Land

Land Ethic

Aldo Leopold, a famous land conservationist, once wrote we have a “moral obligation to act consistently with long-term benefit to the land.” Jamison Ag and Turf understands a strong land ethic by working every day to cultivate crops and nurture farmland as a whole. We take great pride in the fertility of our soil, maintaining waterways, manicuring fencerows and reducing our environmental footprint. We build relationships on honor, loyalty and trust with all landowners. We take great pride in providing landowners with a high quality product through sincere reverence to the land.

Jamison Ag and Turf’s best management practices include providing higher yields and preserving landowners’ investments.

  1. Conservation of the land:

    Jamison Ag and Turf has a proud history of exceptional agricultural practices. Our farm was one of the first in the region to employ a cover crop program at our own expense — which started in the early 1990s — before there was funding from the state of Maryland. Planting cover crops helps the soil retain nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen and prevents it from entering the watershed. In addition, cover crops tremendously control erosion problems and ditch washouts.

  2. Maintenance of waterways and ditches:

    Our top priority is to ensure quality maintenance of the land. We do this in part by mowing ditches every year. When there are major washouts, the waterways are tilled under and re-seeded to keep the land in top quality condition. When waterways are neglected, they become overgrown with scrub brush and silt allowing rushing water to create new ditches along side of an existing water way. Noxious weeds tend to proliferate in waterways. To combat these pest, we scout the fields during the growing season and spot spray any troubled areas. Through maintaining waterways, they serve as a buffer to nutrient runoff into the watershed and enhance the health for all forms of life.

  3. Maintain tree growth in fencerows:

    Overgrown trees around the perimeter of fields can greatly reduce productive acreage over the course of years. Public roads require a tree trimming maintenance program, and so does the perimeter of productive farmland. To protect the farmland, we mow around the perimeter of all of our fields and remove any fallen trees or potential trees that may cause a future nuisance.

  4. Soil maintenance:

    Growing crops without applying adequate fertilizer can devalue the quality and soil health. Monitoring the Ph and nutrients of the soil is essential for long-term prosperity. That is why we routinely analyze soil samples once every three years and apply fertilizer within the recommendations. We are very happy to provide and explain soil analysis for records, per landowner request. Our in-house agronomist monitors the health of the crops during the growing season. If any nutrient deficiencies appear we are quick to analyze plant tissue samples and correct the problem immediately.

  5. Precision agriculture:

    Precision agriculture allows the farmer to specifically focus on smaller areas of the land and treat each plant as an individual with the aid of GPS satellites and computer software programs. It allows a greater return on yield and inputs while using less resources. The data collected from this practice can visually demonstrate to the landowner the care and nurturing their land is receiving. The end result is placing the correct amount of product where it is needed to create a healthier field and environment.

Precision Ag Technologies employed by Jamison Ag and Turf:

  • Prescription rate seeding/fertilizer
    The use of this technology allows the farmer to apply more or less seed/ fertilizer in the field where it is needed. This can lead to increased yields and less resources used.
  • Yield mapping
    Creates a map of the field that shows variable areas of yield via a color legend
  • Grid/yield zone soil sampling
    GPS tracking allows farmers to pull soil samples in small areas of the field where yields are good or bad. This enables the farmer to pinpoint areas that are adequate or poor in nutrients.
  • Auto-steer
    Enables equipment to steer independently. The technology reduces the amount of overlap which reduces the amount of product applied.
  • Section Control
    Enables sections of equipment to automatically shut-off when overlap occurs. This technology reduces the amount of overlap that results in an overuse of resource which is friendlier to the environment.