Building a dry dam to slow surface water flow
Vertical tillage of residue
Preserving the Environment
Respect for the environment comes naturally to our multi-generation farm. Learning the needs of each field is important. By looking closely at elevations, soil types, and the surrounding area, we make decisions that prevent erosion and preserve the topsoil. Much of the acres Bruntjen Farms manages is flat and black and works well with conventional tillage. However, we prefer to no-till fields that have more slope or lighter soil.
Above - Clearing trees to make room for a tile main line
Left - Laying perforated tile
Improving Real Estate
One of the first areas of improvement we prioritize is drainage. Managing water not only creates a more suitable environment for the crop, but it also allows planting and harvest operations to be completed in a timely manner.
pH soil test showing areas in need
Anhydrous Ammonia application
Pushing for Top Yields
A key contributor to achieving high yields is proper fertilization . Every two years we receive an updated soil test for each field. By analyzing the results of these tests, we determine which fertilizers (phosphorus, potassium, or lime) to apply to portions or the entirety of each field. Our goal is to equalize the levels of macro elements across a field and then provide the future crop with what it needs to produce the expected bushels. We also favor applying nitrogen in at least two different applications, each with a stabilizer. In this way, nitrogen is available in different parts of the soil profile and the denitrification process in slowed, allowing the maximum amount to be available to the crop.
Planter cab technology
24 row 1775 John Deere planter
Utilizing Technology
With the abundance of technology available today, selecting tools that will work together and fit the operation is key. We use mostly John Deere equipment and have both John Deere and Precision Planting monitoring systems to control the spacing of our seed, planting depth, ground pressure, row cleaner pressure, etc. We run two John Deere planters that connect and share coverage with each other, allowing us to compare performance between two machines. Combining state of the art planting technology with top of the line seed varieties gives our crop a great start.
Grain Storage
In the summer of 2017, we built a new storage facility to greatly increase the amount of bushels we can store independent of an elevator. This allows us to capture the carry in the market and provides much more flexibility in our marketing plan. Having grain storage at the geographic center of our operation also makes harvest more efficient.