Considerations When Developing Farm Maps

Jan 18, 2022

Farm maps communicate important farm management information and can be important for supporting manure and nutrient applications when developed as part of nutrient balance sheets. Key map information includes: field name, field size, fields receiving manure applications, the location of setbacks or buffers from surface water or environmentally sensitive areas, and the location of farm features such as manure stacking areas. In developing farm maps several items should be considered.

Identifying farm field locations: On maps, field boundaries should be drawn as managed by the farmer. The field name or identification should be clear. If a field boundary is incorrect, it can impact the mapped field acreage and the soil information reported for the field.
Identifying setbacks and buffers: If setbacks overlap a mapped farm field, the total field acreage may not be suitable to receive manure. Suitable acreage equals the total field acreage minus the setback acreage. The suitable acreage calculation may become important when determining the total amount of manure that can be applied to a field. The PAOneStop mapping application can be used to calculate suitable acreage.
Dividing fields: Dividing fields on a farm map should reflect a farm management decision made to meet farm management goals. When dividing fields to account for farm management changes or for long-term setbacks, the field identifiers must be clear and consistent with other farm information and documentation such as nutrient balance sheets. Over the long-term, dividing fields can lead to changes in soil fertility.

Source : psu.edu

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.