Friday June 21, 2024
4:30 pm – Arrival/Check – in
5 – 6 pm – Happy Hour/Hors D’oeuvres
6 – 7 – Dinner
7 pm – 8 pm Shop/Safety/Equipment orientation & Q&A session
Saturday June 22, 2024
7:30 – 8:30 am – Breakfast/Field Session orientation
Beginning @ 8:30 you will being rotating thru each of the field session in small groups of 8 per session
8:30 – 10 am – Rotating field session #1
10 am – 10:30 am – Break, Q&A
10:30 – Noon – Rotating field session #2
Noon – 1 – Lunch, Q&A
1 – 2:30 – Rotating field session #3
2:20 – 3 – Break and Q&A
3 – 4:30 – Rotating field session #4
4:30 – close – wrap up and revisit sessions/topics of participants choice
What’s included during your 2 day experience:
All meals, drinks and snacks
Genesis Custom Food Plots hat and sweatshirt
Use of our tractors, disks, planters, sprayers, ATVs and other equipment
All seed, fertilizers and chemicals for class instruction
Discounts from our sponsors
Keeping in mind you will be in the field, with many opportunities to get dirty including water, dirt and grease, here’s what to bring:
Sturdy boots or closed toe shoes
Long pants
Hat
Rain gear if the forecast looks iffy, sunscreen if it looks good
Water bottle
If you are local and would like to bring your own chainsaw for the forestry session, please feel free
Rotating Field Sessions
Tractor/Disk/Spreader operation for successful food plots
This session will cover the keys to successful, hassle free operation of your tractor, tillage equipment and spreaders to maximize your planting success. During this session you will learn:
- How to hook and unhook equipment safely
- Key disk components to look for when purchasing a disk. What’s good and what’s not
- Pros and Cons of 3 point vs pull behind disks
- Setting up your disk for various soil types and speeds
- Setting up your disk for initial tillage vs finishing passes
- Spreading seed and discussing various gate openings & speeds to insure you have the right amount of seed and how to determine if you have the right amount of seed.
You will have hands-on opportunities in the tractor, on the ATV as well as operating all equipment in the field with your instructor. The goal is for you to leave confident that you know how to set up and operate the equipment and which set ups and methods are right for you and your property.
Drills and Corn Planters
This session will cover the calibration, maintenance and operation of grain planting drills and corn planters. During this session you will learn:
- How to hook and unhook equipment safely
- How to calibrate drills for varying seed sizes and rates
- How to calibrate and set up a corn planter for varying seed populations and row widths
- How speed and soil types affect planting success
- How to set up a field for efficient planting, equipment operation and seed usage
- Common operation mistakes and how to avoid them
- Common maintenance failures and breakdowns and how to avoid them
You will have hands on opportunities in the tractor, loading and calibrating drills and corn planters and operating equipment in the field with your instructor
Fertilizers, Chemicals and other Soil Amendments
This session will cover the uses and applications of a variety of fertilizers, chemicals and other soil amendments. During this session you will learn:
- How to mix chemical safely and correctly
- How to set up your sprayer including booms widths, when to use various sprayer nozzles, setting tank pressures and speed
- Tractor sprayer vs ATV sprayers and advantages of each
- How to read a fertilizer tag and what it means
- When to use liquid vs granular fertilizer and the pros and cons of each
- The benefits, pros, cons and importance of lime and calcium products.
- When and how to use ag, pelletized and liquid lime products
You will mix chemicals, set up a sprayer with a variety of products and operate sprayers in the field
Forestry and how it feeds your wildlife and wallet
You will work with our professional forester to cover sound forestry practices and how it benefits the wildlife on your property, the food potential you have that is free and how to manage your timber for the future. During this session you will learn:
- Simple tips for tree identification
- How to safely set up and run your chain saw
- Should I hinge cut, which species to hinge and how to do it safely
- How to select timber professionals including a forester and logger
- What to expect from a timber sale financially
- Logging for habitat vs logging for profit
- How timber sales are set up and a behind the scenes of how the finances of a timber sale work for all parties involved
You will have the opportunity to operate a chainsaw and walk through recently harvested areas to identify trees and see various forest practices.
Your Professional instructors for the day;
Chad Maves – Field Operations Manager – Genesis Custom Food Plots
Ryan Medo – Professional Forester – Genesis Custom Food Plots
Matt Kolling – President – Genesis Custom Food Plots
Kenton Mehlberg – Agronomist – Plot Dr