Woody VanArkel
@no-1-farmerwoody.bsky.social
Farming can be sustainable. I hope to help find a way
Pinned
For our future farmers is why I try to keep these goals in mind
1. Keep my soil covered
2. Keep a living root system growing as much as possible
3. Do as little tillage as possible
1. Keep my soil covered
2. Keep a living root system growing as much as possible
3. Do as little tillage as possible
There's a nice example of what I call the perennial effect. These pictures were taken at line of with and without N from the same spot. One looking one way with a perennial history, the other was taken the other way without perennials.
June 6, 2025 at 1:09 PM
There's a nice example of what I call the perennial effect. These pictures were taken at line of with and without N from the same spot. One looking one way with a perennial history, the other was taken the other way without perennials.
This a question for all the non agricultural people on here. Should farmers working in the regenerative/sustainable/conservation systems continue to do so if society doesn't value it? At this point it's a net zero increase to profits at best with added risks. Conventional farming systems are easier.
June 2, 2025 at 4:31 PM
This a question for all the non agricultural people on here. Should farmers working in the regenerative/sustainable/conservation systems continue to do so if society doesn't value it? At this point it's a net zero increase to profits at best with added risks. Conventional farming systems are easier.
I'm hoping to prevent slug damage to my sunflower crop this year by removing the crop residue where my sunflower rows will be. I also did a bit of light zone tillage over the row. Lastly I'm leaving cover crops between the rows as long as I can hoping the slugs will stay there
May 27, 2025 at 11:06 PM
I'm hoping to prevent slug damage to my sunflower crop this year by removing the crop residue where my sunflower rows will be. I also did a bit of light zone tillage over the row. Lastly I'm leaving cover crops between the rows as long as I can hoping the slugs will stay there
Frost seeded red clover is looking good
May 24, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Frost seeded red clover is looking good
Crimson clover showing off its colour's nicely
May 18, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Crimson clover showing off its colour's nicely
First ride of the season. Just a easy 15km into town and back ride. A test run to see how my bum knee feels
May 11, 2025 at 9:52 PM
First ride of the season. Just a easy 15km into town and back ride. A test run to see how my bum knee feels
No till corn into sunflower residue is looking good
May 6, 2025 at 4:32 PM
No till corn into sunflower residue is looking good
You can see the residual effect of having 5 years of a perennial legume in the field.
May 4, 2025 at 8:48 PM
You can see the residual effect of having 5 years of a perennial legume in the field.
Today is fertility trial on early seed soybean day. Comparing the potential of sulfur and sulfur + N on soy yields on early seeding in heavy corn residue
April 30, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Today is fertility trial on early seed soybean day. Comparing the potential of sulfur and sulfur + N on soy yields on early seeding in heavy corn residue
Where is the future of agriculture going? A hundred years ago tractors began to replace horses. Is this going to replace tractors?
April 20, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Where is the future of agriculture going? A hundred years ago tractors began to replace horses. Is this going to replace tractors?
Interesting winter wheat winter kill pattern. All wheat in this low spot died in last years sugarbeet rows. Just enough of a depression to affect the environment.
April 20, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Interesting winter wheat winter kill pattern. All wheat in this low spot died in last years sugarbeet rows. Just enough of a depression to affect the environment.
Time to do laundry. I'm down to putting 2 orphan socks together this morning
April 20, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Time to do laundry. I'm down to putting 2 orphan socks together this morning
Evolution of a herbicide
1980. Spray glyphosate but be careful it's expensive
2000. spray glyphosate. It easy and cheap
2010. Spray glyphosate + product B. We're getting a few escapes
2024. We're spraying products A + B + C. Oh and through in some glyphosate
1980. Spray glyphosate but be careful it's expensive
2000. spray glyphosate. It easy and cheap
2010. Spray glyphosate + product B. We're getting a few escapes
2024. We're spraying products A + B + C. Oh and through in some glyphosate
April 17, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Evolution of a herbicide
1980. Spray glyphosate but be careful it's expensive
2000. spray glyphosate. It easy and cheap
2010. Spray glyphosate + product B. We're getting a few escapes
2024. We're spraying products A + B + C. Oh and through in some glyphosate
1980. Spray glyphosate but be careful it's expensive
2000. spray glyphosate. It easy and cheap
2010. Spray glyphosate + product B. We're getting a few escapes
2024. We're spraying products A + B + C. Oh and through in some glyphosate
Cover crops doing it's job. There's lots of fertility left behind after a tomato crop to make for dark green cover in the spring. Be ready to manage a cover crop like this so it doesn't give you problems
April 15, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Cover crops doing it's job. There's lots of fertility left behind after a tomato crop to make for dark green cover in the spring. Be ready to manage a cover crop like this so it doesn't give you problems
I spent a couple of hours this morning talking to so local high-school kids about what I do to help keep phosphate on my farm and not not in the water ways
Oh yah @vanarkellaura.bsky.social helped
Oh yah @vanarkellaura.bsky.social helped
April 14, 2025 at 10:05 PM
I spent a couple of hours this morning talking to so local high-school kids about what I do to help keep phosphate on my farm and not not in the water ways
Oh yah @vanarkellaura.bsky.social helped
Oh yah @vanarkellaura.bsky.social helped
Interesting discussion on some of the challenges that come with perennial ground cover in a cropping system
www.wisenetix.com/blog/Perenni...
www.wisenetix.com/blog/Perenni...
Dr. Raman & Dr. Andersen: Perennial Groundcover Systems | Ep. 69
In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Dave Raj Raman and Dr. Daniel Andersen from Iowa State University discuss the potential of perennial groundcover systems for corn and soybean prod...
www.wisenetix.com
April 11, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Interesting discussion on some of the challenges that come with perennial ground cover in a cropping system
www.wisenetix.com/blog/Perenni...
www.wisenetix.com/blog/Perenni...
Ive been thinking a lot about policy with the election looming here in Canada. When I look at a campaign platform I think
1. What is the problem it is addressing and what caused the issue in the first place
2. What will be the unintended consequences that may come out of this
1. What is the problem it is addressing and what caused the issue in the first place
2. What will be the unintended consequences that may come out of this
April 9, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Ive been thinking a lot about policy with the election looming here in Canada. When I look at a campaign platform I think
1. What is the problem it is addressing and what caused the issue in the first place
2. What will be the unintended consequences that may come out of this
1. What is the problem it is addressing and what caused the issue in the first place
2. What will be the unintended consequences that may come out of this
Question. We know that plants use soil microbiology like mycorrhizal fungi to help them attain nutrients. How does this work with hydroponics? Is there a colony of microbes living on those roots too?
March 25, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Question. We know that plants use soil microbiology like mycorrhizal fungi to help them attain nutrients. How does this work with hydroponics? Is there a colony of microbes living on those roots too?
First coffee on the porch for this year
March 19, 2025 at 2:22 PM
First coffee on the porch for this year
Happy St. Patrick's day.
The patron saint of engineers.....
Apparently
The patron saint of engineers.....
Apparently
March 17, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Happy St. Patrick's day.
The patron saint of engineers.....
Apparently
The patron saint of engineers.....
Apparently
AI doesn't create new ideas. I just scoured the internet for old ideas. It then creates a compilation of similar ideas.
There's no innovative
There's no innovative
Students are among the biggest users of ChatGPT and other AI chatbots. An alarming number are secretly using AI to cheat their way through school in a “giant experiment no one asked for.”
There’s a Good Chance Your Kid Uses AI to Cheat
More students are hiding their secret weapon from parents and teachers, racking up top grades while AI chatbots do the work.
www.wsj.com
March 16, 2025 at 2:53 PM
AI doesn't create new ideas. I just scoured the internet for old ideas. It then creates a compilation of similar ideas.
There's no innovative
There's no innovative
The thing about life is that there is no dress rehearsal. You got to try to get it right the first time
March 15, 2025 at 11:14 PM
The thing about life is that there is no dress rehearsal. You got to try to get it right the first time
Wild skies this morning
March 12, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Wild skies this morning