Is It Time for an Energy Audit on Your Farm?

May 03, 2023

What is an energy audit and why is it something those working in an agriculture should take a closer look at?

The Three Hills and District Seed Cleaning Plant has faithfully served its local farm community since 1958. However, a series of energy audits over the last handful of years showed that the equipment — much of which hasn’t been upgraded since the plant relocated to the west side of town in 1991 — was woefully energy inefficient.

Last fall, the Three Hills Plant underwent a major renovation to more than double grain handling capacity. The upgrades proved the perfect opportunity to dramatically improve energy use efficiency too.

Plant manager Greg Andrews says the efficiency upgrades should pay for themselves through decreased power usage within five or fewer years. It’s an investment he recommends other large, high energy-use agricultural plants, from seed cleaners to potato storages to grain dryers, consider, and he credits the energy audits for starting it all.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.