MAKIN' MEMORIES ON THE FARM

Makin' Memories is a glimpse into ag-business through the words of Kristin and Levi Hayman, poultry and row crop farmers from Greensboro. Each month, they will give you a peek into life on the farm.

We had a few quiet weeks on our farm with no chickens in the barns; that meant we had time to clean our barns, ventilate to aid in litter management, add new shavings to the litter for extra bedding, clean the walls, windows, feeders, drinkers and more to get ready for a new flock. Setting up for a new flock includes setting out extra trays of feed, making sure the feeders and drinkers are leveled and at a proper height for chicks, and the barns are preheated for bird comfort at delivery. We want the litter to be heated properly for their paws since baby chicks are unable to regulate their body temperatures, much like a newborn infant. On the row crop side of our operation, we are busy prepping the soil for planting season. Prepping the soil includes spreading poultry litter- we know everyone loves the smell of that! We use poultry litter as an organic fertilizer base that provides many micronutrients and organic matter to help with water holding capacity during the growing season. Micronutrients are essentially the “vitamins” the plants need to be able to take in the macronutrients. What is all that? Micronutrients found in poultry litter include zinc, boron, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, iron, manganese, and copper. Those “vitamins” are needed to help the plants absorb the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash aka- the macronutrients. When we say farmers wear lots of hats, we really mean it! We’re also busy making sure our ground is not compacted, if it is, we use our no-till ripper to loosen the soil for deep root development throughout the growing season. Did you know that the roots on a corn plant are as deep in the soil as the plant is tall above the ground?! That means we need the soil loose enough for those roots to grow deep down in the soil for optimal yields. A new growing season brings so much excitement around the farm. There’s a lot that has to fall into place for timing in the next couple months. We don’t want to plant too early, we want the ground conditions to be suitable for the seeds to germinate quickly and not sit for too long in the soil. We also don’t want to plant too late in the season and have an increased risk of disease as the crops are growing. It’s our busy season again, and we could not be happier!