What: USA Farm Tour
When: July 2012
Author: Brett Petersen
It’s late July 2012 and we’re on a farm study tour of the USA organised by Bruce Hore of Agriganics. 16 Kiwis determined to look, listen and learn from other farmers and growers that have been practicing the Albrecht-Kinsey method of soil fertilisation for longer than we at Kiwi Fertiliser have. In fact, Kiwi Fertiliser was started specifically to introduce this growing method to NZ farmers.
Our group, from Northland to Southland, was composed of farmers, consultants, soil fertility specialists, and fertiliser, lime and Dolomite mine owners.
The Albrecht-Kinsey system when properly employed, addresses NPK plus the soils’ base saturation needs and trace elements to improve quality and quantity of any crop or pasture known to man. The idea is to use certain fertiliser properties (the "chemical" aspects) to alter the soils' physical properties, to create a suitable environment for the microbes. It is a form of biological farming, involving proven specifications. There are at least four manuals of rules and examples involved. It works the best of any system I know of, and is used in over 70 countries around the world.
Below is the rundown of the first part of our tour. To read about the other farms we visited, follow these links:
Our first outing was under the care of soil consultant Paul Borges at Modesto, NW of San Francisco. He took us to Ratto Bros. who run about 10 vegetable ranches totaling 1,200 ha, where they grow 70 different crops including parsley, kale, silver beet, leeks, cabbage, watermelon and carrots for local supermarkets.
Being a Sunday, the Ratto Bros were not there, so we didn't get up close and personal. Most of their crops are in 0.2-0.4 ha lots. In the next valley, Salinas, they grow 12-16 ha per crop. The difference is the buyers, being national supermarkets, not local ones.
Lines of tractors, buses (each with loo in tow), and trucks greeted us on arrival, along with impressive buildings and cool stores. At Ratto Bros. crops can be picked, packaged and delivered locally within 6 hrs.
The area is also dotted with cattle feedlots, where P levels get up to 1,000-1,100 kg/ha (excessive) owing to the number of cattle held on limited areas. The manure generated being spread back on the land, overloading the P levels. Lucerne is used in rotation to mop up these excesses.
Compost is also applied in great quantities, making nutrients readily available for when the vegetable growers move in. However, regulations restrict manure applications within a certain time of being turned over to vegetable growers, as salmonella can be a problem.
With total exchange capacity (TEC) of less than 7, the soils are light. Such soils suit a base saturation percent of 60-65 calcium and 15-20 of magnesium. This is a relatively high amount of magnesium. Given the sandy nature of the soil, higher Mg is desirable, as the Mg molecule is smaller than calcium’s, giving the soil better water holding capacity.
Sandy soils can compact worse than heavy soils, so ripping is part and parcel of soil maintenance. In the case of sandy soils, sulphur, sodium and boron build up against the compacted layer, and ripping is used to prevent these nutrients from becoming excessive.
Compaction is caused by the constant use of tractors operating rain, hail or snow. Too bad if ground conditions are not suitable; the show must go on. The best time for harvest coincides with Mayday. Watermelon crops can yield 95t/ha. Net profit can be as high as $250,000/ha, but get it wrong and the losses can be well over $100,000/ha.
We next visited an impressive irrigated maize crop. It was not far off harvest, which will happen in August. Using a 12-row chopper, the trucks are filled in 1.5 minutes. Planting is up to and by May 15 for the better crops.
Using the Albrecht-Kinsey method of building soil fertility, yields of silage are 100-112 tonnes/ha (33%dm) in the truck at the weigh station. Feed lots holding thousands of cattle for fattening buy the silage for $55/t. This is an income of $5,000-$6,250/ha and a payment of about 17 c/kgdm. The soils are very light, around TEC 8-10. Under this particular crop, the soil could be completely turned over and still give the same fertility readings.
No starter was needed and N inputs totaled 250 units. Since the plant makes early “decisions”, ample N and foliar needs to be in place by the 4th leaf stage.
Maize from USA farm tour consistently 33-37t silage every year.
Across the road, water flows from the San Pedro Dam.
Water is not only needed to sustain crops, but also to keep sodium levels at bay. The Modesto Irrigation District sources its water from the Don Pedro Dam on the Tuolumne River, supplying enough water delivered through open canals to irrigate 23,500 ha. Since evaporation loses are high, booster bores are sited along the canals to replace lost water. It is now proposed to pipe and pressurise the water to reduce those losses.
Owners: Mike and his Uncle Don
Location: Maine, USA
Type of Operation: Barley, oats, alfalfa, and rape for seed
Year We Visited Mike and Don: 2012, as part of a USA Farm Study Tour
Mike has a 400 ha property with barley, oats, alfalfa and rape for seed. Rapeseed oil, aka Canola, usually yields 4.5 t/ha. Mike was doing half of that before his consultant Alan Perry introduced him to the Albrecht-Kinsey method. “The land has been farmed pretty hard over the last 50 years, with crop yields declining”. Under Alan’s guidance Mike tried the Albrecht-Kinsey way of fertilising the soil. The first thing he noticed was the weight, quality numbers and storage ability all improved. At a time when the number of potato buyers is decreasing and costs of growing are increasing, this was a welcome turnaround.
Mike's Canola crop is almost ready for harvest.
Mike’s uncle, Don was also experiencing declining yields and started on the Albrecht-Kinsey programme, getting an improvement in quality, quantity and a lower per unit cost, all adding up to a 30% profitability gain.
The TEC of the soils here is 5-11 and lime comes from Canada. With copper mine nearby, soils are naturally high in copper, and the best yields also have high manganese. The family have also noted an extra 2 t/ha gain in yield by using biological additives.
Don showed us a paddock of oats he was growing. “Best I have grown for a while. This is how we used to grow grain. The (other) grain in this county is junk”. Don’s field of 28 ha of oats was set to produce 2.7 t, with even better improvement to come next year.
Non Albrecht-Kinsey Oats.
Don's Albrecht-Kinsey Oats.
Owner: Greg Hemphill
Location: Maine, USA
Type of Operation: Potatoes, Oats
Year We Visited Greg: 2012, as part of a USA Farm Study Tour
Greg Hemphill is a 5th generation operator running four farms. He owns 280 ha and leases 80, and grows potatoes for seed on the farm we visited; 80 ha of potatoes and 80 of oats. In the 1990’s he was producing 28 t/ha. Now it is 33.6-39.2 t/ha, a 20-40% increase. Greg has used the Albrecht-Kinsey system for six years and has noticed quality improvements as well. He spends between $4,000 and $5,000/ha on fertiliser, and reports his customers are very happy with the results they get.
Kinsey consultant Alan Perry gave us the low-down on seed potatoes.
Handling 20 rows at once, the potato harvester is faster than Greg.
In his first year, Greg divided a 10 ha field into three parts; one-the usual, two-Albrecht-Kinsey, and a third with a different brew. The best result was the Albrecht-Kinsey system as recommended by Alan. Some of the quality differences were better storage characteristics and elimination of hollow-heart.
Greg’s oats also showed marked improvement, increasing by 60% from 1,900 kg/ha to 3,050 kg/ha. The bushel weight for oats is 34 lbs, with worst weight being 12 lbs; Greg’s weigh 37 lbs and are sold to Quaker Oats to be used in flour, baking and porridge. Last year was a bad year with his neighbours’ yields suffering. Greg still harvested 3,050 kg/ha.
The soil has improved and is still improving; this year is a dry year, but it has still held its moisture. Yield is the sum of the number of plants/ha, the number of tubers/plant, and the size of each tuber. Potassium drives this equation, so the correct type of potassium and the correct amount of K to be applied according to the soil test is critical to success. Part of this success is mounding just once, at 40-50 days after planting.
One of Greg’s soil tests on a newly leased block looks similar to a NZ one, with the exception of high copper. The soil needs inputs of nitrogen, sulphur, calcium, magnesium, potassium, boron, manganese and zinc, but no phosphate. This field will be going into grain followed by potatoes.
Owners: Keith Mayberry and Alan Below
Location: Missouri, USA
Type of Operation: Corn, beans, and cotton
Year We Visited Keith and Alan: 2012, as part of a USA Farm Study Tour
Cousins Keith Mayberry and Alan Below are third generation ‘croppers’, with some of their land being on the Albrecht-Kinsey programme for 30 years. Keith’s father and uncle signed on as Kinsey clients in the early 1980’s. Keith farms 1,330 ha and Alan 1,650. Keith grows corn, beans and cotton. Alan has an interest in a Cotton Gin, so cotton is his main crop. “We weren't making the kind of yields we are now until Neal Kinsey came along”.
When they started, a good corn yield was 11-11.3 /ha; they were making 8.5. In their first year with Neal, their yield went to 11.9. Now, it is consistently 13.6-17 t/ha. Last year was a flood year, resulting in planting 2-3 months late, but they still managed 9.0. This drought year will do at least 13.6 t/ha (Update: The harvest has now been completed, with the maize yielding 15,050-17,560 kg/ha, depending on the field.)
They don’t use any starter fertiliser. Compost is spread over 240 ha at 800 kg/ha each year, in rotation, the cost being $200/ha. DAP is used at 225-275 kg/ha, but since P is antagonistic to sulphur, S is applied when the phosphate reaches the upper limit.
A VERIS machine is used to find the strengths and weaknesses in each field. If K levels get too high, that can cost up to 4.4 t/ha in yield. Currently, the neighbour’s yield is behind by that amount. Keith’s current crop has had 12 mm of rain on it since planting, so irrigation is a must. Corn yields are measured in bushels, a volume measurement, and the standard weight being 56 lbs. Mayberry’s corn weighs 60-62 lbs/bushel.
The Mayberry's new fertiliser spreader.
Albrecht-Kinsey on the right, but not on the left.
Keith's current crop of corn.
When commenting on Albrecht-Kinsey fertility, Aaron Woolard had the last word. “It works every time. I haven’t seen it fail yet”.
Alan Below took on some new land. They called it “Disaster Farm” because it produced very little. Neal Kinsey was not happy, claiming the best he could do for them was 840 kg/ha of cotton lint, - “If you do what I say”. They made 835. The following year, they made 1,680 kg/ha of lint. The farm is now called “Miracle Farm”. Before Alan took over, that land was only producing 300 kg/ha.
Standard cotton yields are 1,120-1,230 kg/ha of lint. The Albrecht-Kinsey system produces 1,450-2,020kg.
Owner: Aaron Woolard
Location: Missouri, USA
Type of Operation: Rice, soy beans, and corn
Year We Visited Aaron: 2012, as part of a USA Farm Study Tour
Aaron Woolard is a Kinsey consultant and farmer. He runs 105 ha of family land and leases 65, growing beans and rice. His beans yielded 4,300 kg/ha after the first Albrecht-Kinsey fertiliser application, an increase of 59%. Prior to that, in a good year, he had 2,700. His rice, almost ready for harvest, is flood irrigated. He is expecting 8,570 kg/ha, compared to the neighbours 7,050. In addition he will receive a milling margin of $600-$1,200/t for premium quality. His neighbour won’t. (2012 update: Aaron’s rice harvest is now complete. His best paddy did 11,090 kg/ha.)
Aaron's rice.
Aaron's soy beans.
Aaron is considering introducing a 78-day variety of maize in order to double-crop his land. The use of a superior fertiliser programme is critical to the success of that. The land here is really good quality with a TEC of 18-30; Aaron’s bean following a rice crop soil test showed low N, S, P, Ca, Mg, K, B & Zn. Mn & Cu were good.
As with the other growers, these soil deficiencies are corrected pre-planting as far as the budget will allow. Lime costs $85 /ha applied and sulphur $50. Calcium is important to stimulate the microbes and his beans nodulate in 10 days. Fertiliser for rice cost $1,100 /ha.
Aaron has been using the Albrecht-Kinsey system for 6 years, but on one part of the property at a time, which is normal practice whether in USA or NZ. (That is, a full programme compared with a budget-limited part-programme.)
Crop yields were “excellent” in year one, “phenomenal” in year two, last year was “best ever”, this year, “even better”. When Aaron first started, he was told corn wouldn't grow on that land, but he raised 8,500 kg/ha. They plant corn in April/May and harvest in September/October. (Aaron is going to try and double crop maize in one season.) He is paid an extra $220 /ha for his non-GMO beans that are exported to the Orient, and has not sprayed for two years.
“Americans don’t demand GE-free produce.” When asked why, he replied, “Because they’re stupid.” (Hopefully, an impending referendum in California on GM labelled food would prove Aaron wrong, but when the voting was over, it didn't - corporate spin prevailed.)
Owner: Bill Brush
Location: California, USA
Type of Operation: Walnuts and Almonds
Year We Visited Bill: 2012, as part of a USA Farm Study Tour
USFDA declared walnuts a drug. That means growers etc. cannot claim they have health benefits. “Hey man, do you know where I can score an ounce of walnuts?”
Bill Brush’s 16 ha walnut ranch showed a big advantage for the Albrecht-Kinsey fertility system. The state average yield for walnuts is 5,600-6,700 kg/ha. Bill is consistently doing 17,900 kg/ha in his 12 yr crop.
Walnuts take 5 years to fruit and last for about 25 years, although better groves can go out to 40 years. The ranch we visited was deemed by the local university extension staff to be fit only for rice. Growers are paid $3.30/kg for the nuts, so the financial advantages of a high yield are considerable. Costs of bees is $750/ha, sprays, $500/ha, with total costs being $5,500.
Walnuts are grown on Black Walnut or Paradox root stocks, with Paradox proving better. Everything is irrigated as rainfall is only about 300 mm/annum, but the irrigation does have its drawbacks. One such problem is a trunk canker. One way of dealing with it is to soak a sack in a biological preparation, and wrap the sack around the canker. Insects move in and feed on the fungus, saving the tree. Another irritation is a husk fly that is dealt with by sprays.
Harvesting involves shaking, sweeping, picking up and washing, all completed in one day to avoid grading penalties. The hulls are high in Mn, B and K, so are recycled back to the orchard. Usually, grading and sale take a full 12 months. Upon removal of the crop, the wood is sold for firewood or chipped for ethanol production. Black Walnut trunks can be sold for $3-5,000 each for use as gun stocks.
Walnuts on the programme produce 3 x the Californian average crop.
Still on Bill’s land, but across the road, are almonds, almost ready for harvest. They are dearer to grow, with annual costs of $6,250/ha, and establishment costs of $12,500/ha. They take four years to fruit.
80% of the world’s almonds are produced in Central California where 283,000 ha are grown by 6,000 growers. California’s Central Valley mirrors that of a Mediterranean climate; cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers which are ideal for almond growth, provided the almond trees have access to water. Almonds are watered on a 14 day flood rotation, with the trees needing 270 litres per day, (walnuts use 450 l/day).
The blossoms of all California almond varieties are self-incompatible, requiring cross-pollination with other varieties to produce a crop. The single most important factor determining a good yield is pollination during the bloom period. More than a million colonies of honey bees are placed in Californian orchards (5 hives/ha) at the beginning of the bloom period to pollinate the crop.
The crop is harvested by shaking. The nuts are raked into windrows and allowed to dry, which can take from a few days up to two weeks. Pickup machines sweep the windrows into trailers for transportation to the huller. With the large crops of recent years, it has become more and more common for almonds to be stockpiled, either in the orchard or at the hullers. Hulled and shelled nuts are then transported to processing facilities, where they are stored pending further processing.
Bill Brush's almonds are also on the programme with similar results to the walnuts.
Owner: Paul Mason
Location: Near Dubbo, NSW, Australia
Type of Operation: Wheat, Canola, Lucerne, Sheep, and Cattle
“Prior to changing to the Albrecht soil fertility system as taught by Neal Kinsey, Paul’s results were 350 kg carcasses in 15 months at a 54% yield. After changing, the results were 370kg carcasses in 12 months at a 57% yield, and still increasing. Besides the shorter fattening period, the extra return on those cattle at $3.80/kg is $76. With 650 cattle, that is an extra $49,400.”
The directions to Paul Mason’s 1,600 hectare farm an hour out of Dubbo, NSW, were; “Just follow the road until you get to the green farm.” It turned out to be very easy. All the other farms were grey, brown and black and dismal looking. Paul’s farm stood out like a beacon. Paul Mason has been following the Albrecht system of soil fertility for more than 20 years. His farm is a cropping, sheep and cattle operation. Annual rainfall is 600 mm. The rotation is four years of cropping and six in pasture. Crops include wheat, canola and lucerne.
Paul, a lovely older farmer, is one of the best known stock finishers in Australia. His Hereford stock are frequently sought by competing buyers. Some 20-plus years ago, he was in a local book shop and came across Neal Kinsey’s "Hands-On Agronomy." Being an astute man, he bought it. After reading it he phoned Neal and was soon on his way to Missouri, to attend his first introductory soil course, “Principles of Soil Fertility and Fertilisation".
After six years on the programme, Paul entered and won the local area wheat competition. That was the year he finally convinced himself to add trace elements. He had already found that adding lime to increase the base saturation calcium from 60% to 68%, on a Perry Lab test, raised his yields by 25%. That winning crop was 108 bushels per acre, or 5,786kg per hectare. (Good dryland wheat crops in Canterbury in 2013 will be in the 6-7,000 kg/ha bracket, provided they get rain to fill the heads.)
Paul has won the wheat competition many times. When he doesn't, the chances are it is won by his friend Rob Sutherland, who farms about an hour the other side of Dubbo. Rob also follows the Albrecht- Kinsey method of soil fertility.
Paul’s canola this year is almost two metres tall, and cleaned up all comers in his area. His neighbours withdrew their crops from competition as they were damaged by frost. Paul’s crop was not. It’s not a fluke; it is just good crop nutrition, and Paul’s crop yielded 3t/ha, despite the frost. On average Paul’s results are 25% better for canola and 40% better for wheat than the neighbours. The protein, once 11% is now 14.5%. He has left 64 ha of his farm out of the programme, “to remind me of what it looked like before.”
Paul’s steers are a sight for sore eyes. He buys in up to 650 steers and fattens them.
Paul is well over 6' tall.
Prior to changing to the Albrecht soil fertility system as taught by Neal Kinsey, Paul’s results were 350 kg carcasses in 15 months at a 54% yield. After changing, the results were 370kg carcasses in 12 months at a 57% yield, and still increasing. Besides the shorter fattening period, the extra return on those cattle at $3.80/kg is $76. With 650 cattle, that is an extra $49,400. The cattle are transported to Brisbane where Paul commands a higher price for his quality product. In addition, he now grazes 1000 wethers at $1/week for 24 weeks. That’s another $24,000.
Paul’s philosophy is to “Look from a distance, choose varieties carefully, make sure you have hay on hand for dry seasons to help you over the line when times are tough.” But more importantly, “Run with the winners, so your dreams become real. Your reward is the journey.”
I last spoke to Paul in July 2015. "I didn't win the competition this year." he said quietly, "My nephews did." "They have a very good teacher." was my reply.
What: Napa Valley Vineyard Tour, California
When: 2012
Author: Brett Petersen
Most people go on winery tours. We were unfortunate enough to go on a vineyard tour. Such is life! After the 3-Day International Wine Grape Growing Course conducted by Neal Kinsey, we set out to see the Albrecht-Kinsey fertility programme in action on grapes. The course was a great success; many of us had done Kinsey courses before. There were 61 ‘students’ - 34 from USA, 18 from NZ, 3 Canadians, 2 Puerto Ricans, 2 from Germany, and 1 each from Switzerland and Mexico. A dozen were involved with growing grapes; most others were not, representing other crops such as citrus, walnuts and plantain. It does not matter what crop you grow; what matters is the soil fertility. There were over 20 consultants, a dozen farmers and growers and three doctorates amongst the students.
Out on the vineyards, we were greeted by a barrage of soil figures, but the important thing is; are the soils and the crops improving? It certainly showed up in the figures and staff observations that they were. Such things as less soil cracking, more calcium, less magnesium, (in high Mg soils) better copper and better crops compared to a few years ago. The Napa soils are in the TEC 16-25 range, certainly more fertile than most of those we had seen so far. Land here costs $250,000/ha.
Debbie Ziggerbaum is the Robert Sinskey owned Amigo 2 vineyard manager. Here they produce 30,000 cases of Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. They are organic and biodynamic and have been on the Kinsey programme for 17 years. The vineyard is in 600mm of topsoil on a marine clay hard pan. 10 years ago, soil used to stick to boots, but not anymore. Weed control is by ‘spading’, and sheep. However, some ‘butterfly’ and cupped younger leaves were evident, indicating potassium deficiency. The rachis was also curved, indicating a problem with zinc. It doesn’t matter if you farm organically or chemically. If you break the laws of nature, your crops or animals will tell you. Are you listening to them? Debbie was not a good listener.
Moving on to Las Amigas, also a Sinskey vineyard, the information became more ‘mechanical’. They had tried aluminium posts. These simply dissolved. Some effort went into ascertaining irrigation requirement involving tensiometers and leaf presses. Plant temperatures were measured, recording 9-10 degrees below ambient at times. The ppm of zinc was better, calcium on a par, but as for magnesium, in both cases it was still excessive. The last fertiliser recipe was 556kg/ha azomite rock dust, 39kg of sulphur, 556kg RPR, 1,176kg of lime, 11kg of copper sulphate, 504kg of potassium sulphate and 22kg of borax. They still spray for botrytis.
North of Napa, at Oakville, we visited a Beckstoffer owned, Dave Mitchell managed vineyard of 33.5ha. Beckstoffer vineyards have 87 clients (and another 50 on the waiting list), who buy their grapes by the row. Beckstoffer has 1,400ha under grapes, but this vineyard is the flagship, producing the highest quality and highest priced grapes. Dave ensures the yield is never below 5t/ha, as the per ha sale price is the equivalent of $86,450/ha, based on a minimum of 5t/ha. These buyers require just one cluster per shoot, about 1.5kg grapes/metre.
Many wineries work on the assumption that lower yields enhance flavours. When asked if he thought there was a correlation between the ‘grape score’ and yield, Dave replied, “In my opinion, no, there is not.” The Vineyard has achieved a grape score of 100 three times, and high 90’s on all other occasions while being with the Albrecht-Kinsey system for the last 8 years.
Costs/ha are $20,000-22,500, so this is one every profitable operation. However, the cultural practices have become more intense. The vines used to be handled on three occasions. Now it is 20, but that is the choice of buyers. The usual yield is 7.5-10t/ha, so the price of those grapes is under $19/kg. Minimum brix levels are 26. A quick check of the Zinc over copper found it in the right place and that was borne out by straight bunches. A seed count also confirmed this vineyard was superior.
The Albrecht-Kinsey system is practiced on 400ha in Napa Valley and rising, although progress is slow. Usually a portion of a vineyard is converted, with the whole vineyard taking several years, depending on the confidence of the operator.
This is the winery that produced a wine in 1976 that beat the French at their own game, winning the white wine section of an international competition. That event was the subject of the 2008 movie, ‘Bottle Shock’. The 100ha property was started by Alfred Tubbs, in 1886, just in time for prohibition in the 1880’s and 1890’s, then owned by Yort and Jeanie Frank, and is currently owned by Jim Barrett. Dave Vella is the manager and our host for our visit which took us through the winery, cellars, excavated under a cliff, and finally into the wine tasting area. Dave had just returned from overseas, so our visit was confined to the winery itself. We did not specifically visit or discuss the vineyards at all.
The vineyard was redeveloped with the first wines produced in 1972, mostly Riesling, then Cabernet Sauvignon in 1978, however, despite the 1976 success with a 1973 Chardonnay, the soils became unbalanced, as excessive manure was being used year after year. Finally in 1994, the decision was made to use the Albrecht-Kinsey system. The soil tests are conscientiously followed with the recommended fertiliser being added into compost before being applied to the vineyard.
» Knowledgeable soil fertility consultants who know farming and rural life inside out «
» Precise, no-obligation soil audits «
» Custom blends of specific mineral and organic materials to suit the unique needs of your farm «
» Highly skilled truck drivers in modern, purpose built trucks and trailers «
» We work in with ground spreaders and aircraft pilots to get your fertiliser delivered at the right time for you «
» You only get ONE account for both fertiliser and cartage together «
» Our approach is based on the Albrecht-Kinsey system of soil fertility, backed up by 80 years of science «
Kiwi Fertiliser recognises the big picture. We know that soil fertility is not about selling products the fertiliser companies produce. It is about meeting the exact requirements of each property, or parts of properties. We listen to you, and create tailor made soil fertility solutions to suit your needs. We work exclusively with Kinsey Agricultural Services (KAS) of Missouri USA with soil audits conducted by Perry Agricultural Laboratory, also of Missouri.
Our team of talented soil fertility consultants are well educated in their field of expertise, and are all from a rural background, or currently farming themselves. Our recommendations are based on achieving top producing pastures, crops and animals. There is no guessing involved. It is precise and it delivers superior results. The expertise behind our company is considerable.
When you request a no-obligation soil audit, this is how the process works:
1. Your consultant will start by listening to you and finding out exactly what it is you are trying to achieve.
2. Precise soil tests will then be conducted. We work exclusively with Kinsey Agricultural Services of Missouri USA with soil audits conducted by Perry Agricultural Laboratory, also of Missouri. Kinsey Agricultural Services (KAS) specialises in building and maintaining soil fertility for optimum quality and yields. The soils’ needs are determined by a specific set of tests that may differ from other labs, but are based on mimicking the plants ability to extract nutrients from the soil. Any soil test result can be converted to a recommendation, but the most accurate, leading to highly repeatable and excellent results, come from KAS. To see samples of reports from PAL and KAS, see below. To learn more about why we exclusively use PAL and KAS, and what exactly the reports from each of them show us about your farm, please check out this article.
3. Based on the results from KAS, your Kiwi Fertiliser consultant then recommends a custom blend of specific mineral and organic materials to suit your property’s requirements. These recommendations are completely obligation free, so you can consider your results and the recommendations we make before deciding if this course of action is right for you.
4. At your go-ahead, we get your custom blend ready and delivered to you. We use highly skilled truck drivers in modern purpose built bulk trucks and trailers, equipped with cross lock differentials and central tyre inflation with great traction for getting into difficult back roads and airstrips. Our drivers are experienced and skilled in both on road and off road driving, guaranteeing we get your fertiliser into your bin, not near it or around it, on time and intact. We work in with ground spreaders and aircraft pilots to ensure on time delivery of fertiliser when weather permits so you are ensured of great service from Bulk Store to farm.
5. We build the cartage content of our delivery into the fertiliser price, which means you only get one account for your fertiliser and cartage cost altogether, making life simpler and easier for you. Our general manager Ron McLean has a lifetime of experience in the road transport industry delivering fertiliser and lime to farms and airstrips throughout the North Island of NZ, which is why he decided to include cartage as a service from store to farm into our programme.
6. Your consultant continues to provide advice and guidance as needed, working alongside you to solve soil fertility issues, leading to increased pasture production, better drought performance and superior animal health over time.
Click here to see a sample of a lab report from Perry Agricultural Laboratory.
Click here to see a sample of a report from Kinsey Agricultural Services.
At Kiwi Fertiliser we understand that every hectare, every farm and every farmer is unique. That is why we soil audit and make up custom blends to suit that particular soil type.
We have responded to a continuing trend of declining results, particularly with pastures, kiwifruit and avocados, however the work we do is not limited to these crops as our programme works with all crops, trees and vines.
“The race to the bottom” is a lousy goal. Our goal is to change agriculture in New Zealand for the better. We know how to, and are producing nutrient dense pasture, crops and food fit for consumption by animals and humans.
The Albrecht/Kinsey system of soil fertility provides the results to previously unknown answers, we work with great clients who want to join “The race to the top”.
Neal Kinsey, who we work with for our soil sample reports, has more than 30 years of field experience. He has been working with growers in all 50 U.S. states and more than 70 countries around the world, balancing and maintaining the soil to obtain quality crop production.
We regularly analyse the products we use to ensure we are selling only quality products. – Click below to find out more:
