How to Have Better Food Plots, Save Money and Work Less

[@chrispool219]

As a biologist this was one of the best presentations I have ever seen/heard on this topic. Keith does an excellent job of laying everything out in a clear and simple way that does not take another biologist to understand. The good Lord has provided this planet with all the right things to make it function, we as humans just need to embrace the process and let it work for us.

[@_DeFiNiTeLy_Not_BrAd_]

Keith and the other guys at Green Cover Seeds do a great job explaining the seeds they sell on their youtube page as well. These type of lectures and crop info is why i order from them as much as i can, always good information.

[@johnbalasa711]

I am so glad to here from you, not adding any comical weed killer etc. I was doing this way for 30 years.

[@iamtheshaker]

Thanks for all you do to improve the kingdom Grant. Can't wait to have my own proving grounds in Texas someday

[@h-minus2212]

Thank you for putting this video together. My wife is going to graduate school for conservation biology and is trying to figure out how to improve the planet and arrest some of its degradation. So far, I am selling her on more beavers (caster canadensis ) and COVER CROPS!!

[@randallolson7554]

why this doesnt have at least 1/2 million likes - is crazy.

[@dennismiller1602]

Was fortunate to attend the Green Cover Regen organic conference in Scottsdale, AZ Jan 3-5th and hear Keith’s presentation. Great info!

[@thomasgartner3104]

This is the first year moving into a no till system. It's going to be quite the process for me because the deer ate my plots down to the dirt. At first I got discouraged, but I know where I can focus. Adding forage to help provide more food, and in turn this will give the plots the chance to do what they need.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

I agree with your plan!

[@brushcrawler8612]

My food plot is a white clover dominant mix of perennials that I seed annuals into in June for a candy crop and September for rye.

[@scottschaeffer8920]

Wonderful. In exchange for the free Graces, stewardship of the all living things is our part of the bargain. I’d rather watch a wild covey of quail than naked soil!

[@davidzellers3537]

I started the this process 3 years ago this fall on just a 1 1/2 acre food plot and my soil was horrible and I can just now start to see a difference in the soil color. It was a tan light tan color and now it is becoming a brownish to blackish color. This past fall/winter has been the best food plot I’ve ever had in this spot. But I was able to irrigate this past summer and early fall. I was really concerned back at Christmas when we had the arctic blast because my food plot went from a beautiful lush green to a light almost dead green. But the beautiful lush green has came back. I don’t know how or why but it did.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

David - Congratulations! Crops grown on healthy soils are very resilient!

[@Ryan_YoungUSA]

Remarkable video! Much-needed free content! Kudos

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Thanks Ryan!

[@mxer351]

I live on 10 acres in Tennessee and am wanting to do a small quarter to half acre food plot. I understand that summer release should be planted in spring but once I go to plant fall plot (hidey hole blend) should I spray & burn what’s left of summer release blend??

[@GrowingDeerTV]

If the stand is thick some action will be needed to ensure the seeds reach the soil. Herbicide can be used or a small prescribed fire. Fire leaves a great seedbed and terminates any current weeds. It's best to broadcast the seed just before a 1/2" or better rain!

[@gregyoung1611]

Or roller crimp it

[@dougswinton3365]

Grant, I have a question about crop rotation. I have one food plot .Can I plant brassica blends in Iowa every year in august if I plant buckwheat in june,or do I have to plant a different crop /forage every other year.The grain fields around my farm are all corn one year and soybeans the next, farmed by the same farmer. I want to have brassica blends in the soybean years. What blend do you recommend in the corn years to hunt over through January and still have green up for turkeys in the spring.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Doug - Brassicas as part of a quality blend will be good and can be planted every year. I don't suggest putting your eggs in the brassicas basket (or any forage group). Blends provide the ability to have forage that attracts deer during the early, middle, and late season and does much more to improve the soil's health can any single class of forage species. Once the ag crops are harvested, having a good forage crop will be a big attraction for deer!

[@nathanlester5054]

As a small parcel property owner who has only 3.5 acres of open ground to plant into food plots how can one afford to invest in the equipment needed to do this? I would love a no-till drill and roller crimper but I don't have, nor fan justify, spending 10,000.00 dollars or more to own these items. Also, I live in an area dominated by pine plantations, not cropland, so no businesses around me carry or rent these to do this type of planting. Heck, there are no cultipacker within 250 miles either. However, there are many disk narrows and tillers.

[@smellygoatacres]

He has a number of videos explaining his hidey hole plots from start to finish. He also has some where they just cut down some trees, spray, clear and plant. Do a search for growing deer hidey hole food plot

[@nathanlester5054]

@@smellygoatacres I do those already. In fact, there are 2 does feeding in a 1/16 acre plot behind my house as I reply to you. I normally put in 3 of these micro plots with hand implements every year. However, 3.5 acres is a bit too large do all by hand in one food plot. I normally till and drag, sow seeds, then drag again and put down fertilizer. But I would love to use the release system.

[@briansommer7194]

Hey Nathan I’m in NC and surrounded by pines as well. I broadcast the seed blends before a good rain with each planting and have good results. I have made my own ATV pull behind crimper but you can make a great foot crimper with a 2x6, 2 pieces of angle iron screwed to the bottom, and a rope. I also have one of those but it’s a heck of a workout. You don’t necessarily need a no-till drill. Just have to broadcast a bit more seed. I’m about 3 years into this and do 3 cover crop rotations/year for food plots. The results are absolutely insane. These plots are deer magnets. It seems like the deer actually prefer my plots to any other food source in the area. I’m guessing it’s because my crops are better for them nutritionally and they know it. It does take a year or so to get things rolling where the crops start to grow really well and green with absolutely 0 fertilizer but it’s definitely worth it.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Nathan - I'm glad you are considering improving the soil's health! See can be broadcast into a standing crop and a food crimper can be easily made. This requires more work but can produce good results. I started with hand tools. You are wise to start with this process and do what you can!

[@adked1841]

Great informative video...

[@mainenorthwoodshunter3265]

You keep saying that we can use the dead vegetation for fertilizer. What about lime? Do I still need to use lime for my soil?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

As microbes break down the vegetation, the pH will be neutralized - if there's a good blend of plants. If only legumes are planted, the soil can become acidic.

[@jordanhudson5075]

I hunt in ash flat ark, the ozarks, same type of ground mr. Grant has at the proven grounds in Branson and that’s real dirt that’s real soil, so my question is what is the first step after you have picked you spot and cleared it and sprayed round up on whatever is growing in the future food plot ? You can’t just broadcast the cover crop seed onto the ground right? Or do you do just that ?

[@donald6427]

He does that or drills it… then uses cover crops and crimping and then decomposition

[@smellygoatacres]

@@donald6427 and rinse and repeat.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Jordan - If the soil is bare, then yes, broadcast seed appropriate for that time of year just before a rain. It's very important to broadcast just before a rain so the seed makes better contact with the soil and there's ample soil moisture for the seed to germinate and start growing!

[@loamy]

Where does the erodes soil go?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Streams, rivers, etc. It usually carries pollution such as insecticides, synthetic fertilizer, etc. This is a huge issue for safe drinking water.

[@northernforestwhitetail]

As exciting as no-till is, has anyone truly accomplished “organic no-till”? Meaning, long term no-till without any periodic tillage or herbicide?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Yes - some have! I'm not anti herbicide, but I certainly wish to use the least amount necessary for many reasons. One example is that glyphosate binds several minerals and makes them unavailable to plants and reduces the nutritional quality.

[@northernforestwhitetail]

@@GrowingDeerTV I’m experimenting up in Northern MN. Will be posting results. I’m trying to totally avoid glyphosate. Working on seed rates this spring to hopefully tackle the elusive weed control problem. Thanks for the content and response.

[@JayN4GO]

I’ve seen this before. Did you post this a few years ago?

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Keith gave a similar talk a few years ago.

[@michaelgangadeen8013]

Let's see Grant's presentation.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Michael - It's on this channel!

[@fergystuff]

This presentation is the "on steroids" version of the presentation that Keith gave at last year's GD-TV field days!

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Yes!

[@fergystuff]

The comments regarding modern ag practices impact on climate change are very profound!

[@tylergoralski8728]

Let's remember we are making deer food here.

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Tyler - I don't understand your comment?

[@mattkingsley3556]

Not really sure you can compare a photo from 1930s and 2014 and say one is more carbon rich dust because the picture is darker. 85 years of camera improvement and picture quality. Everything else was great I just really didnt like that

[@GrowingDeerTV]

Matt - Thanks for watching. You didn't notice a huge difference in the color of the dirt being blown? There's lots of studyings about declining organic matter crop land soils.

[@mattkingsley3556]

@@GrowingDeerTV I did, but the photo was much darker in general. All your research is well founded and great. I just didn't like the photo comparison. Was probably silly of me to comment, but I had a weak moment.

[@phillipking6153]

Biblical farming principles…. sabbatical and jubilee years go a long way as well.