on tillage comes of age Conservation Tillage Is Most Widely Practiced In the Corn Belt and
not in universal agreement is the
relative importance of these two
factors when farmers make their
decisioins.
What do farmers say? According
to USDA’s survey, both factors
were rated as equally important by
48 percent of the farmers who used
conservation tillage. Another 26
percent rated soil and' water
conservation on the top of the list,
and 21 percent rated cost and time
savings as most important.
Some farmers may start out with
one as a priority and end up with
the other.
Fred Awe, a grain and beef
producer in Shullsburg, Wise.,
says he began using conservation
tillage in 1975 to cut production
costs. After 10 years of experience,
Awe is now committed to farming
with no-till. However, his major
reason has changed.
“I started using conservation
tillage from an economic stand
point, but today my priority is
might want to get a string of worry beads to ho)
when you’re thinking about next year's crop.
You pull
somebod;
Whoevei
may.
aboui
Kn«
control of soil erosion,” Awe says.
Bob Wetherbee of Fairmount, N.
Dak., agrees. The control of soil
erosion is also his top priority. He
sees conservation tillage as a
management tool that’s drawn him
closer to his farming operation.
“It’s definitely taught me that
tradition is not always the best way
of making decisions,” Wetherbee
says.
While many farmers who use
conservation tillage claim that it
has increased their herbicide
costs, Wetherbee reports just the
opposite experience. “I have found
that the combined effects of
cultivation, residue on the surface,
early planting, and a reduction in
soil disturbance all add up to fewer
weeds.”
Looking 10 years down the road,
Wetherbee says he doesn’t know if
conservation tillage will guarantee
him lower fuel bills, lower her
bicide costs, and more free time,
but he is sure about one thing: “I
know it will protect my in
vestment. It will mean a reduction
of erosion on my land.”
Today, farmers are trying to
find any way to save money. Some
might even be tempted not to use
Furadan® insecticide and trust
their luck that insect damage
won’t be too severe.
But the hard fact is this. The
money you’ll save by skipping
the Furadan planting treatment
will seem small compared to the
money you’ll lose when you get a
bad insect infestation.
It just makes good sense to
buy insurance.
Furadan.
For over 17 years Furadan has
proven effective against the
worst threats to your com crop..
Insects like rootworms, corn
borers and nematodes. As well as
ten other pests that significantly
damage your corn.
If you’re thinking about doing
without the proven protection that
Furadan canofferyou,thinkitover
once again.
After all, without Furadan
com insecticide, you’ll have only
one possible defense against pests.
Lots of luck.
FMC Corporation Agricultural Chemical Group, 2000 Mar
ket Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Furadan and 4MC are
registered trademarks of FMC Corporation Furadan fs a
registered use pesticide. Read and follow
label directions i > 1986 FMC Corporation iWIWn
of farmers using conservation tillage methods m each region
M-N - ■ u
u.s. Tom
Lancaster Fanning Saturday, January 4,1985-DS
Lake Sti
i 21%
Northei
Plains
30%
/North-A.
/■—' fast
../■'Appalachia —3_
?
Com Baft
39%/
I Delta
V States
\ 4%
Southeast
6%
Farm Credit
has served
needs well
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - Why
does the Farm Credit System hold
a third of the nation total farm
debt? Apparently because it has
served the farmers well over the
last 50 years.
The Farm Credit System is a
unique institution, chartered by
Congress to serve the credit needs
of farmers, agricultural
cooperatives and rural people.
Borrowers from the farm credit
banks are members of one of the
largest agricultural cooperatives
in the world.
As a nationwide lending in
stitution the local Federal Land
Bank Associations and Production
Credit Associations are members
of 12 District Farm Credit Banks
which function under a national
Farm Credit Board and is
supervised by the Farm Credit
Administration. The consolidated
Farm Credit System has the ad
vantage of a single fund raising
fiscal office which sells funds at
near federal government rates.
This system which is farmer
owned and controlled has provided
low cost credit to rural America
for a number of years.
In recent months the low prices
for farm commodities coupled with
a decrease in farm land values has
placed unprecedented financial
stress on some segments of
agriculture.
Under the cooperative farm
credit structure and cooperative
philosophy all members of the
system share in the responsibility
for the recovery of the distressed
agricultural industry. One great
advantage of a nationwide system
is the ride is spread over the entire
nation so adversity in one
geographic or commodity area will
not jepordize the entire system.
Mergers and consolidations in
some of the more distressed farm
credit districts along with the
strength of other district banks has
tended to maintain a sound
national farm credit system.
The other two-thirds of the
nations farm debt is diversified
among various banks and lending
institutions, but in isolated
situations some rural banks are
also feeling the strains of the
current farmer stress in
agriculture.
The current financial crisis in
some segments of the nation has
severely impacted on the nation’s
agribusiness industries such as
farm machinery, fertilizer ■
transportation, marketing