Field Day Recap: Ackley Farm, Sept. 8
Paul and Nancy Ackley welcomed close to 50 people to their farm near Bedford in Taylor County to showcase the diversity they are cultivating by integrating crops, cover crops and cattle. Paul is a soil and water commissioner for Taylor County and frequently thinks about what is best for the soil when making decisions on the farm.
Paul shows off a diverse cover crop mix that he seeded in early August after harvesting winter wheat in late July. Doug Peterson of the NRCS digs up some soil to get a look at the diverse roots. The summer harvest date for wheat affords Paul the opportunity to plant a diverse array of species that will put on substantial growth by the fall.
PFI member Hannah Bernhardt checks out Paul’s diverse cover crop mix. Paul will graze cattle here after a fall frost. He expects to have enough forage per acre for one cow for 30 days.
PFI members Jim Mathis, Gary Wilson and Russ Wischover were on hand to learn how Paul grazes a cover crop mix following a wheat crop.
We next toured a field Paul was prevented from planting due to extremely wet conditions this spring and summer in his area. He seeded a diverse mix of species to hold and feed the soil rather than leave it fallow.
Paul planted turnips, sorghum Sudangrass, soybeans, forage collards and other species in his prevent plant field. These covers will hold soil and nutrients in place and Paul will be able to graze cattle in this field after Nov. 1 per crop insurance rules.