Make your crop residue an opportunity, not a problem

That’s the philosophy at VanMeer Farms, in Tillsonburg, where using residue to control erosion and give back nutrients to the soil is routine practice

by TONY BALKWILL
 

When you enter the office of George Vermeersch and his sons, Greg and Jeff, of VanMeer Farms, Tillsonburg, you will notice a key feature: a whiteboard displaying different tillage tool headings and fields specifically labelled to require a certain tillage pass based on cropping history, harvest and previous tillage.

 “We look at vertical tillage as a tool in our toolbox,” says Greg. “We use the best tool for the job, or sometimes more than one,” adds Jeff.

Better Farming - August/September 2011