

Farm406 Vol 6 Iss 2

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Supporting Montana Agriculture Since 1893 New 10,300bu Hopper Bottom Bins! Hoppers For Existing Bin! www.ThatGuysFabShop.com • Hoppers Standard with R&P Gates, Inspection Holes & Manway • Hoppers Split for Delivery • Custom Hopper's for Existing Grain Bins • Westeel Smoothwall Hopper Bins Sentinel Steel Buildings ANY SIZE! Office: 406.945.0876 We Offer Grain Bin and Steel Building Painting For more info call: Matt Boyum 406.945.1968 "What goes hand in hand with less soil disturbance is keeping the ground covered," continues Dan. "Our problem is not so much keeping it as growing it." at's why Dan is not a huge fan of low-residue crops like the corn he seeded this year. On the other hand, he does appreciate the varied root structure and soil benefits it provides. And while not all of his crops prove successful as cash crops, particularly in years with lile to no rain, Dan believes not all is lost, "I would agree with the saying that there is no agricultural wreck that a cow can't fix, but by then it is a salvage operation." Most of B&B Farms' 6,400 acres is contiguous land. "is is operationally good for rotating cale," states Dan. "But water is oen a problem; it is deep and scarce and always a concern as we figure out grazing rotations." rough the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), stock water wells and pipelines have enabled Dan to get water to his cale in key locations across his rangeland. "rough EQIP, on a section of land coming out of CRP, we drilled a well and ran pipeline, put permanent cross fences in, and divided them into six paddocks to rotate through," states Dan. "at has really benefited the soil. Grass is always good there. It's really impressive; it is the centerpiece of our grazing operation, and it couldn't have happened without NRCS's involvement. It would have been too cost-prohibitive to do on our own financially. When I look back, I think what a terrible waste that would have been not to be able to use that resource and improve the grass and cale distribution." Grazingland on B&B Farms. Right side grazed by 125 cow/calf pairs for two weeks; pasture will be left ungrazed for a year to recover. Left side not yet grazed this year. 43 farm406

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