Green & Growing

Are there green leaves female plants and contain showing up when most seeds which may survive in trees and shrubs are dor- the soil for two or three mant and have dropped years before germinating. their leaves? The green The root system is extenleaves may be buckthorn. sive and makes eradication difficult. The oval leaves are bright green and have serrated edges. The leaves appear early in the spring and remain green much longer than other deciduous plants in the fall. Buckthorn was brought into the United States in 1849 as an ornamental plant. However, it is invasive, grows thickly and crowds out native plants. There are no natural controls, insects or diseases GREEN AND GROWING By Linda G. Tenneson that keep it from spreading, and it is Mid to late fall is a good time to listed as invasive on the Department remove buckthorn. However, the plant of Natural Resources’ Restricted should be eradicated any time it is Noxious Weeds list. identified. Sap in the plant flows down Buckthorn is a host to crown rust fungus and soybean aphid. It is illegal to import, sell or transport this plant in Minnesota. It is found in this area and in much of the central and southern parts of the state to the roots in the fall which will help herbicide to be carried through the plant. Unfortunately, this plant is adaptable and can grow in sun and shade and will accommodate various soil conditions. Common buckthorn may grow as high as 25 feet with several stems emerging from the roots. There are male and female plants. The bark is There are two kinds of buckthorn: common and glossy. Glossy buckthorn has shiny leaves and common buckthorn may be shiny or dull. gray or brown and had light-colored corky projections, similar to native plum and cherry trees. The twigs may have thorns.

The name comes from terminal buds around a thorn that looks like a miniature deer hoof. It has small flowers which appear in May or June. Its berries are eaten by birds and then spread when the birds defecate the seeds in other locations. The black quarter-to-half-inch fruits appear on Integrated Crop Management conference set

AMES, Iowa — The Integrated Crop Management Conference is scheduled for Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

This year’s conference will feature 34 workshops to choose from; with topics like utilizing ag retailer data to measure conservation practice adoption; waterhemp control; precision nitrogen technologies for corn production; western corn rootworm resistance management; and the impact of tar spot of corn and management options.

Additional topics include weather and crop market outlooks, carbon markets, fertilizer prices, conservation practices, soil compaction, updates to fertilizer recommendation guidelines and weed and crop disease management updates.

To register, visit www.aep.iastate. edu/icm. Pre-registration is required to attend. No registrations will be accepted at the door

For more information, contact ANR Program Services at anr@iastate. edu or (515) 294-6429.

This article was submitted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. v

Small sprouts of buckthorn can be pulled by hand; but larger plants need to be treated with a herbicide. Glyphosate and Triclopyr are common ingredients used in herbicide products. There is a mechanical tool called a weed wrench which can be used to pull large roots out of the ground. Because the plant is such a survivor, it may take multiple years to eradicate a buckthorn thicket. Larger shrubs may be sawn off at ground level and the stumps treated with herbicide. The stumps are then covered with plastic or tin cans to ensure that the herbicide will remain and be effective. Once large plants have been removed, cleared areas should be monitored for new sprouts for several years. Frequent mowing is one way to continue control. Goats and other livestock are brought into some areas to eat the plant and avoid chemical applications. Controlled burns have been used and been moderately successful. However, repeated burns may be required.

The web site extension.umn.edu/ identify-invasive-species/commonbuckthorn has pictures and videos to aid in buckthorn identification. The Minnesota DNR also has a detailed web page with buckthorn information located at dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ terrestrialplants/woody/buckthorn/control.html.

Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota master gardener and tree care advisor. v

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By WHITNEY NESSE The Land Correspondent

When outputs are not enough to offset inputs, or the number of families a farm needs to support increases, many farmers look for ways to diversify. Whether it be custom farming, trucking in the offseason, or growing a niche crop, most will do whatever it takes to make ends meet. Such is the story for Huisman Farms of Atwater, Minn.

In the mid-2000’s, Tim Huisman and his father, Jim, purchased an unassembled Salford brand vertical tillage implement from Haug Equipment — a local, family-owned dealership. It was delivered to their farm in crates and the Husimans went to work assembling it. “We’ve owned seven different models [of Salford vertical tillers] and we’ve set all of ours up,” said Tim. This has led to Huisman Farms assembling many pieces of Salford implements for Haug Equipment.

“A few years ago, farming was pretty tough. In 2019, 2020 and 2021 it was hard to make money,” recalled Rod Lothert, an employee of Huisman Farms. “By setting up our own equipment from the factory, we really learn how it’s built. Then, if we have to problem-solve something, we can,” Tim said. This has helped Huisman Farms to keep repair costs at a minimum.

What got Tim Huisman into assembling his own equipment was his desire to learn. “I just like to learn and figure things out, to see how it all works. I like a challenge and I like to play around in the shop,” Tim gleamed. Huisman said assembling equipment has also given him bonding time with his young sons who like to tag along and help out.

In 2015, Huisman Farms built a shop where they are now able to assemble Salford tillers for Haug Equipment year-around. “[Our shop] is what makes it possible. We’ve got room, everything can be laid out — which makes it efficient. It’s air conditioned and heated so it doesn’t matter if it’s 95 degrees outside, it’s 68 degrees in here,” Huisman said.

Over the years, Husimans have purchased a few extra pieces of equipment for assembling the Salfords; but most of the tools needed they already owned. Assembling Salford tillers also helps Huisman Farms use their workforce more efficiently and keep them

Photos submitted

Pictured left to right are Rod Lothert, Jim Huisman and Tim Huisman.

employed all year, Tim said. In the are getting more and more efficient past 18 months Huismans, along with with each implement they assemble. Lothert, Tyler Slinden and Cole “Everyone has their own job,” said Weseman have put together over 30 Lothert. “It’s become easier and more implements. Each model has different efficient when the same person does attachments and variations and takes the same job” approximately 50 to 120 hours to assemble, Lothert added. “Salford makes a product I would consider the Swiss army knife [of till-

Each implement comes with a manual and Huisman Farms has developed their own marking system. Then, when everything is measured out and marked, they begin assembly. Tim Parts staged for putting together a Salford vertical tillage implement. said he likes to stage everything in the shop in groups age implements]. There are so many in the order in which it is going to be options of how you can use their prodused. “That way, if I find I’m missing uct. We’ve heard of people who use something, I can get it shipped in right them completely for spring. This is away,” he said. their field cultivator, their field prep for

Lothert and Huisman both said they spring before planting. And we have

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guys who this is all they use for fall. They’ve gone away from all rippers,” Husiman said.

Huisman Farms did not use their Salford this spring for tillage, but they used it a lot in the spring of 2021, Tim said. “For ourselves, we use the 2200 model for all of our cornstalks and bean ground behind the combine. We have a 5200 model we use on a third of our lighter, cornstalk tillage. It mixes trash very well,” Tim said.

“Our crop consultant has coached us on how to use [our vertical tiller] and when not to use it, and that’s huge. Just like with any tillage tool, you need to use them correctly or you can make a mess!” mentioned Tim.

Lothert and Huisman both commented that with the Salford vertical tillers they use, the excellent job of breaking down trash and the fact that they can pull them at over ten miles per hour in the field makes vertical tillage desirable. “From what we’ve seen, our vertical tiller can be managed over any soil type — even severe rock conditions. Whenever someone thinks speed, they think, ‘I can’t use it because I have rocks.’ We’ve proven that rocks are not a problem for these things. They have been designed to handle rocks,” Huisman explained. Another advantage, Tim said, is that the Salford products have all individually-mounted discs rather than gangs.

Over the years, the team at Husiman Farms has gotten to know the ins and outs of each Salford they have assembled. “We are the ones that do the call backs for the dealer since we assembled it,” said Tim. “We go out and look at whatever the farmer is questioning.”

In the last 15 years, Huisman has only had two call backs. “We take pride in our work,” he said. When the tillers leave their shop, they leave looking neat and tidy.

Huisman Farms hasn’t limited themselves to only assembling Salford’s for Haug Equipment. “We’ve set up snowblowers, augers, planters — it’s not just Salford’s. We’ll try whatever!” Tim shared. “We want to be ready and available for whatever Haug Equipment needs us to do. We appreciate being able to deal with a hometown company. It’s challenging, it’s fun and it’s a lot of work,” Tim said with a smile. v