Episode #169 - Don is Testing More Corn Seed. WHY?

Published: 2023-05-14 Episode page Duration: 84 min

In this episode

clover

• Does Don prefer clover or alfalfa around fruit trees, and why? 76:49

corn-breeding

• Don says Kitchen Seed’s corn breeders sent him about 20 experimental corn varieties, each in tiny envelopes containing exactly 100 hand-counted kernels, for on-farm testing. 26:59
• What are the little 100-kernel corn packets Don posted about on social media? 24:50

deer-pressure

• How much talking is too much during off-season habitat or stand work—should hunters whisper or use sign language? 70:22

family

• Don says he and his wife Robin feel extremely blessed that both sets of their parents are still alive and remain married to each other, which is rare for couples their age. 2:13
• Terry reflects that ministers’ wives, including his mother, contribute just as much ministry as their husbands through church work, youth groups, nurseries, and meals. 4:05
• Don plans to spend time with his grandsons this summer, including sleeping in their tent in the woods with them. 81:09

farm-projects

• What farm projects did Don get done this week, including the Miscanthus planting Terry saw on social media? 5:28

food-plots

• Why isn’t planting corn in alternating rows with vining legumes like lab lab more common in food plots? 52:32

foxes

• Don had a local nuisance trapper release three foxes, caught at a fairgrounds den, onto his farm, having not seen a fox there in about twenty years. 7:04
• Don plans not to shoot or trap the newly released foxes, viewing predators as a necessary part of the ecosystem, though he’ll still target coons, coyotes, and possums. 7:51

habitat-management

• Terry observes that habitat work laid out to target mature bucks also builds a broader ecosystem benefiting turkeys, rabbits, bobcats, foxes, and coyotes. 9:34

haiti-auction

• Terry announces the winner of the Haiti-auction land consulting package will also receive a full ASIO Camo mid-season Sherpa suit through sponsor ASIO Gear. 64:08
• Kevin Miller announces the Haiti mission charity auction will be held at the Christian County Event Center in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20. 62:06
• Kevin Miller announces the silent-bid deadline for the donated land consulting package is Friday, May 19 at twelve noon central time. 65:56

haiti-mission

• Where does the money raised in the Haiti charity auction go? 60:22

miscanthus

• Terry recommends storing Miscanthus rhizomes in a cooler after ordering to keep them viable until planting, saying it makes a huge difference. 12:56
• Don advises food plotters not to give up on new Miscanthus plantings after just weeks, but to give the rhizomes a couple of years to fully establish. 21:26
• Don states that Real World holds exclusive rights to its specific Miscanthus variety, so no competitor sells the exact same variety. 30:38
• Don explains Real World only ships Miscanthus orders on Mondays so bagged rhizomes don’t sit in a shipping terminal over the weekend. 14:13
• What do people need to understand about patience as Miscanthus rhizomes come out of dormancy? 16:48

mothers-day

• What words of wisdom or thanks does Don have for his mother, wife, and daughters who are now moms or moms-to-be? 1:02

switchgrass

• For a single five-acre switchgrass field, would Don still add a fire break to burn half of it each year? 50:45

switchgrass-burning

• Why isn’t Don’s annual switchgrass burn intrusive to his property, especially with a known target buck possibly living there? 47:35

test-plots

• Terry plans to plant secret Real World test plots on multiple farms, including his own, Don’s, Wes’s, one in Georgia, and one in the Dakotas. 82:40

wetland-habitat

• For wetland areas, is red osier dogwood or switchgrass better for whitetails, and why? 35:47

Deer activity

• babe (management) 47:42
• unnamed buck (sighting) 73:12
• unnamed buck (harvest) 73:49

Listener questions

Question: What words of wisdom or thanks does Don have for his mother, wife, and daughters who are now moms or moms-to-be? 1:02 — asked by Terry

• Answer: Don says he’s extremely blessed to have a fantastic, supportive mother throughout his entire life. 1:51

Question: What farm projects did Don get done this week, including the Miscanthus planting Terry saw on social media? 5:28 — asked by Terry

• Answer: Don says Wes, Corey, and Steve Shields helped plant Miscanthus and trim trees on the farm this week. 5:30

Question: What do people need to understand about patience as Miscanthus rhizomes come out of dormancy? 16:48 — asked by Terry

• Answer: Don explains heat brings Miscanthus rhizomes out of winter dormancy, with roots growing first before sprouts, at different rates for each rhizome. 17:25

Question: What are the little 100-kernel corn packets Don posted about on social media? 24:50 — asked by Terry

• Answer: Don describes receiving 20 experimental corn varieties from a breeder in a shoebox-sized box, each in tiny envelopes of exactly 100 kernels. 26:35

Question: For wetland areas, is red osier dogwood or switchgrass better for whitetails, and why? 35:47 — asked by Chris Warenberg

• Answer: Don says if the ground is so wet it’s basically peat, switchgrass won’t thrive, making red osier dogwood the much better option there. 38:59

Question: Why isn’t Don’s annual switchgrass burn intrusive to his property, especially with a known target buck possibly living there? 47:35 — asked by Scott Thomas

• Answer: Don says the habitat benefits of burning switchgrass far outweigh the cons, since unburned patches get overtaken by weeds over time. 49:20

Question: For a single five-acre switchgrass field, would Don still add a fire break to burn half of it each year? 50:45 — asked by Terry

• Answer: Don says it depends on plot size; a 15-acre field he’d divide into three five-acre tracts burned on rotation. 51:13

Question: Why isn’t planting corn in alternating rows with vining legumes like lab lab more common in food plots? 52:32 — asked by r Haslett

• Answer: Don prefers separate corn and soybean plots mainly because it’s hard to find one residual herbicide that works well on both crops. 53:09
• Answer: Terry says in a test on Patrick’s farm, corn planted alongside soybeans grew a foot and a half to two feet taller than corn alone. 56:48

Question: How much talking is too much during off-season habitat or stand work—should hunters whisper or use sign language? 70:22 — asked by Caleb Vander Mail

• Answer: Don recommends making noise during off-season work so deer know a person is there and can choose to hold tight or leave. 71:39

Question: Does Don prefer clover or alfalfa around fruit trees, and why? 76:49 — asked by Daniel Dippel

• Answer: Don says clover is better than alfalfa around fruit trees because alfalfa’s very deep taproot competes with the tree’s root system. 77:08
• Answer: Don adds mature alfalfa plants release a toxin that prevents new alfalfa seed from germinating, unlike clover which can be continually overseeded. 79:09
• Answer: Terry adds he wouldn’t want to mow, rake, and bale alfalfa around fruit trees since it requires far more upkeep than clover. 78:26

Question: Where does the money raised in the Haiti charity auction go? 60:22 — asked by Terry

• Answer: Kevin Miller says the auction supports about 18 different missionary organizations that work in Haiti. 60:36

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