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With roots in Brookings, South Dakota, Millborn Seeds helps bring to life healthy vegetation across the midwestern landscape.

Leopold Application Deadline is April 27

In his influential book, "A Sand County Almanac," Aldo Leopold called for an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage. The development of a land ethic was, he wrote, "an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity." A land ethic is alive and well today in the thousands of American farmers, ranchers, and foresters who do well by their land and do well for their land.

Sand County Foundation proudly presents its Leopold Conservation Award to a private landowner who exemplifies the spirit of a land ethic - an individual or a family committed to enhancing the natural resources that are in their care.

If this describes you or a landowner you know, visit www.sandcounty.net for more information and application details.

On the Road with Millborn

Congratulations Ben & Bobbi Burris!


Adalyn Grace Burris was born on Thursday, February 3rd. She weighed 8 lb. 8 oz. She is adored by her big sister, Brooklyn, 3.

You don't have to wait for the monthly newsletter to find out what we've been up to. Follow your specialists throughout the month on Twitter or on our blog.

2011 CRP General Sign Up Begins March 14
By Jason Tronbak, Conservation Specialist

Landowners eager to re-enroll marginal acres in the 2011 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign up March 14 through April 15 need to focus on their land's environmental benefit index (EBI) says Matt Morlock, farm bill biologist with Pheasants Forever.

"Whether your land gets accepted or not is based on the land's EBI score. The higher the score, the better your chances are of getting in," said Morlock, who aids landowners in signing up for conservation programs.

In South Dakota, he says there is only one way to improve an EBI score on existing acres.

"What you choose to plant for cover is the only way to improve a score in South Dakota," Morlock said.

With about 4.5 million acres schedule to expire September 30, Morlock expects a lot of competition during this general enrollment as many landowners to take advantage of this sign up to re-enroll.

"Each year a point threshold is implemented but not released. Although all existing CRP acres should qualify, if you only have a 10 point cover, don't expect it to have a good chance of being re-accepted into the program," Morlock said.

Influenced by the decline in bee populations nationwide, he says the EBI focus for the 2011 general enrollment is on diversity of seed planting.

"There is a push for diverse, bee pollinator plantings on CRP land to help encourage bee populations," Morlock said.

He encourages landowners to focus on CP 25 - a conservation practice which includes planting eight species of native grasses and seven species of native forbs/wildflowers.

"The key is planting the most diverse seed mix," Morlock said.

Weed control is possible with Wildflowers
When native forbs are added to the seed mixture, many landowners become concerned about weed control. I've been getting a lot of questions from landowners focused on how they can control weeds if they add wildflowers to the mix.

Fortunately, we are able to develop herbicide tolerant mixes that meet CP 25 specifications. Thanks to Plateau, a pre-emergent herbicides used to establish native species and Milestone, a post-emergent herbicide designed to primarily to control thistles and other broadleaf weeds.

When you choose to work with Millborn Seeds, we offer a Stand Establishment Guarantee.

To learn how you can increase your land's EBI score and receive Millborn Seeds' Stand Establishment Guarantee, contact Jason Tronbak 888-498-7333 or jasont@millbornseeds.com. Matt Morlock can be reached at 605-881-8258 or mmorlock@pheasantsforever.org.

Double Cropping Begins with Cool Season Forages this Spring
 By Justin Fruechte, Forage Specialist

Livestock producers looking to double their forage or silage production this growing season should consider planting cool season forages this spring.

By planting cool season forages like oats, barley, triticale or forage peas this spring, cattle producers can harvest their hay or silage by the first part of July and still have time to plant a warm season forage on the same acres, doubling their production per acre.

For producers looking for a high yielding, high protein forage option, I suggest planting a mixture of cool season forages.

Oats, barley and triticale make high yielding hay, and work great for a filler and roughage in the diet. Forage peas increase a forage's protein content by 2 to 3 percent. If livestock producers want to boost protein in the diet, they can add a forage pea to the mixture and come out with about 12-15 percent protein for the total mixture.

If a producer plans to chop silage, I suggest two options - Everleaf 126 Forage Oats or Forage Soybeans.

Everleaf Forage Oats yield 4 to 7 more tons per acre than traditional oats - on average 7 to 10 tons per acre.

Standing 4 to 5 feet tall, forage soybeans' main purpose is not to produce a seed, but to produce abundant, high-protein silage. One of the attractive side benefits to the forage soybeans is the fact they break the corn on corn silage cycle and fix nitrogen back into the soil.

I look forward to seeing producers plant Forage Soybeans and Everleaf 126 Forage Oats together this season.

To learn what forage or silage options will work best in your operation contact me at 888-498-7333 or justinf@millbornseeds.com .

Double Stocking for Maximum Profit
By Justin Fruechte, Forage Specialist

Looking for a way to better match livestock grazing pressure with the abundant early forage supply in pastures across eastern South Dakota, South Dakota State University researchers discovered the profit power of intensive early stocking.

"We've been concerned with finding ways livestock producers can make the most of smooth brome grass, a cool season grass which dominates pastures everywhere in eastern South Dakota," says Eric Mousel, SDSU Extension Range Livestock Specialist.

Mousel explains that the challenge with smooth brome grass is the fact that it grows extremely fast - producing 75 percent of its yield before June 15. Basically the grass grows faster than the traditional stocking rate of growing cattle can graze it.

"The cattle can't keep up," he says. "By late July when the brome grass has matured out, the quality is poor and livestock performance drops."

Mousel's research focuses on matching the livestock pressure to brome grasses early yields by doubling the recommended stocking rate for half the typical growing season.

"By doubling the stocking rate and shoving it into the early growing season, producers are able to take advantage of the time when the yield and quality of brome grass peaks," says Mousel of the year of solid data they have collected.

The data proved that doubling the number of cattle grazing per acre increased gain per acre by 15 to 25 percent, even though it showed a 10-15 percent decline in individual performance.

"When you're dealing with a fixed land resource, profitability is linked to gain per acre rather than gain per animal allowing producers to earn more per acre," Mousel says.

Another benefit Mousel's team discovered was the re-emergence of native grass species. Because the brome grass was eaten down early in the season, it removed competition for warm season native grasses.

"We've started to see some big blue stem, Indian grass and little blue stem in areas where we didn't think they existed," Mousel says.

 
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