Thinker Session 3
What was the overall, main message shared by the speakers? (2-3 sentences)
The main message of the speakers was pretty much their own experiences, and how their farms operate. It was really interesting to see the different types of farming. All three of them were completely different than what we do on my home farm. They shared pros and cons of how they farm, and what they’re doing in the future to make the way they farm better.
What were the main concerns/observations/experiences of the speakers that formed the basis for their comments and/or recommendations? (about ½ page)
Nathan talked about his 850 acre row crop operation. On his family farm, they also raise about 80 stock cattle on 50 acres of pasture. Something that they are experimenting with is planting cover crops on their row crops, and then grazing the cattle on the cover crops. This has worked so far, and they are looking to do more of this. Nathan thinks that grazing cover crops is a logical step for the best management of the farm. Doing this, Nathan believes it will be helpful for long term farming. Something that Nathan doesn’t like doing is spraying, therefore making it unsustainable. He is trying to figure out ways to reduce the amount of spraying and fertilizer that they use on his family farm. Mike operates an 858 acre bison farm. Mikes family started with beef cattle, and tried to manage them like bison, grazing them year around. This didn’t work, and they lost quite a few calves. Mike had an “Epiphany” and asked his parents if they could sell the cattle and buy a herd of bison. Since they’ve had the bison, they have been very successful. They have seeded prairie grass, attempting to make the most natural home for the bison. Mike believes that the more natural the environment for the bison is, the better they will adapt and enjoy their home. Something that they are trying,