Giving other farmers a hand comes naturally for Brooks, whose grandpa and dad were also farmers. Brooks is now starting a podcast to share with other farmers what he’s learned operating his own farm.

Brooks is a trained agronomist who has expanded his understanding of soil and plant health while figuring things out on his farm. He knows farming can be a lonely career, and that mentors and support networks are in short supply. He’s giving back and helping other farmers by sharing his knowledge and experiences.

Brooks addresses crop nutrition in his soil and plants by:

• Spreading lime in the fall at variable rate
• Application of K, and sometimes P, when strip-tilling
• Holding off on N application until the crop is up (he applies it in-season where and when it needs it to minimize loss)
• Adjusting in-season with foliar or sidedress (typically N blended with S, B, K, Zn and humic/fulvic acid)

“Biology in the soil is important, impacting seed germination, plant health and yield. Plants take up nutrients through the roots, but if the roots don’t reach the nutrients, biology is what gets those nutrients into the root zone.”