Mississippi

How One Mississippi Farmer Turned Data Into $330K in Fertilizer Savings

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 20:40:20 GMT

As the planter rolls across a Mississippi Delta field, row by row, it’s making split-second decisions on how much fertilizer to apply, where to apply it and where to apply nothing at all — a task that’s doesn’t require any second-guessing.

The decisions aren’t happening by instinct nor by habit. The planting and fertilizer decisions on this farm are all driven by data.

For Adron Belk, who farms in the Delta’s rich soils of Sunflower County, that shift — from gut feel to data-driven execution — isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about survival in a tight-margin environment, and ultimately, about profitability.

“This whole field, see how it’s calling for 8 gallons right there? It tells it the target. We’re looking for 8 gallons of fertilizer, and it’s putting out real close to 8 gallons,” Belk says as he’s making a planting pass through the field. “There’s areas in the field where it calls for none. So where it calls for none, it actually cuts it off on its own.”

On this farm, data doesn’t sit in a spreadsheet. It moves. It acts. It makes decisions in real time as equipment moves across the field.
That level of precision means decisions aren’t just guided by data, but automated with every pass.

“Where our phosphorus and zinc levels are low, the starter system turns on and it applies it. And where the phosphorus and zinc levels are adequate, it cuts it all and don’t put anything,” he says.

A Farm That Functions Like a Test Plot

Every acre Belk farms doubles as a testing ground. Every pass is an experiment. Every season is another opportunity to learn something new.

That mindset even extends to what he plants.

“I have never planted cotton on my own. My dad was a cotton farmer until 2007, when he quit growing cotton. We’re going to plant just a little bit this year though, about 130 acres. We’re going to get it custom picked. We’re just really planting the cotton to get a little bit of experience with it on a very, very small amount of acres. I believe it’s the tool I need to have in my toolbox for the future. And right now, I don’t have that tool,” he says.

At a time when many farmers are moving away from cotton, Belk is moving toward it.

“Some would say I’m just a glutton for punishment, I guess,” Belk says as he laughs.

A First Generation Farmer

Belk’s approach to farming didn’t come from following a playbook. In fact, it started with the opposite.

“I’m a first generation/second generation farmer,” he says. “My dad does farm, but we do not farm together.”

That decision for Belk to farm on his own was intentional from the start.

“My dad came through the 1980s. He just had a passion for it — worked really hard, started off with with almost nothing,” Belk explains. “And he did really well, and he knew all the lessons that he had to learn from being on his own, and mainly from messing stuff up on his own and learning. He knew how valuable that was. And he just really wanted us to always enjoy each other’s company and never have work come in between us or our family.”

So when Belk wanted to farm, his father gave him guidance — but not a safety net.

“He said, ‘I’ll give you all the advice you want,’ but he said it’s going to be beneficial if you do it on your own,” Belk remembers.

Belk took that to heart, starting his own farming operation by renting a few hundred acres while still in college. And like many young farmers, he learned by trial and error.

“I have made a lot of mistakes, and if I would have been farming with my dad, I probably wouldn’t have learned from those mistakes. I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make them to learn on my own,” Belk says. “The mistakes I’ve made have taught me more than the things that I’ve done right, for sure.”

No Silver Bullet — Just Small Gains

While Belk admits he’s learned the hard way and made plenty of mistakes, in an industry often searching for big breakthroughs, Belk focuses on incremental wins.

“I think in farming, we’re all looking for that silver bullet that is going to get you 15, 20 bushels more per acre. But most of those big yield gains like that have already been discovered or have already been done, and so it’s very hard to find those silver bullets,” Belk says. “So, we are really tailoring our farm to finding the 2-, the 3-, the 5-bushel [per acre] differences,” he says.

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That mindset is what led him deeper into data.

“We started really trying to look at data. And when we first started, I thought we were doing it right. I thought were interpreting things the right way. And then realized that we really needed to be going a little deeper,” he says.

Data Into Decisions

That realization led Belk to work with Chad Swindoll, founder of J19 Agriculture, to bring a more advanced level of analysis to the farm.

“He is very honed in on how to analyze data. And working with him has really brought a whole new perspective to ‘Not only now that we have this data, how do we analyze it? And then once we analyze, what do we do with it?’” he says.

For Swindoll, that last question — What do you do with it? — is where many farms fall short.

“There’s lack of implementation on the farm,” Swindoll explains. “There’s a lot of technology that’s available. I mean, we’re with the United States. We’re a very sophisticated production agriculture, but the execution and implementation piece on taking the information that the technology will provide — and then using it to really make a decision beyond just something that looks cool or sounds cool — but really driving change on the farm, that’s very lacking,” he says.

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When Swindoll started working with Belk, he quickly realized Belk is different in not only the way he farms, but how he thinks about farming. What sets Belk apart, Swindoll says, is his willingness to act.

“He does a very good job of collecting the things that we need to make those decisions, and then if if the information is telling us we need this or that, he does,” Swindoll says.

Swindoll says Belk is a good executive, and that ability to not only know what needs to be done, but then implement it, is something that’s fueling Belk’s success.

“That’s something that I try to emphasize and talk about a lot in our industry and with my customers and non-customers. The farmer is the CEO, and an executive’s job is to make decisions,” Swindoll says. “And so we can get hung on a fence and make no progress. At some point, you have to move. And to be a good executive, it goes back to having the right pieces of information and the willingness to act.”

Swindoll says it also takes courage to do something different than what everybody else is doing.

“It’s not easy, because some of the things that we’ve found over the years are contrary to what we have been taught or told,” he says.

A $330,000 Turning Point

That willingness to trust the data — and act on it — led to one of the biggest financial shifts on the farm.

“About three or four years ago, we started really letting the data, we started analyzing the data and looking at it. And what we started seeing is, we were spending a lot of this money on fertilizer, and we didn’t really know if we’re getting a return out of it,” Belk says.

The result was a major change in how fertilizer was applied and how much was used.

“Three years ago, we cut about $330,000 out of our fertilizer budget that I would not have done without good sound data that we trusted,” Belk says. “Now, it took me a little while to get to that, to understand it. Then having J19 really run statistical data and showing us what was real and what was not. When you realize you cut $330,000 out of a fertilizer budget, and you still made the equivalent yields, that’s pretty eye-opening,” he says.

Finding Yield in the Details

While something like fertilizer savings have added major cost-savings to their farm, sometimes, the biggest gains come from the smallest adjustments. That includes what the data told them about tire pressure.

“Because we grow everything in the Delta on a raised bed, in between the tires it really pinches that row. We started noticing where we would run 20 lb. of air where the tire would kind of squat, it was pinching the row more, and we were getting more compaction under the tractor,” Belk says. “In some cases, it was costing anywhere from 10 to 17 bushels of yield on the rows just up under the tractor,” he says.

That prompted Belk to boost tire pressure to 30 lb. or air.

Rethinking the Playbook

On Belk’s farm, the field itself has become the ultimate teacher.

“That field is our textbook,” Swindoll says. “That’s kind of how we do this. If you read something in a book and it doesn’t line up, I think it was William Albrecht who said, ‘If you observe nature, and the textbook doesn’t agree, then you throw the textbook away.’ And we’ve had to do that in some cases.”

That philosophy carries through every decision Belk makes.

“Actually, my dad always told me, ‘Never tell somebody who asks you why you’re doing something, to tell them because your daddy did it.’ You know times change. I mean, we’re in a whole different world right now than we were even 5 years ago, especially 10 years ago. And so I feel like agriculture is changing very fast. I feel like we’ve got to learn to adapt and adopt really fast. Doing all this stuff has allowed us to stay kind of current with the changes in agriculture. It’s allowed us stay current with new products, with new things,” he says.

The New Equation for Farming

Farming has always involved risk. Whether it’s weather, markets or input costs, none of it is guaranteed.

But on this Mississippi Delta farm, the approach to risk is changing. It’s no longer just about taking chances. It’s about measuring them. Testing them. Understanding them. And ultimately, deciding which ones are worth it.

Because in today’s agriculture, that difference between guessing and knowing, may be what separates farmers who keep up from those who get ahead.

Mississippi Leads the Charge: The First State to Ban Lab-Grown Dairy

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:36:22 GMT

Several years ago, lab-grown dairy — produced through precision fermentation or cell-culturing techniques — emerged as a high-tech disruptor in the food industry. Startups and venture capitalists positioned these products as sustainable, animal-free alternatives to traditional milk, garnering significant media attention. However, U.S. dairy producers were quick to push back, dismissing these innovations as “fake milk.” Now, that initial momentum is hitting a legislative wall as states move to protect their agricultural heritage.

Mississippi’s Landmark Ban

Mississippi has officially become the first state in the U.S. to explicitly ban cell-cultured dairy products. This follows the passage of HB 1153, a bill that broadens the legal definitions of meat, manufactured protein, cultivated protein, insect protein, plant protein and cell-cultured dairy.

The legislation is designed to prevent the misbranding of dairy products and establishes strict labeling requirements and inspection authorities. Most notably, the law implements an outright ban on the manufacture, sale and distribution of lab-grown dairy products within the state.

Key Provisions of HB 1153

Effective Date: July 1, 2026.
Penalties: Violators face a fine of $500 per violation per day, with a maximum penalty of $10,000.
Enforcement: The bill grants updated authority to state inspectors to ensure compliance and prevent “fake milk” from reaching shelves.

A Broader Trend of Protectionism

This move is part of a larger legislative effort in Mississippi to regulate alternative proteins. Last year, the state passed HB 1006, which banned lab-grown meat (effective July 1, 2025). Both bills were sponsored by Rep. Bill Pigott, signaling a consistent effort by state lawmakers to prioritize traditional livestock and dairy farming.

Mississippi agriculture commissioner Andy Gipson has been a vocal supporter of these measures. During a recent National Ag Day event, Gipson emphasized the importance of “real food for real people,” framing the ban as a victory for traditional agriculture against artificial alternatives.

“We are living in a time where it seems everything is artificial, and you wonder what is real. We’ve seen everything from fake grass, Astroturf, to fake meat, and now they’ve come up with lab-grown, or fake, milk. So today, we’re especially proud to be here to celebrate agriculture and to promote real food for real people. Thank you to our legislators for making Mississippi the first state in America to outlaw fake milk,” he said.

Industry Implications

Mississippi’s decision sets a precedent that other dairy-producing states may follow. While the lab-grown dairy industry continues to innovate globally, it now faces a fractured regulatory landscape in the United States, where state-level bans could significantly limit market access.

National Milk Producers Federation has consistently argued milk must come from a hooved animal. They have been a primary driver behind DAIRY PRIDE Act (Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Informed Dairy Choices). This federal legislation aims to force the FDA to enforce labeling standards that would prevent plant-based and lab-grown alternatives from using dairy terms like milk, cheese or yogurt.

As the lab-grown dairy industry continues to innovate globally, it now faces an increasingly fractured regulatory landscape in the U.S. State-level bans like Mississippi’s could significantly limit market access and complicate the path to commercialization for alternative protein companies.

Giant Australian Steer has U.S. Competition for World's Largest Bovine

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:19:21 GMT

An Australian steer the height of a professional quarterback has some competition for world’s biggest bovine and a good chunk of them are American cattle.

Knickers, a nearly larger than life Holstein , captivated the internet because of his size. The steer from Western Australia weighs more than 3,000 lb. and measures in at 6 foot 4 inches. At that height Knickers is not only the same size as Super Bowl winning quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning, the steer is in the running for world’s tallest steer.

Once news spread of Knickers size a host of cattle stepped up to the measuring tape to throw their names into the contest.

A California steer named Cowboy comes in at very similar measurements standing 6 foot 4 inches and weighing 3,000 lb.

“He’s just under a hair, and when I mean hair, a hair, under the Guinness World Record for largest steer,” says Lindsey Krause, owner of Cowboy.

To the north, a steer at Kismet Creek Farm in Manitoba, Canada , named Dozer measures in at 6 foot 5 inches. Similar to Cowboy and Knickers, the Canadian entry to the contest is also a Holstein.

“He’s just the friendliest animal,” says Canadian farmer Karl Schoenrock of his large steer Dozer. “He’s not very intimidating at all, except for his size. If you stood next to him he’ll just lay down next to you.”

Back in the U.S., Mississippi farmer touts two steers that could be in running for world’s biggest steer.

Bubba Pinkard’s two steers, named Milo and Otis for the kid’s movie of the same title, weigh a combined 5,900 lb. Milo comes in at 6 foot 7 inches and 3,200 lb., eclipsing Australia’s viral sensation by 3 inches.

“I believe I’ve got Knickers beat with this old boy right here,” Pinkard tells local news station WLBT while sitting atop Otis with his buddy Milo nearby.

Otis is at nearly the same size as Knickers weighing 2,700 lb. and measuring 6 foot 4 inches. The two steers eat about 100 lb. of range cubes per day and feed on hay or graze grass to help keep their size.

“I saw that Knickers, they had him in a pen with a bunch of what I call yearlings,” said Pinkard. “They were young cows, young calves and if I put this one against a young calf, he’s gonna look huge.”

If Pinkard’s two Mississippi steers don’t qualify for the Gunnies World Records there might be another bovine in the Magnolia State that could qualify for its lack of size. Lil’ Bill, a premature calf weighing only 7.9 lb. , is also capturing the hearts of people online after Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine shared a picture of the calf on Facebook. The small calf is being cared for by veterinarians and they are trying to determine if Lil’ Bill suffers from a form of dwarfism.

AgDay TV national reporter Betsy Jibben has been doing her own research into the world’s biggest bovine and she found a young dairy cow named Paige who could contend in the future:

Forget Knickers. Meet Paige. She’s only 68 inches tall 😜 (and from a California dairy). #agchat pic.twitter.com/C27PDxpiff
— Betsy Jibben (@BetsyJibben) December 10, 2018

For more on big and small cattle read the following stories:

Select Sires Reveals Cooperative Merger Creating Premier Select Sires

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:53:45 GMT

Combining forces, the Select Sire Power, Inc. and Southeast Select Sires, Inc. will officially become one and renamed Premier Select Sires, Inc. effective Jan. 1, 2019.

The same specialists who currently serve beef and dairy customers will continue to support their local member-owners, only as part of a larger team with a wider network of in-house support, according to Select Sires. Premier Select Sires will combine the territories of the two previous cooperatives, covering a total of 23 states.

These states include:

Maine
Vermont
Maryland
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Delaware
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Rhode Island
West Virginia
Virginia
North Carolina
Florida
Kansas
Tennessee
Arkansas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Alabama
Georgia
And Washington DC

“Premier Select Sires is the result of combining two financially strong cooperatives in order to benefit both memberships with pooled resources. We look forward to working together to continue to be the Premier genetic provider,” said Tim Riley, General Manager of Southeast Select Sires, in a press release.

Because of an aligned set of strengths and goals, the boards of Select Sire Power and Southeast Select Sires unanimously approved the affiliation agreement.

“This is a very exciting time for both organizations and we look forward to charting a successful future together. The larger cooperative will allow us to provide greater diversity of products and services to meet the modern needs of beef and dairy producers throughout our territory,” said Mark Carpenter, General Manager of Select Sire Power and future CEO of Premier Select Sires.

This is not the first merger the company has experienced throughout the past two years. In June 2017, Select Sires and Accelerated Genetics announced that Select Sires would acquire the assets of Accelerated Genetics.

This news also comes after the announcement of the holding companies Alta Genetics and GENEX forming their new organization, URUS. The intent to merge Koepon Holding BV and Cooperative Resources International (CRI) was first announced last December. Included in the merger are the following companies: AgSource , Alta Genetics , GENEX , Jetstream Genetics , PEAK/GENESIS , SCCL and VAS .