"Let the results speak for themselves. These guys are on to something that works. Check it out. You decide."
      –Leon Leavitt, Progressive Haygrower Magazine

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Click For Larger Image OROVADA, NV – "This is incredible!"

When Dolan Miller's family recently moved to this ten–pivot hay ranch in Kings River Valley last year, they noticed one particular field, 'D3', was in trouble. Dolan relates, "This field was new seeding last year, and when it came out of dormancy it was extremely stressed. Over half of it wanted to bloom and was a dark color. On the first cutting, we got 230 bales off of it (the adjoining pivots next to it yielded 354 and 407 bales).

We weren't sure if we could bring it out of its stress condition or not, so we applied the Bio–N–Liven and Carbon mix after first cutting." The second cutting resulted in 228 bales (this was 28–day hay), while the adjoining pivots averaged 183 bales each. On the third and fourth cutting, all three fields were about even. Dolan says, "We will cut back on our commercial fertilizer program. This (microbe application) is not a cure–all, but what we've seen so far, the numbers are very impressive; the color and test of the hay is very good, and the soil is taking the water better.

We were so impressed with the results that after the third cutting we started putting the program on four other pivots, to give us a jump–start for next year." He has used several microbial–type products in the past at their previous location in Reese Valley, NV and feels they were working, but it was a long–term benefit (maybe not a production increase in the first year, even though it was building up the soil.) By getting the microbe numbers up first, by incubation, the results are more noticeable in a shorter time frame.

Dolan sums it up — "If I could bring that field out of the stress of that season, to go from the poorest of ten pivots, hands–down, to the best producing field on the farm ... this is incredible!"

– Progressive Haygrower, January, 2007      Printable version

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Click For Larger Image GRANDVIEW, ID – "It's amazing!"

Steve Collett, and dad Max, had a 40–acre field planted three years ago which never seemed to take off. After harvesting his first cutting 20 bales) this year, he applied Bio–N–Liven and Carbon combination, one time only. He says, "It's amazing. The hay kicked in and started growing. In two weeks, we could see the difference — it had a healthy look about it and the yields were impressive. We got 37 bales on the 2nd cutting and 47 bales on the 3rd cutting.

We invested $1903 but it paid for itself, no doubt about that. This is the only significant increase I've ever seen since we began raising organic hay."

When pressed for the reason for these results, Steve responded, "It's simple. The microbes open up the soil and let the water penetrate down."

– Progressive Haygrower, March, 2007      Printable version

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ANTELOPE VALLEY, NV – "The plant population is at least 4 times thicker than normal!"

Allen Farr and brothers at Farr Farms have been involved with various types of microbial products for several years, keeping careful records on the results.

Earlier this year they rented a neighbor's 120–acre pivot and seeded it to hay and oats, followed by microbe application. For the previous five years, attempts to raise anything have been dismal due to the hardness of the alkaline soil. The landlord had to run water continuously to keep the meager crops from burning up.

Since using microbial supplements, the soil holds water, even at the surface. Another benefit is that the fulvic acid in the product buffers the alkaline. Allen can now easily insert a soil probe into this once hard–surfaced non–productive field. Today there is a well established stand. Allen explained the process, "A plant takes in water to get nutrition — and if it lacks nutrition it pumps more water. If the nutrition is readily available, it doesn't have to pump as much water. There is less water usage because the plant is satisfied. With the microbial activity, the plants have been wet, have grown and are satisfied nutritionally without the extra water that we have applied before."

The next field was a four–year–old–stand that had large bare spots. It was disked six weeks earlier, spring–toothed and broadcast seeded, followed by watering. Conventional wisdom says NEVER to reseed due to autotoxicity. Allen brewed up a heavy–duty batch of microbes and the new stands were healthy as could be in this field. They were not being killed at all. Allen says, "With reseeding, we have our six and seven–year–old fields producing as well as the younger ones."

The third field was a classic example of the wondrous results of microbial and worm interaction. Farr planted oats in the spring which were harvested July 15th and seeded to alfalfa. We dug up several shovelfuls of earth, with worms everywhere. Farr states, "This is what we're after. If we can get the microbes and the earthworms working in the soil, they will produce all the food the plant needs. It's an accumulative process. That's what topsoil is. When we can achieve this and maintain this, we will have healthy soil and consequently healthy plants producing to their genetic capacity." Another benefit is the improvement of the germination of the seed. He says, "The plant population is at least four times thicker than normal. Besides higher tonnage, a side benefit of thicker stands is fewer weeds. Also, water penetration improved enough to slow the pivots down to a 6–day revolution instead of 3 days, with no runoff."

– Progressive Haygrower, March, 2007      Printable version

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Click For Larger Image ANTELOPE VALLEY, NV – Farr Farms Update

Exciting results at Farr Farms continue to produce thicker–than–average stands. With less weeds and better water penetration, the soil has gone from dry alkaline soil to rich humus, high–yield, crop–producing soil. The earthworms are present and working hard. In a year where local conditions (harsh winter weather and summer drought) accounted for an average loss of .5 ton per acre or more for nearly everyone in the area, Allen Farr states, "We are grateful that Farr Ranch production stayed right up there near its three–year average of 6 tons to the acre." The chart to the left is a compilation of the amazing results from 11 pivots farmed conventionally and also exhibits some information from two new organic pivots, labeled Park's New and Old.

[BioRich Soil] recommended 48 ounces of total product (32 ounces of Carbon and 16 ounces of Bio) be applied for the Farr Ranch alfalfa fields. However, due to the Farr's excitement about the use of the [BioRich Soil] products and the desire to try them out under different circumstances, they often exceed the recommended amounts. The Farr family reports, "We are quite pleased with the results!"

It is interesting to note that absolutely no pesticides or commercial fertilizers were applied to the Farr fields this growing season. Also, the 5.9 ton average was reached even with one severely damaged field calculated in. "The harsh winter affected this old field more than any of the others", said Allen. He continued, "Pivot 3 only produced 4.8 ton/acre this year and will now be rotated."

In addition, Allen commented on the results, saying, "One thing that Dr. Jackson has taught us is that oxygen deficiency and lack of enzymatic activity can be a serious problem, especially during initial plant growth. Taking this theory to heart, we applied extra Carbon to the new seeding in Pivot 1 this year, as well as to both organic pivots last year – the new stand that was put in from desert land and the old stand that we reseeded into. Results have been outstanding."

Allen continues, "The brand–new organic crop was one of our top producers. Usually the first crop put in from desert is quite meager. Also, the re–seeding germinated and survived almost 100%, and extended production on this pivot. The difference in the new seeding this year on the conventional pivots (Pivot 1) compared to the two new seedings last year, is an average of 30 more oat bales and 40 more alfalfa bales (one cutting of each produced on Pivot 1 this year)."

– Progressive Haygrower, December 2007      Printable version

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Click For Larger Image BRIDGELAND, UT – "We are very excited about the results we have seen."

Richard Fitzgerald and his family know that vitamins and supplements are important for their family's health. In order to help their dairy cows and calves build a strong stomach, they too are given feed supplements. If it works for us and our cows, surely the soil would be the same. Last year they decided to supplement the ground for their crops as well.

We visited with Richard, who told us about his program. With around 850 acres of crops on the farm, they started with a few trial fields on their first cutting of hay. "I had a couple of trials that I put it on where the ground wasn't quite as good," says Richard. "It hadn't been producing as good of hay. Using my field sprayer I applied 14 oz. per acre, a little less than the recommended amount."

He went on, "Throughout the year it seemed to be getting better – it really picked up production. I was really excited about that; I guess that's why I decided to use more of it as the year went on – I could see the results right there." They then put it on the fields through pivots on the hay, silage and grain corn, applying it at about 27 oz. per acre. "I could see some great advantages to using the supplements and am excited about the results," he says. "The plants looked much healthier. We didn't have any troubles with the bugs and the alfalfa had more leaves. In addition, there was a fast recovery after the first cutting of hay. The soil retained the moisture better. As soon as we cut it, it grew right back because the water was right there. Most years we have to water it before it grows back; this year we didn't. And for a hot year, that was really good."

He not only found great results in the hay, but noticed that the corn did just as well. "We had an excellent production of corn this year. It stood tall, it produced well, it was healthy and the ground was loosened." Richard mentioned that he was also excited about how much money he saved on fertilizer: "I only used about half of the fertilizer that I usually do.

"Because feed prices are more expensive and feed is harder to get a hold of, I decided to look into the biological part of farming. I read quite a few articles in magazines about microbials, that's what got me thinking about changing. I looked into quite a few different companies, but this one seemed to be the one for us; we felt good about the product and the families behind it. "I think if other people only knew what this product could do for them, they would be using it too.

"We are very excited about the results that we have seen. I'm glad there's something out there that has a residual – we can apply a little each year, have it build up the soil and get things back to nature. Let nature take care of it. Everything looked really good, and we will certainly be applying some more of it this coming year."

– Progressive Haygrower, January, 2008      Printable version

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Click For Larger Image WATERTOWN – "We had virtually no bugs when our neighbors were spraying for them"

Growing healthy crops and animals has always been a priority for Calvin Mack on his 85–cow dairy farm. Helping support a healthy environment was an added bonus to raising healthy crops and animals.

Mack, along with his brother, Clinton, are third–generation farmers on their family's 1,000–acre farm, where they raise alfalfa, wheat, corn, and soybeans and have 190 Angus cow–calf pairs. Mack looks to all–natural or homeopathic alternatives when the option arises. So it only made sense to try the Answer Products. Mack has known about these biological products for about five years, but never tried them because of skeptics he talked to.

"When we decided to take over the family farm, we looked for things that were better for our operation, specifically all natural," Mack said. "We understand and have experienced the amazing power of all–natural products before, but when we tried the Answer Products last year, we were dumbfounded by the results." Mack is currently using the Answer Products for all of his crops and pasture and Livestock Answer on the cattle.

After initially applying the product to the fields in the spring, Mack noticed a response within a month. "We noticed zero leaf tissue diseases, increased growth and a big difference in the bug infestation reduction. We had virtually no bugs when our neighbors were spraying for them," Mack said. Mack said he used absolutely no commercial fertilizer last year and plans to not use any this year after using the Answer Products throughout the growing season last year.

"Once you understand the biological system you realize it's not necessary to apply commercial fertilizers," Mack added. "With the high input costs of running a farm, everyone is looking for something better and cheaper. The prices of these products didn't even go up from last year like we know all commercial products did."

Mack said they've already received healthier crops and higher yields. He said the fields will continue to get progressively better. "Last year we had 60–bushel soybeans and 200–bushel corn per acre, the best we've ever seen," Mack said. "And I'm hoping for 100–bushel soybeans eventually."

Livestock Answer also had a positive effect on Mack's cattle. The digestive enzymes aided in digestion and breakdown of food. Within a week, Mack noticed consistent manure droppings. "Beforehand, each cow would defecate differently. Our vet even noticed quite a positive difference in the cows," Mack added.

There are less flies, odor and according to Mack, the manure is breaking down and bubbling in the lagoon. The Macks have pasture ground that could never support healthy grass growth. After applying the Answer Products, the pasture ground is a popular spot with the cows. "The cattle are always eating in that area," Mack said. "The nitrates have been decreased, resulting in a more healthy, flavorful grass for the cows to eat."

Mack said the best thing about using Answer Products is that it is perfectly safe to use for humans and the environment. "It is actually cleaning up everything we've been using in the past years by digesting toxins,"

Mack said. "I've told people before, 'Don't take our word for it – try it on 50 acres or so and see for yourself. Use it within your own comfort zone by cutting your commercial fertilizer in half the first year at least. You will be a believer, no matter what type of crops you grow.'"

– Progressive Haygrower, April, 2008      Printable version

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Click For Larger Image Clear Lake – "...our crops stayed green last year while our neighbors' fields were burning up."

Growing healthy crops and animals is important to Jeff and Jodi Knutson of Knutson Farms. They and their three children (Brett, 13; Brittany, 9; and Cole, age 5) are third– and fourthgeneration dairy farmers in Clear Lake, where they raise alfalfa, corn, soybeans, wheat and oats. Irrigation is not an option for Knutson — "We rely entirely on Mother Nature to take care of us," Jodi says.

Ever–increasing commercial fertilizer costs led Knutsons to [BioRich Soil] and their line–up of Answer Products (Bio–N–Liven and Carbon Answer) and Livestock Answer. Actually, a fellow dairy farmer told them about this intriguing product line. That dairy farmer has seen noticeable, bottomline–improving results with the Answer products, seeing healthier animals, less flies, less odor, on the animal side and increased productivity and healthier soils on the cropping side of his business.

"We were looking for something that would improve the health of our cows and at the same time reduce our input costs," Knutson recalls. "When we started using Livestock Answer on our cows and our newborn calves, we immediately noticed an improvement in overall herd health. We then switched from a medicated to a non–medicated milk replacer for the calves, and to this day, our death loss has decreased dramatically and our calves are so much healthier. Our cull rate has decreased tremendously."

Another pleasant "plus" where dairies are concerned? Odor. "During the summer, the urea smell in the barn would bring tears to your eyes ..... since using Livestock Answer, that smell is now practically gone. And manure throughout the entire herd is now very consistent — not real loose here, not real hard there — just consistent across the board," Knutson states.

On their crops, the Knutsons have used the biological approach with Bio–N–Liven and Carbon Answer on the majority of their 2007 acreage, with "phenomenal results":

"Our silage corn last year stood higher than we've ever seen — a full foot over the cab of the tractor — and production/yield was 180 bu/acre with 38" row spacing.

"We have some sandy hills, but our crops stayed green last year while our neighbors' fields were burning up. And doing our fieldwork this spring, on our second year using Bio–N–Liven and Carbon Answer 100% and using zero commercial fertilizer, we noticed the ground was more mellow, easier to work up than ever before.

"After 1st cutting of alfalfa last year, we noticed an alfalfa weevil problem on the half of our field that did NOT have the Bio–N–Liven and Carbon Answer applied to it — so we applied those products to that half of the field between 1st and 2nd cuttings — and that took care of our bug problem," Jodi recalls. "And with our soybeans, we didn't have to spray full rate with the [BioRich Soil] products and noticed no bug problems whatsoever."

Bottomline? "We did a field test last year on a 60–acre corn field," Knutson says. "We applied Bio–N–Liven and Carbon Answer to 30 acres and commercial fertilizer to the other 30 acres, with absolutely no yield difference. At 2007 pricing, commercial fertilizer was $100/acre more than the [BioRich Soil] products .... this year, we've computed those figures to be $200+/acre for commercial fertilizer versus $48/acre for the [BioRich Soil] products."

– Progressive Haygrower, June, 2008      Printable version

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