Matt Leavitt Perennial Grains and Winter Annuals Agronomy Specialist University of Minnesota Forever Green If you’re thinking of transitioning to organic production, there has never been a better time than now—even with some challenging crop prices. The USDA has invested $100 million over five years to grow the pool of organic farmers in the US and ease the burden of transition through a nationwide partnership of non-profits and certification agencies called the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP has rolled out mentorship programs in every state, built educational networks ..read more

Lily Palokangas Albert Lea Seed Horticulturist MNLA Certified Professional It’s that time of year again! Time to pick out your sweet corn seed for the season ahead. But first, we should revisit one of the most common discussions around sweet corn: the two groups they fall into. Read on to learn more about Su1 and Sh2, the two primary groups of sweet corn, and how those groups impact your planting plans. What are the two groups of sweet corn? The two groups of sweet corn are Su1 (SE, SYN, Quadsweet and SU—more about that one later) and Sh2 (all of the varieties we carry in this group are Sh2 ..read more

Lily Palokangas Albert Lea Seed Horticulturist MNLA Certified Professional It’s that time of year again! Time to pick out your sweet corn seed for the season ahead. But first, we should revisit one of the most common discussions around sweet corn: the two groups they fall into. Read on to learn more about Su1 and Sh2, the two primary groups of sweet corn, and how those groups impact your planting plans. What are the two groups of sweet corn? The two groups of sweet corn are Su1 (SE, SYN, Quadsweet and SU—more about that one later) and Sh2 (all of the varieties we carry in this group are Sh2 ..read more

Margaret A Smith, PhD Forage Agronomist, Albert Lea Seed Key points are boxed below. How time flies! It was only a year ago we were asking, “When is it too late to plant small grains?”  With the warm and balmy weather south of the Minnesota border, we’ve been receiving calls asking, “Can I plant oats now?”  Enthusiasm is great, but please keep the drill in the shed—for now. We don’t know for certain how early you can plant spring oats, barley and wheat. While the conventionally accepted answer has been, “As early as you can get into the field,” I question that truism this year.   ..read more

Margaret A Smith, PhD Albert Lea Seed Forage Agronomist Photo: Theresa Pedretti We’ve come through a difficult 2023 growing season in much of the Upper Midwest. Below-average and poorly distributed rainfall challenged the growth and development of every crop we produced, and this was particularly hard on forage seedings. Many new perennial forage seedings, including both hay and pasture stands, have struggled to germinate and become established. Depending on the time of seeding—spring or late summer—and the timing of local rains, stands are highly variable across our local region. Evaluating A ..read more

Albert Lea Seed Staff Writers Albert Lea Seed is excited to announce that Brett Bell is taking over day-to-day operations as President and CEO. He will be leading Albert Lea Seed and our brands as we grow to meet the needs of organic and conventional farmers. After 20 years as President, Mac Ehrhardt will be taking on a new role as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Bell is passionate about the opportunities ahead, “Mac and the leadership of Albert Lea Seed have done a fantastic job over the past 20 plus years of establishing a leadership position in the fast-growing organic seed segment of t ..read more

Theresa Pedretti | Cover Crop Specialist Margaret Smith, PhD | Forage Agronomist Diversity is key for building soil health, and with diversity comes complexity. This new world of seeding complex cover crop mixes includes drilling, seeding with air delivery systems, and broadcast, either by airplane or drone, and requires special effort to get the seeding rate right. A common question we receive is: How should I set up my drill for cocktail mixtures? Should I set it for the largest seed in the mix? Before calibrating your drill, consider: The seeding rate per acre, Mixes with lower seeding ra ..read more

Margaret A Smith, PhD | Agronomist Jake Hansen | Corn and Soybean Agronomist Corn planting has been clipping along at a nice pace in the central Corn Belt, but has been delayed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Northeast, due to a cold, late, spring and, in some areas, excessive rainfall. Long-term trends illustrate that corn yield potential is reduced when planting into late May. But, if your fields were underwater, there’s not much you can do, except make the most of the growing season that’s left! As planting is delayed, corn will develop and mature with fewer growing degree days (GDDS) than ..read more

Margaret A Smith, PhD Albert Lea Seed Agronomist Key points are boxed below. When to Plant Spring-seeded Small Grains The common guideline for spring planting small grains in the northern U.S. is, “as soon as you can get in the field.” As soon as you can get in the field is earlier than in 2022, but not by much, particularly in northern states. Long-term average optimum seeding times vary by latitude—earlier farther south and later farther north in the upper Midwest. In most areas, the optimum period spans a 7- to 10-day period. Optimum winter oat and winter wheat planting dates have been defi ..read more

Theresa Pedretti, Cover Crop Sales Agronomist Looking for a new underseeding option? Check out our Corn Builder CC12 cover crop mix: Product Details Designed for seeding with spring-seeded small grains Three-way legume mix has excellent N-fixing potential Offers late summer potential for hay harvest Fits well into a corn, soybean, small grain rotation This legume plow down mixture is composed of Nitrogen brand, non-dormant alfalfa, medium red clover and berseem clover. These cool-season legumes establish best under the cool, wet weather conditions of spring. Nitrogen Brand alfalfa has a fall ..read more