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Take advantage of local offerings to try new tillage, seeding or cover crop practices.

Tom Bechman 1, Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

April 6, 2015

2 Min Read

Local soil and water conservation districts have helped farmers try out a number of farm practices by purchasing equipment and making it available to farmers at a reasonable price.

Often it is a tool the farmer might not be ready to buy, but wants to try out. Or maybe he or she has a job to do – like seeding a pasture or a wildlife area – that only requires a certain tool for a short period of time.

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The Vigo County Soil and Water Conservation District rents out this drill, owned by the district, for use by anyone needing to seed these types of areas. Recently, Terry Hayhurst, a local farmer, replaced coulters on the drill in his shop, and helped get it ready for the season. It's now available for rent.

The Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District has rented out a number of tools during the year, including Phillips harrows and other tools help people who are trying conservation tillage get a look at a new piece of equipment that might help them, but that they want to try before they buy.

Last fall, the district purchased a Salford fertilizer injector that can also apply cover crops, with the help of a grant from the Great Lakes Initiative. Several people tried it out, and several more want to try it.

Seeding cover crops in a timely fashion remains a big challenge for many wanting to make cover crops work, notes Greg Lake, Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District.

You will find Great Plains drills for seeding forages or for no-till drilling soybeans setting in parking lots at various district locations in southeast Indiana, including at the Rush/ Shelby joint office located on Indiana 44 just into Rush County.

The Ripley County Soil and Water Conservation District has also been active through the years in making this kind of equipment available for farmers to try.

Contact your local soil and water conservation district to see what kind of equipment is available for rent in your area.

About the Author(s)

Tom Bechman 1

Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

Tom Bechman is an important cog in the Farm Progress machinery. In addition to serving as editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer, Tom is nationally known for his coverage of Midwest agronomy, conservation, no-till farming, farm management, farm safety, high-tech farming and personal property tax relief. His byline appears monthly in many of the 18 state and regional farm magazines published by Farm Progress.

"I consider it my responsibility and opportunity as a farm magazine editor to supply useful information that will help today's farm families survive and thrive," the veteran editor says.

Tom graduated from Whiteland (Ind.) High School, earned his B.S. in animal science and agricultural education from Purdue University in 1975 and an M.S. in dairy nutrition two years later. He first joined the magazine as a field editor in 1981 after four years as a vocational agriculture teacher.

Tom enjoys interacting with farm families, university specialists and industry leaders, gathering and sifting through loads of information available in agriculture today. "Whenever I find a new idea or a new thought that could either improve someone's life or their income, I consider it a personal challenge to discover how to present it in the most useful form, " he says.

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