The El Nino Effect on Weather & Crops     First noticed in the 1600’s with warming surface waters in the Pacific Ocean, El Nino is predicted for this winter and probably next.  This phenomenon was recorded as recently as 1997 / 1998 and 2005/ 2006.  Along with the impact on the ocean, we should expect unseasonably warmer and drier weather patterns. Poor Germination of Corn Below normal precipitation may be welcome for early spring field work but can be a disaster for unirrigated crop acres.  Low soil moisture coming out of winter can cause sporadic germination, d ..read more

Watering Crops on Muck Soils Muck soils which are very high in organic matter have been attractive to specialty crop growers for many years. The high organic matter content creates a loose medium allowing root penetration to progress much more quickly than in mineral soils. This loose particle structure is also superior in water holding capacity to mineral soils. When drained and preserved properly it is an excellent growing medium for specialty crops such as carrots, lettuces, mint, onions, potatoes, radishes, and sod. One of the limitations is that the organic matter oxidizes when open and e ..read more

Irrigating Turfgrass for Sod   All the sod growers I know have invested in some form of irrigation.  I have seen solid set, soft hose travelers, hard hose travelers and pivots.  As the cost of labor continues to grow, operational efficiency has become increasingly important.  Like most farm operations in America, sod farms have continued to grow as well.  The fields have become larger and the total acres per farm have also increased.  The rising cost of inputs adds risk to unirrigated acres that depend on rain to meet plant demands. Michigan’s ability to access wa ..read more

Considering Irrigation? Where do I start? Are Pivots My Best Option? With most any new enterprise or project, the first few steps are the hardest.  Doing some research is critical.  Let’s walk through some basic need to knows that will help get started. How much water does your crop need during the growing season in inches? What is the average rainfall in your area during this season? Does that come during the plants greatest demand period? What is the potential yield gain from adequate moisture?   Drought-stressed Corn Irrigated Corn   Starting with these basic questions ..read more

Squeeze More Value from Every Inch of Pivot Iron Has inflation made you think twice about your next building, equipment purchase, or irrigation project?  We at Michigan Valley understand those reservations.  Let us take a minute to step back and consider the value perspective and even push a little harder on coverage. Valley has continued to invest in irrigation related companies to support and add value to the industry leading structure Valley pivots have earned.  In recent years, the technology side has advanced at a blistering pace.  When you are forced to make decision ..read more

Grow Your Network – Grow Your Business!   Networking is the process of interacting with others to exchange information that can positively impact our business or personal life. By chance, you interact with many people simply by communications that occur when one party reaches out to another.  This can often occur without intent just communicating with your vendors and business associates.  You might be surprised with the number of weekly opportunities, just by thinking about it.  Networking with a purpose is to intentionally seek out someone with whom you believe has some ..read more

Escalating Land Prices Options for Your Farm With the cost of land ownership and rising rental expenses, we need to look for ways to get more from our existing land base. How can we produce more yield with our existing land base?  Increasing plant populations is a logical first step.  Squeezing more plants and hopefully more yield from every acre is certainly a reasonable option, but that increases our cost per acre for seed, fertilizer and crop protectants.  With this approach, it will clearly take more water as well.  While we cannot control the sunshine, water is a contr ..read more

Riverscreens Suction Solutions for Multiple Applications A Riverscreen is a brand of suction device that has been time tested for several challenging irrigation applications.  Any surface water source is likely to have debris that can cause plugging issues at the smallest orifice in your irrigation system. If you are using pivots, that will typically be in the first few spans.  When compared to most suction screen devices, Riverscreens are designed with two major advantages.  They generally have a much larger surface area and are self-cleaning.  By utilizing a rotating dru ..read more

Why Irrigate? Why Choose Valley? Why Choose MVI? Why Irrigate?     Successful Farmers have learned to control the controllables. Water is one of those inputs. Adequate water is critical to crop development and yield. Drainage and water application are significant factors. Proper timing and amounts will reap substantial benefits. Why Choose Valley?     Valley is the worldwide leader in precision irrigation. Valley provides Michigan Valley Irrigation with exclusive availability to offer the best cutting-edge irrigation technology, including the most durable Valley hardware ..read more

Flow Meters, Sprinkler Packages and Water Reporting We are blessed in Michigan during the growing season to get some reasonable precipitation and have access to more freshwater than most.   Are you getting the most from your irrigation system?  Do you know the gallons per minute entering your system?  Do you feel confident that you are maximizing plant yield by getting the right amount of water across your irrigated fields? Flow Meters & Sprinkler Packages Sprinkler charts are developed with an input gallons per minute (GPM).  Over time things wear and some change ..read more