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Beyond the Rows is a Monsanto Company blog focused on one of the world’s most important industries, agriculture. Monsanto employees write about Monsanto’s business, the agriculture industry, and the farmer.

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Americas Farmers Feed

Seeing Double? Must Be Twin-Row Corn!

Driving down a state road, it can be so picturesque to see row after row of a crop in the field. That’s certainly the case right now as young corn, soybean and cotton plants have had a great start with great moisture conditions in so many areas.

But driving down roads in some areas may make you wonder if you are seeing double. That’s because more and more farmers are trying innovative row spacing and planting populations to maximize yields on their farms.

In Dooley County, Georgia Gene Roney says his fields certainly get a second look. He refers to … Full Article »

Tags: agronomic practices, Corn, Irrigation, Twin Rows

Originally published
May 6, 2010 by Janice Person

Precision planting! Sean and Pat have nearly the identical form

When It Comes to Planting, Mother Nature Holds the Cards

Monday began with a rain shower in the St. Louis area. No planting at the Jerseyville farm for the next two days, I thought. After getting settled in at work, I sent an email to the crew at the farm, asking, “Do you think you’ll get in the fields later this week?”

To my surprise, the farm planned on hitting the fields. Research associate Joe Kinser replied immediately, “We caught a shower here this morning, but I think we will plant a few small fields in the 1 to 4 p.m. time frame at Jerseyville today. Let me know when … Full Article »

Tags: 2010 Crop Season, Emergence, IL, Jerseyville, Planting, Research

Originally published
May 5, 2010 by Nick Weber

Thinking Through Planting, One Task at a Time

Until I worked in agriculture, I really didn’t know what kind of work went into planting the fields that I’d drive by everyday. Man, have I learned a lot and yet there are so many things I’m still learning.

Farmers like Bob Walker of Somerville, Tenn. have a lot to consider when planting. For quite a while he’s been helping me understand some of what farmers are juggling. This time, I’ve convinced him to help me do regular updates from his farm this season.

I’m starting with the blog posts now, because Bob finally got to start planting. He’s planting … Full Article »

Tags: 2010 Crop Season, Corn, Cotton, Planting, Seed Purchase, Tennessee

Originally published
April 29, 2010 by Janice Person

Video: Farming – An 8 to 5 Job? Not Quite.

By Tyne

With the introduction of so many different types of new technology in agriculture and farming, one might think farming has become easier. All farmers have to do is plant the seed, watch it grow and then harvest when the time comes, right? Well, not exactly. Farming may be more advanced, but farmers still must put in long hours to get the job done.

John and Dean Werries are examples of how farmers don’t put in eight-hour days. In fact, the workers on this family farming operation combined put in 24-hour days.

“Well, right now we’re running this tractor … Full Article »

Tags: #plant10, 2010 Crop Season, Werries Farm

Originally published
April 23, 2010 by Monsantoco

737 Love Songs for the American Farm Mom

Over at the corporate web site and elsewhere, Monsanto today announced the five regional finalists for the Farm Mom contest and instructions for voting for the one national winner, to be announced around Mother’s Day. The five regional finalists are:

· Erika Forsbach, Savannah, Tennessee.

· Carol Cowan of Watonga, Oklahoma.

· Sue Roohr, Cookstown, New Jersey.

· Caroline Luiz of Yreka, California.

· Cheryl Day of Cerro Gordo, Illinois.

You can read the details about them at monsanto.com.

I wasn’t involved in the judging of entries; the American Agri-Women had a team that helped with that. But I’ve … Full Article »

Tags: America's Farmers, American Agri-Women, farm mom, Mother's Day

Originally published
April 19, 2010 by Glynn Young

An Official Update at the Unofficial Start of 2010 Planting

Co-authored by Janice Person and Nick Weber

The unofficial start of planting season got under way today, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its 2010 Prospective Plantings report. It’s an annual report that the agency issues each March 31 as its best estimates on what farmers may plant for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and many other crops.

The quick highlights:

A record 78.1 million acres of soybeans
88.8 million acres of corn (second-highest on record)
53.8 million acres of wheat (lowest since 1970)
10.5 million acres of cotton (15 percent higher than 2009)

According to Kansas farmer Darin … Full Article »

Tags: Corn, Cotton, Plantings Report, Soybeans, USDA, Wheat

Originally published
March 31, 2010 by Monsantoco

Farm Mom – A View from Here

Note from Mica: With our America’s Farmers Farm Mom of the Year contest in full swing with over 170 submissions so far, I asked my good friend and colleague Tami Craig Schilling to write a guest post for the blog, reflecting on what it means to be a farm mom. Tami is a full-time Monsanto employee, farm wife and mom, community volunteer and mentor for many of her colleagues. She’s one of those women that other moms’ envy (including me), and has us constantly asking, “How does she do it all and make it look so easy?”

At a recent … Full Article »

Tags: 4-H, contest, farm mom, FFA, full-time work, Monsanto, working mom

Originally published
March 23, 2010 by Mica Veihman

Farmers Manage Risks during Flooding

Every nine out of 10 years, Iowa farmer Dave Sieck expects the Missouri River to stay in its banks near his farmland in Glenwood, Iowa, about 15 miles south of Council Bluffs. But lately, it’s been a rough run. This is the third year in a run some Sieck and Midwest farmers are facing the threat of flooding.

“It’s a never-ending battle, especially on the bigger rivers,” he said. “We plan on losing a crop once or twice every 10 years.”

Heavy snow totals in the fall and winter and a quick rise in temperatures this spring are leading … Full Article »

Tags: Flooding, Iowa, Mississippi River, Missouri River, No-till, Planting, Red River

Originally published
March 22, 2010 by Nick Weber

The Perfect Week to Thank a Farmer, National Agriculture Week

As someone that didn’t grow up in agriculture (the closest I got was the 5 cow dairy farm up the street from my subdivision) I seldom thought about the importance of farming in my everyday life before I graduated college. Now that I work for Monsanto, I have had the opportunity to meet with farmers and I understand more about the challenging yet rewarding occupation these men and women have chosen.

National Agriculture Week (March 14-20) is an opportunity to connect to the people that are supplying the world with their food, fuel and fiber. Anyone who has ever met … Full Article »

Tags: Agriculture Week, National Ag Day, National Ag Week, Social Media, Thank a Farmer

Originally published
March 16, 2010 by Kathleen Manning

Video:One in a Million, One in 700, or Even Better Odds?

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to host a group of guests from Greece for a tour of the U.S. The group was made up of cotton ginners, textile mill personnel, a few agronomists and others in the Greek cotton industry. I ended up being the person who accompanied the group throughout their tour. We started by giving them a view of our facilities in the Mississippi Delta and then headed to Lubbock, TX for see the largest cotton patch & learn all sorts of things! On the way back to the Delta from Lubbock, we stopped in Dumas, … Full Article »

Tags: Arkansas, Beltwide, Cotton Gin, Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, Texas

Originally published
March 15, 2010 by Janice Person

Beyond the Rows