This computer software program is part of a comprehensive research and Extension effort that also involves nutrient management research and formation of crop associations. It was developed in conjunction with Jan Pruss at Penn State University, tailored to fit farming practices and nutrient recommendations for Vermont. Paula Barnes, who operates a dairy farm in Orwell with her husband Ed, has already seen benefits to this computerized approach to monitoring field activity. They milk 86 cows, a mixed herd of Ayrshires and Holsteins, and grow all their own grass and alfalfa for forage. Having a good nutrient management program in place is especially important to them as they rent all their cropland, a total of 212 acres.
Grasses are easy to grow if fed the right nutrients.
This lets us look at each field individually and add only what fertilizer is actually needed. We sample our manure from the barn and the soil in every field every year. This lets us look at each field individually and add only what fertilizer is actually needed. It also tells us which fields are profitable and which ones aren't. Barnes has enrolled in all the Farm Management Association-certified business management and crops courses offered by UVM Extension in the last several years, so she understands the value of keeping good records.