LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. - A year ago we introduced you to brothers Matt and Luke Lantz. The farmers from southern Minnesota who are on a mission to produce 300 bushels of corn per acre. We returned to the farm for this year's harvest.
Called the Pursuit of 300, the Lantz brothers are working to increase crop yields because the population is increasing faster than food production.
"At some point at the rate you're going, your amount of people are going to outgrow your amount of corn. And it may not be this year or next year. But it may be in the next 20 years," warns Luke Lantz of Lantz Farms.
"As a farmer and as a humanitarian we want to provide food as much food as we can to the world so people can afford to eat. If we can continue to grow more bushels and provide more food, then more people can afford to eat. And to me that's a huge thing," addsMatt Lantz.
Working with the Mosaic Company, they treated a portion of their fields this year with Boron, a micro-nutrient that could help grow more corn.
Riding along with Luke in the combine, he mentions, "This is just an eye shot thing, I have to wait until I get the actual numbers back, but I think there's going to be a five bushel an acre difference...and that's huge!"
In the cab on this day, the bushel counter bounced up and down from 160 to 304 per acre.Last year they averaged 170.
Minnesota farmers as a whole averaged 165 bushels per acre.
"Are we attaining 300 bushels yet, no. But we're making incremental steps. The things that we're implementing are giving us three bushels or five bushels or eight ushels advantages and so that's what we're trying to accomplish. The goal of 300 bushels is kind of off in the horizon yet, but we're getting closer every year," Matt Lantzpoints out.
And so the "pursuit" continues...
To track the Lantz brothers' progress, visit their blog at Pursuitof300.com.
To view the story with Matt and Luke from last year visit http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=997610.
