Our June issue is here!! | Farmer Magazine

HJ Baker has released a new nutrient calculator app

Working dogs on an Australian cattle station

Rural energy awards available for farmers in the US

AMA has developed a new website for sUAS hobbyists

Welcome to the June edition of Farmer magazine. For farmers around the globe this time of the year is extremely busy. Here in Western Australia it is a hive of activity as wheat and canola farmers are rushing to finish planting their crops. So far the rainfall in the wheatbelt has been very promising and it is certainly a good start to the season. Looking at tweets coming through on Twitter a lot of farmers in the States are reporting good progress with their planting season. Now onto this month’s issue.

We kick things of with an article about the correct use of lime and gypsum. As I have mentioned before, most farmers are concentrating on planting crops right now, but it is also a good time to look at when to make soil amendments so you can plan in advance. Cory Shurman from Gypsoil gives a brilliant explanation on when to use lime and when to use gypsum in his video at the end of the article. Staying with soils, we also have news on a new nutrient calculator app that was released by the firm HJ Baker. This handy app even contains photographs that will help you identify deficiencies in your crops.

On the subject of greener energy solutions, we bring you more details about the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). They have been helping farmers in the United States switching to alternative energy sources for years now. Be sure to read the article to see what kind of projects they provide funding for. We also look at a mobile “gadget” that was developed by the Agricultural Research Service, that can turn farm waste into bio-oil. One of it’s biggest advantages is that it is a mobile unit and the processing can be done on your property.

Our main story this month comes from a cattle station in the remote north of Australia. It is about putting the dogs on their station to good use. As you may not know, these stations are very huge, up to millions of acres and the cattle numbers on these properties can reach tens of thousands and many of them are not used to being handled, so a good pack of working dogs can make all the difference out there. This story by Barbara Phillips makes for an interesting read.

In other news we look at how changing your livestock’s diet can result in significant cut in greenhouse gasses such as methane. We also look at some new technology the size of a egg that can doing amazing things for egg producers and also more details on a new website that was developed for those new to the sUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems) world. It provides the latest on FAA regulations and more. If you are interested in acquiring a drone for example and need some help with the latest regulations, then this is a good starting point.

Well that is it from me for now, until next time, fat animals and big harvests.

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