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About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 2017)
4 CapitalPress.com March 10, 2017 Growers can underestimate value of cover crops When you talk to Don Wirth of Saddle Butte Seeds near Shedd, Ore., it doesn’t take long to hear the frustration he has with the 90 percent of the growers who underestimate S17-7/#5 $3,796.00 frame the value of cover crops. Talking to the countless number of folks he meets during the 30-plus trade shows and field days he at- tends a year, Wirth spends most of his time trying to get the message across how cover crops can end up being more profitable than the “cash” crop itself. Just returned from a con- ference in the Midwest, he spoke of his frustration. “My mission is to educate,” Wirth said. “Whether your cover crop is annual ryegrass, crimson clover, kale, peas, rad- ish, vetch or any of the cover crop mixes, your cash crop yields are going to go up.” Cover crops are about soil health, he said. “When Dr. Lloyd Murdoch, extension soils specialist from the University of Kentucky spoke at the Oregon Ryegrass Growers meeting in Albany re- cently, we were both frustrated to see first-hand what farmers don’t know,” he said. Wirth, who has been in the seed business in the Midwest and in Oregon for more than 30 years, got his start on the farm his family still runs. His family’s involvement in his family-owned and -operated Saddle Butte Seed Co., frees up Wirth to take his message $1,669.00 frame on the road across the nation. He works with customers from Nevada to Virginia. His sales associates are all farm- ers in Illinois, Minnesota and Oregon. They assist customers anywhere in the world, includ- ing the U.S., Canada and Eu- rope. “That’s one of the things that gives Saddle Butte a dif- ference,” Wirth said. Ron Althoff has a degree in agronomy and joined Sad- dle Butte in 2002 to pursue his passion of improving the quality of soil and water while reducing erosion. Brian Wieland, who grad- uated from Illinois State Uni- versity with a bachelor’s de- gree in agriculture production, was introduced to cover crops in his quest for better roots and healthier soils. T.J. Kartes, from Blooming Prairie, Minn., got hooked on cover crops when he saw the difference they made on his family farm, Wirth said. “We don’t just educate growers about the need for cover crops but help them get started,” he said. “Our staff has the knowledge and training to do that.” Wirth recommends at least a no-till and cover crop sys- tem like one that has resulted in real changes for Ralph “Ju- Jan Jackson/For the Capital Press Don Wirth of Saddle Butte Seeds near Shedd, Ore., spends most of his time trying to get the message across that cover crops can improve yields and soil health. nior” Upton in Springerton, Ill. “The effect of Upton’s im- proved soil has been dramat- ic,” Wirth said. “Before the change, corn yields were as low as 105 to 110 bushels per acre and after he started his no-till cover crop program, his yields have risen to well more than 180-200 bushels an acre.” Upton also estimates that no-till farming saves him $10 to $15 per acre, primar- ily thanks to smaller equip- ment, fewer trips across the field and less fuel burned in the process, Wirth said. — Jan Jackson W ATER M ASTER S ERIES AND E VERGREEN S UPERIOR S ERVICE & D ESIGN ALSO OFFERING • Poly • Exhaust Fans • Ground Cover • Poly Carbonate • Wire Lock • Roll-ups • Shade Cloth • Heating • Bench Tops Greenhouse Manufacturing & Supplies 20x96 Quonset 5’ On Center Bows 1-5/8” 14 Ga. • 4’ side walls, 8’6” high at center 32 x 100 6 mil 4 yr. Poly...............................$321.00 22 pcs Wire Lock..........................................$275.88 2 - 96’ Roll-ups.............................................$549.00 16 pcs Wire Lock for top board..................$200.64 Truck Equipment Specializing in Heavy Duty Greenhouse Frames Code and Non-Code • Full Service • Alterations • Dump bodies • Hoists • Farmbeds • Flatbeds 503-678-2700 • 800-347-2701 (Outside OR) www.ovg.com • ivans@ovg.com • FAX: 503-678-2700 20357 Hwy. 99E • Aurora, OR 97002 Prices good thru 3/31/17 S17-7/#7 10910 Portland Rd. NE • Brooks, OR Call: 503-792-3739 • Fax: 503-792-3738 S17-4/#7 30x96 Semi Gable 5’ On Center Bows 2-3/8” 13 Ga. • 4’ side walls, 13’6” high at center 48 x 100 6 mil 4 yr. Poly...............................$481.00 24 pcs Wire Lock..........................................$300.96 2 - 96’ Roll-ups.............................................$549.00 16 pcs Wire Lock for top board..................$200.64 • All your needs for irrigation parts service • We build custom equipment for your special needs. • Hose replacements & fusion repairs • Transport Tanks • Rental Returns & Used Equipment • Dairy Waste Equipment
