Two Brothers Invest in Sustainability by Pioneering New Technologies and Conservation Practices
On the Beske Farm in Fox Lake, Wisconsin, innovation and technology are driving sustainable agriculture and continuous improvement. Brothers David and Kevin Beske are third generation farmers with a shared passion for sustainability and farming their 1,000 acres of field corn, sweet corn, soybeans, wheat, peas, and lima beans.
“We grew up on the farm,” explained Kevin. “Our dream was always to have our own farm. When a farm came up for sale and my dad had some of his land for rent, we got started farming together.”
Twenty-five years later, the Beskes are carrying on their family’s farming tradition and collaborating with their customers downstream on sustainability initiatives that will preserve their land for future generations.
“Sustainability isn’t something new. Being the third generation on our farm, we want to sustain the farm and we care about the past, present, and the future,” said Kevin. “Our land is our bread and butter, and it’s not all about profit, of course we must remain economically viable to stay in business, but we certainly care for the farm’s ecological health in the long-term.”
In October of 2014, the Beskes embarked on a journey to advance their path towards sustainability and continuous improvement by enrolling in the inaugural Central Wisconsin Fieldprint® Project in collaboration with a downstream customer: General Mills.
The majority of the dry-milled corn General Mills uses in their popular breakfast cereals comes from Midwestern farmers like David and Kevin. To secure a sustainable corn supply for consumers, several farmers in this region are working to document and demonstrate continuous improvement utilizing Field to Market’s Fieldprint® Calculator.
Kevin and David Beske
3rd Generation Farmers
Fox Lake, Wisconsin
“The Fieldprint Calculator has been very valuable for us,” described Kevin. “I would say it is like having another helpful tool in your tool box.”
After their first year of participation in the Central Wisconsin Fieldprint Project, the Beskes gained valuable insight from their experience working with partners downstream and the analysis generated by the Fieldprint Calculator. By assessing areas for improvement, the Beskes discovered there was an opportunity for technological advancement on the farm.
The brothers decided to take a big step towards reducing their impact on environmental indicators by investing in precision agriculture. The new innovations on the Beske farm included a John Deere Greenstar GPS system and an upgrade to their corn/soybean planter from an 8-row planer to a 24-row planter. The John Deere technology helps the Beskes precisely target specific locations when tilling, planting, and applying fertilizer, ultimately reducing overall management use.
“By supplementing data from the Fieldprint Calculator with the John Deere program technology we can get a look at the bigger picture of our sustainability efficiency and make better decisions on inputs like fertilizer and seed,” Kevin emphasized.
The implementation of the 24-row planter has reduced the amount of fuel needed to plant crops by half, and the amount of time and number of trips across the field by two-thirds. As a result, the Beskes have reduced their energy use and carbon footprint when compared with their previous management practices.
David and Kevin recognize agricultural sustainability as a spectrum of continuous improvement, and that there is always more they can learn not only in terms of innovative technology, but also different conservation practices. They have applied learnings from the Fieldprint Calculator to measure the impact of oats and winter wheat as cover crops on mitigating soil erosion.
“Cover crops are something we are still learning about and how they are influencing our operations, but I think the use of cover crops and crop rotation has helped a lot with soil health on our farm,” said Kevin.
"The Fieldprint® Calculator has been very valuable for us. I would say it is like having another helpful tool in your tool box."
Kevin Beske
3rd Generation Farmer
Fox Lake, Wisconsin
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