82 | Putting soil health at the forefront Neal Kinsey on a consulting visit to a client’s farm in Nebraska who converted 1700 acres of top yielding land to certified organic without any yield loss during or after certification. Photo: Kinsey Ag Services. Kelly Deeks RURAL SERVICES » Kinsey Ag Services With a unique approach to soil management, an emphasis on sustainability, and a commitment to education, Kinsey Agricultural Services is an invaluable partner for farmers looking to improve their yields while reducing their environmental impact. Founded in 1973, Kinsey Agricultural Services provides a consulting service dealing with soil fertility and problems that are closely related. Neal Kinsey was trained and certified as an agronomist by Dr. William A. Albrecht, Professor Emeritus of Soils, University of Missouri/Columbia, and Kinsey Agricultural Services still utilises his foundational work on soil testing and fertility, helping farmers to achieve optimal crop yields by providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to improve their soil’s health. Originally a oneman consulting service, Kinsey Agricultural Services is now brought to 75 countries by local consultants, as well as three-day workshops for farmers and consultants hosted by Neal. “Education is key,” Neal says. “Farmers generally feel they don’t have time to be a soil fertility specialist, so we use our worldwide consultants, workshops, webinars, training programmes, and other resources to help farmers to develop a programme they can put to work in their paddocks and start to improve the health of their soil.” The Albrecht-Kinsey approach emphasises the importance of soil biology and the balance of nutrients in the soil. By testing the soil and analysing its nutrient content, Kinsey Agricultural Services can provide farmers with customised recommendations that balance soil nutrients and create an ideal growing environment for crops. Kinsey Agricultural Services has been working with Kiwi farmers since the late 1990s and as well as improving their yields, has also helped farmers to make significant reductions to their animal health spend. “The only thing we’ve done is put nutrients on the soil to grow the grass, and we are getting improved health outcomes as well as more grass.” Neal says New Zealand soils are typically low in magnesium, but also need potassium and zinc. These are primary nutrients are needed for all types of agricultural production, aiding in water utilisation and absorption. “Sometimes grass turns brown and farmers might think they aren’t getting enough rain when they actually are, it’s just that their plants don’t have sufficient amounts of these nutrients to maximise water uptake.” One Kinsey Agricultural Services customer who had been using the service for 10 years had green grass all the way up to his neighbour’s fence. “The neighbours would tell him he was getting more rain at his place.” Kinsey Agricultural Services tests soils from 75 countries around the world, and Neal says the company receives more samples from New Zealand than from any state in the US. The company works with conventional, certified organic, no-till, minimum-till, chemical-free, natural, and bio-dynamic growers, and construction site restoration. “We are not in business to sell the fertilisers or the soil amendments we may recommend for soil nutrient corrections. Although we work with fertiliser companies and others who may sell products to farmers, we charge for advice and receive no kickbacks or income from what they sell. Our specialty is that of recommending the exact products needed, based on one very specific type of detailed soil analysis, for attaining top quality and top yields. Then each farmer or grower chooses where they will purchase the fertilisers or soil amendments they decide to use.” Top Soils has over 25 years’ experience in the Kinsey-Albrecht system of soil fertility and has a proven record specialising in fertility programmes to make a real economical, sustainable difference to our farming clients. Based in Methven and Wanaka, and servicing the South Island, Top Soils offers a complete systems approach including consulting, comprehensive soil audits, analysing and providing balanced fertiliser mixes, liquid and solid products, ready for application on all farming types. Our mission is to create healthy soils in a resilient, sustainable environment that will sequester carbon, produce nutritional food and profitable farmers. James McCann 027 381 8856 james@topsoils.co.nz Sally Sim sally@topsoils.co.nz Don Hart 027 432 0187 don@topsoils.co.nz | NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST ALBRECHT/KINSEY INDEPENDENT CONSULTING COMPANY We sell advice, not fertiliser.
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