Cultivating Soil Health through Cover Crops
Jed Gerdes and his wife, Annette, are the fifth generation to carry on the family tradition of farming on their 2,850-acre corn and seed bean operation in Ogden, Illinois. Their mission, outlined below, is clearly defined and serves as a beacon for the farm guiding them in all they do.
Gerdes Farms will be a trailblazer in creative solutions to improve the quality and productivity of land and people. Faithful stewardship of the land allows us to produce premier products while enhancing the soil. Through relationships built on honesty, integrity and sincerity, we will positively impact our local and worldwide community.Like many of his fellow farmers, Jed’s goal is pass on the land to his three kids, Avian, Tayton and Ella. He makes each operational decision with them in mind as he stewards the land and seeks to cultivate a positive legacy of land conservation and innovation.
Jed Gerdes
5th Generation Farmer
Ogden, Illinois
More recently, Jed transitioned from small grain cover crops to multi-species cover crop mixes that include cereal rye and radishes. Working together, the cereal rye root mass and deep taproots from the radishes create deep macro- and micro-pores to break-up compaction layers from previous tillage and improve water infiltration. In other words, these root structures help his soil become a sponge, holding more water and nutrients for his corn and seed beans.
“By using cover crops and other land conservation techniques, our legacy will live on through the land we farm today,” Jed describes.
In combination with cover crops, Jed focuses on increasing microbial activity through the application of chicken litter. He learned the impact that natural fertilizers had on soil from his years of gardening in his youth. Transferring this knowledge into large scale agriculture, Jed follows his soil tests and has transitioned from using diammonium phosphate in deficient fields to maintaining phosphorus levels with a three-year cycle of litter application.
Utilizing Field to Market’s sustainability metrics integrated into Agrible’s software platform, Jed is able to document and demonstrate the sustainability outcomes of his management practices through the Fieldprint® Analysis. He uses this analysis to benchmark the sustainability performance of his fields with the results of other commodity producers at the state and national level. Jed notes that this comparison creates a better overall farming community.
“Jed is a true leader and advocate in stewardship and sustainability,” reflects Paul Miller, co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Agrible. “His open attitude towards showing others the benefits and successes of his sustainability approach is truly a gift to the agriculture community and shows strong Midwest values.”
Delivering food-grade corn to companies like PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay, Jed looks forward to opportunities to collaborate with the supply chain to tell his sustainability story to consumers.
“If consumers know how their food is grown, they can become more knowledgeable about the challenges and barriers farmers face and the decisions that must be made, while also holding farms accountable to producing food sustainably,” notes Jed.
Working together with cereal rye, the deep taproots from the radishes in Jed's multi-species cover crop mix creates deep macro- and micro-pores in the soil, breaking up compaction layers and improving water infiltration.
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