Raylene Nickel

Contributor at Successful Farming

Journalist at Freelance

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Articles

How a Systems Overhaul Improved a South Dakota Farm

2 weeks ago | agriculture.com | Raylene Nickel

For years, Kelly Lozensky found himself on a treadmill. He was purchasing more and more inputs to increase yields, only to find himself heading down a path toward decreasing profitability. Before overhauling his system, Lozensky farmed 7,500 acres of rented land with his wife, DeAnna, in north-central South Dakota. They grew all-GMO crops of corn, soybeans, canola, and sunflowers along with spring wheat, barley, and flax. Necessity drove their decision to overhaul their system.
Increasing Profitability While Building Soil Health

2 weeks ago | agriculture.com | Raylene Nickel

Husband-and-wife team Dan and Kris Nigg have increased the profitability of their corn-and-soybean operation by reducing tillage, growing cover crops, and putting variable-rate technology to work. Successful Farming spoke with Dan Nigg, who was named a Soil Health Champion by the National Association of Conservation Districts, about how the three-point formula has led to better crop yields. “While yields are growing, costs are decreasing,” said Nigg, who farms in northeast South Dakota.
PLANNED GRAZING PROVES ITS WORTH

2 weeks ago | muckrack.com | Raylene Nickel

Nearly four decades back, John Lee Njos saw the bleak writing on the wall for his ranch near Rhame, in southwest North Dakota. If he didn’t make changes soon, he would lose the place he’d bought in 1973. “I was struggling with grass management,” he said. “I knew that if I kept on going the way I was headed, I’d be out of ranching.”Making a ChangeAn opportunity for positive change soon came his way.
BATTLING BURNOUT

2 weeks ago | muckrack.com | Raylene Nickel

When farm pressures mount and one difficulty after another hammers your operation, your stress levels rise. Emotions run ragged. Your business can suffer, and even your health can deteriorate if the stressors are prolonged. “When we are stressed, the cortisol levels in our blood go up and can potentially affect blood pressure and heart health,” said Monica McConkey, a Minnesota-based counselor who works with farmers face-to-face and by phone.
How North Dakota Farmers Found Success With Cover Crops

3 weeks ago | agriculture.com | Raylene Nickel

Growing cover crops to control soil erosion on cropland has long been a goal at Bartholomay Kattle Kompany in Sheldon, North Dakota. Operating on sandy land, father-and-son team Keith and Karl Bartholomay manage 4,000 acres of cropland and grassland along with 280 cow-calf pairs. The Bartholomays grow corn for cattle feed, soybeans for cash, and cover crops for both cattle feed and soil health.
Practices of Profitable Producers

1 month ago | agriculture.com | Raylene Nickel

What is the single most important thing you can do to operate profitably? Turns out, there is no one silver bullet. Profitability lies hidden in the many nooks and crannies of a farming operation. “Profitable producers are experts at efficiency; they do everything just a little bit better than average,” said Garen Paulson, University of Minnesota Extension educator in farm business management. “They can produce top crops at lower cost without sacrificing productivity.
Plan for a Profitable New Year

Jan 2, 2025 | agriculture.com | Raylene Nickel

The start of the New Year is the perfect time to begin the planning processes needed to set your operation up for success in 2025. To help you launch new plans, we reached out to three experts for their tips on managing finances, marketing, and crop insurance costs. “January is a good time to review the past year and get all of your income and expenses accounted for and tallied up,” said farmer-rancher Pete Burgard, senior vice president of Merchants Bank at Rugby, North Dakota.
How to Increase Yields With Lime Applications

Dec 27, 2024 | agriculture.com | Raylene Nickel

If your soil’s pH levels are not within the ideal range your crops require, you could be losing production. For overly acidic soils, applying lime to raise the pH level could prove a cost-effective management practice. Liming of acidic soils can increase corn and soybean yields, says Antonio Mallarino, agronomist and Extension soil fertility specialist at Iowa State University (ISU).
Small for the Long Haul

Dec 26, 2024 | agriculture.com | Raylene Nickel

After Darren Eichelkraut graduated from high school 20 years ago, he left his family’s fifth-generation dairy farm near Paoli, Wisconsin, to work in construction. Later, he worked in a hardware store. “But once I started thinking about raising a family, I realized I wanted to do that back on the farm,” he says. While keeping his town job, Darren also began working for his parents, Junior and Jean Eichelkraut, on their 52-cow Breezy View Dairy.
Regenerative Agriculture Spurs Growth on This Montana Farm

Nov 29, 2024 | agriculture.com | Raylene Nickel

A holistic triple bottom line guides every management decision Jeff and Marisa Sather make for their fourth-generation Sather Farm and Ranch northeast of Glasgow, Montana. “We want to maximize profit for our operation, as well as maximize the ecological benefit to our land and the social benefit to our community,” says Jeff, who manages the northeast Montana operation with his wife, Marisa, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.