Oberbroeckling Family Farm’s soils are primarily silty clay loams with limestone bedrock, with 2-20% slopes. Organic matter levels range from 1.5% to 4%. We typically receive 35 inches of annual precipitation. A key focus at Oberbroeckling Family Farms is to increase sustainability through improved agronomic practices. Oberbroeckling Family Farms insources almost every operation on our farm. This allows us to have records of all field operations available at any time to pass on to our landowner partners. We do our own grid soil sampling of every field we operate to establish a baseline for soil fertility.
We apply all of our own crop protection products and fertilizer to every field we farm. Equipment is equipped with section control and auto steer technology to eliminate overlap. GPS maps are created for yields and application of any product that is applied to the land. This gives us precise records of what products are applied and holds us accountable to do our part for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Variable rate phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, lime applications as well as seeding are all implemented on our farm.
Conservation plans are adhered to utilizing no-till planting when possible to reduce soil and nutrient runoff from the land. 22 inch row corn and 15 inch row soybeans are used to maximize production capability from the land. Funding is allocated annually to build conservation structures such as terraces, shape waterways, and the use of cover crops. Our risk management plan for commodity marketing typically looks ahead three years into the future to protect margins as they are available.
