From Struggling Soils to Thriving Farms | Growers Mineral Podcast – February Conference Call

In this episode of the Growers Mineral Podcast, we bring you audio from our February 2025 conference call, held March 13th. Jim Halbeisen hosts a roundtable of farmers and longtime Growers customers who share their stories, struggles, and success using the Growers Program.

Featured Guests:

• L. Grove (Hanover, PA): A fourth-generation Growers rep shares his transition from traditional methods to high-calcium lime, reduced fertilizer use, and healthier cows. His personal journey includes feeding Growers to livestock—and even tasting it himself.
• Rich Rhodes (Canton, OH): A dairy farmer milking 150+ cows discusses fine-tuning his soil with water-treatment lime, foliar feeding corn, and the profitability of beef-on-dairy calves.
• Paul Dotterer (Northern Maryland): The March calendar photo farmer! Paul dives into no-till practices, sourcing lime from the Domino Sugar plant, split nitrogen applications, and the challenges of farming without manure.

Also in this episode:

• Lime strategies that work: paper mill lime, sugar plant lime, and water-treatment lime.
• Corn and soybean rotations with limited nitrogen inputs.
• Adapting to herbicide-resistant weeds.
• Cover cropping, foliar feeding, and working within Chesapeake Bay nutrient regulations.
• Updates on milk pricing, bird flu, and beef markets.
• Discussion on the USDA’s commodity forecasts and export numbers.

Whether you're raising dairy cows, managing row crops, or navigating spring fieldwork, this episode offers field-tested insight from real farmers.

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