When they got to organic matter, we were told they ranked it in three categories. These were high, medium and low. We asked how they tested them and were told “when we hold it in our hand and it is dark colored, it is high. If it is brownish or grey it is medium, and if it is yellow or very light colored, it is low.” At that time I didn’t know much about the testing procedures of soil, but I knew this wasn’t very scientific. I am now up to 2010 and the controversy still continues. We will look at some the different procedures and I will share some of the opinions I have formed over the last twenty four years…

So begins the article Accuracy of a Soil Test. Read the complete article here:  “Accuracy of a Soil Test”

What are you thoughts about the subject of soil testing?  I’d love to hear your experiences.

Jon Frank

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Imagine two farmers or ranchers from the same community meeting over breakfast at a local café. Over scrambled eggs and hash browns they compare notes on their farming operations. One is very efficient at harvesting solar energy and selling it at a profit. The other is not efficient at capturing solar energy and is slowly going broke. What is the difference? Both have access to the same amount of sunshine but with vastly different results.

After purchasing land or paying rent sunlight energy is free—no taxes, no patent infringement, and very dependable. And yet so many farmers and ranchers do not fully utilize this free gift. It is the job of the farmer to use biology, moisture, and geological resources to transform solar energy into a sellable product. This is how wealth is created. In other words the farmer sets up the environment that determines how much solar energy is captured…

So begins the article on harvesting solar energy.  Read the complete article here:  Newsletter

What are you thoughts about harvesting solar energy?  Do you find the connection between the level and ratios of available soil nutrients to be linear with increased brix and animal production?  How would you apply these principles to crops other than grass?  I’d love to hear your story.

Jon Frank

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Food Scares Creating Local Markets

As more and more food scares and problems develop from industrialized food, we see a response of more and more people wanting to buy local foods. Either they want to grow it or they want to buy it. And it’s opening many many opportunities for people to jump into the business of growing quality foods.

From Minnesota down to Texas and all the way east, we see a tremendous increase in market gardens, greenhouses and people wanting to produce quality foods. The local communities are really stepping up support to buy locally produced foods and there’s a growing consumer movement as well, consumers are wanting quality food as measured on a refractometer as well as by taste.

Call To Arms Course

In the Call To Arms Course, we teach the nuts and bolts of how to produce the best tasting, best quality foods. You’ll learn what the 5 essential tools are that must be integrated for best results. We also give testimonials and look at sample soil reports and discuss the progress people are making in the program.

What the Call To Arms Course represents is an opportunity for those people who are seriously considering starting a business and producing top quality food. It’s a blueprint, a starting point you might say, on how to get there. It represents an opportunity to tap into this really strong demand for fresh and quality foods.

Various highlights and a brief introduction of the course are seen in the video above and if you’re interested in even more information, please go to:

CallToArmsDVDs.com

Since we only have 7 tote bags to offer at this price, it will be on a first come, first serve basis, so when they’re gone, they’re gone you might say.

If you’re interested, you can call International Ag Labs at 507-235-6909 and ask to talk with Jon or Katie.

So if you’re looking to buy approved organic 5-1-1 Liquid Fish, give me a call and I will be happy to quote a delivered price to your area.

Gary
www.fertilizerbrokerage.com

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A Success Story As Told By Bob Siems

You have heard the stories about global food shortages and even the rationing of rice here in the United States.  Perhaps you have seen the buying power of your own income reduced at your local grocery store-I know I have.  Are you concerned that the population is expanding so rapidly that it will be a real struggle just to find food in the future?

Is there a solution?  Is it workable?

The answer is surprisingly simple!

One of the keys to solving world hunger, and putting more profit in the hands of hard working farmers is to increase the production capacity on a given area of land.   How is this done?  Once again a very simple answer.  All we have to do for many soils is to increase the availability of one element from poverty status to sufficiency level and it is amazing how much yield is increased.  This is especially pronounced when dealing with fruit and vegetable production.  What element are we talking about?

Calcium.  That’s right, available calcium is many times the missing link and is a primary contributor of crop yield.

The Story Behind the Story

In the above video Bob Siems shares the amazing results he has seen since following International Ag Lab’s market garden program.  In 1½ years Bob’s available calcium has risen from 1,075 lbs. per acre to 2,361 lbs. per acre.  This is an increase of 220%.  In plain language he more than doubled his available calcium.  This is the story behind the story you need to keep in mind while viewing the video.  What are the results?

See for yourself.

Jon

P.S.  Please don’t deduce that International Ag Labs is exclusively focused on calcium only.  It takes a complete program looking at all plant nutrients to make a proper fertility program.

Soon after he began working with our high brix garden program Duane got swamped with requests from market gardeners and larger row crop growers to consult with them.  This had the affect of bringing Duane into a full-fledged agricultural dealer.  He has worked, primarily among the Amish, across a broad range extending from Arkansas to Illinois and every state in between.

At the Call To Arms Conference Duane will be discussing the importance of the farmer continually monitoring soil energy using a simple conductivity meter.  He will demonstrate how to take the reading and then interview two growers in a case study.  These growers, David Yoder and Daniel Beechy, are neighbors and friends from the Bloomfield Iowa area.  Both sell into a local produce auction.  In both cases the conductivity readings had a large impact on their produce quality and bottom line. Here is a secret most market gardeners completely miss.  As a refractometer is the supreme tool for consumers so the conductivity meter to measure soil energy is to the produce grower.  If you are a produce grower you don’t want to miss Duanes’ presentation.

Please post your questions for Duane on the blog below.

Thanks,

Jon

Call To Arms – Itinerary

Call To Arms – More Information

You can access the recording of Observations From The Front Lines by going to www.aglabs.com/downloads.html

A transcript of this call is also available.

Dr. Skow will be speaking at the Call to Arms Seminar on the both days covering the subjects of the IAL soil test, plant growth and energy, and foliar fundamentals.

If you have some specific questions you would like Dr. Skow and I to address on this call please post them in the comments below.  I will try to cover as many as possible.

Thanks,

Jon

Call To Arms – Itinerary

Call To Arms – More Information

You can access the recording of Market Gardens and the Reams Program by going to www.aglabs.com/downloads.html

A transcript of this call is also available.

Dan Kittredge is the Director the Real Food Campaign (RFC), a project of Remineralize the Earth. The RFC is designed to raise awareness about and increase consumer demand for Nutrient Dense crops, the coming market standard.

Dan is an organic farmer of 20+ years who has served as Executive Director of Remineralize the Earth and worked with farmers across this country, Central America, Russia and India. He has marketed through CSA’s, farmers markets, restaurants, and health food stores. He currently has a contract with Whole Foods supplying Nutrient Dense Organic Heirloom tomatoes.

Dan will be speaking at the Call to Arms Seminar on the first day at 7:00pm on the subject of: Prepare Now for the Coming Market Standard: Nutrient Density. Dan will also be offered some time to give his perspective on the 4:30 talk about Organics, Compost, and the Great Debate that I will be sharing.  Perhaps Dan and I will end that talk in a Great Debate of our own.   So what’s the great debate?  Here it is: If achieving nutrient density is our number one priority should farmers be certified organic?

If you have some specific questions you would like Dan and I to address on this call please post them in the comments below.  I will try to cover as many as possible.

Thanks,

Jon

Call To Arms – Itinerary

Call To Arms – More Information

You can access the recording of Nutrient Dense Foods by going to www.aglabs.com/downloads.html

A transcript of this call is also available.