Producer Features

You may wonder what a day in the life of an on-farm forage specialist looks like, so I’m here to share my story. The late founder of Alltech, Dr. Pearse Lyons, always said everyone is in sales, and that is very true.

Sometimes finding a hay market that fits your system isn’t about taking the easiest or most popular route; you may have to find the road less traveled.

Sandy Ridge Farms Inc. (SRF), located in Newsoms, Virginia, raises over 1,400 acres of corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts and a few cows.

Miles and Caleb von Stein grew up making hay on a small scale for family and neighbors in northwestern Ohio, and they thought expanding might be a way to get into farming as young people where most land is in corn and soybeans.

All good things come in threes: three stars in Orion’s belt, “on your mark, get set, go,” three sides of a triangle, three races in the Triple Crown and three flavors in Neapolitan ice cream. Why threes? It combines brevity, continuity and rhythm.

Long-term profitability, preparing for the next generation and fostering human, plant and animal health all hinge on managing the farm for soil health improvement. Everything revolves around healthy soil for Burton Heatwole.