Most farmers have been working on sustainability practices for decades, yet very few define it the same way. Brian DeMann of Clearview Dairy in Martin, Mich., has found that precision ag equipment is adding efficiency, and therefore contributing to sustainability in a big way for his family’s farm.
“To me, sustainability has a lot of different definitions and opinions,” DeMann says. “Efficiencies make you more profitable, and profitability is a big leg of sustainability. We’ve always practiced good stewardship but it’s easier to do now with records and getting right down to the acre.”
The DeManns added efficiency in the form of new precision harvesting equipment in 2019: a combine and self-propelled forage harvester. DeMann says, “Efficiency came first, and when we started looking at the overall picture, this is a big sustainability incentive as well.” The new equipment enables him to track data he hadn’t had before, benefitting both the crop and animal sides of the farm.
“With growth in our number of animals and labor becoming tight, an investment in larger equipment also meant newer equipment, yield monitoring and using the data to match our soil sampling system and applying our own recycled manure specific to each acre,” he says. This also helps protect the farm from some of the current high and unpredictable input costs. “We haven’t had to purchase much other commercial fertilizer, and we’re able recycle 100 percent of our manure, show that everything is within environmental standards, and we are being good stewards of the land.”
DeMann says his team has also reduced their labor hours by 20 percent. “It still takes a lot of labor, but it’s a better way of life. We’re able to harvest in eight hours what used to take 12 or 14. It’s the same number of bodies, but we’re cutting our hours.”
Clearview Dairy feeds their 600 cows on 1,450 acres alone – with a few hundred acres left over to cash crop. “For years and years, we just grew what we needed. Now we’ve added acres, gotten into a rotation, and produced more on those acres with the adoption of precision ag.”
The added precision has brought advantages to the dairy, too. “We’ve been putting up better feed, better yield, better components, so this has all reduced costs and increased profitability on the animal side.” DeMann says.
One more benefit of the new technology contributes to sustainability in yet another way: attracting the future generations of the farm. DeMann says, “I’ve got some younger guys, and the new technology is a good way to get them involved – it sparks this generation’s interest more than the mechanical, same-old way.”
Like any upgrade on the farm, this one didn’t come without a learning curve. And although DeMann saw immediate benefits and results, he says they will always be learning and making changes as new information and technology become available. He credits his equipment dealership for a smooth transition and learning experience. “It wouldn’t have come as fast or as easy without them, and they’re a partner that continues to provide support.”
DeMann is relying on data from the equipment to help dissect what’s going on this year and make plans for the next. “We’re already using it in the spring when it comes to planting and fertilizing.”
Beyond the coming spring, DeMann has big plans for adding precision to the whole operation. “We focus quite heavily on the precision ag, cropping and feed, so technology on the dairy side is going to be the next thing – recycling water, energy efficiencies in lighting, thermostats on fans,” he says. “We will continue to improve on the crop side with irrigation and nitrogen sensors, reducing the amount of nitrogen we use. There will continue to be upgrades available on the new equipment, and we’ll be diving deeper than the basic yield data we’re using right now.”
