Every growing season brings new decisions and new opportunities for farmers to consider doing things differently. But while a practice may be implemented at a specific point in the season, the decision to adopt it often happens months earlier.
For companies developing programs designed to encourage practice change, that distinction matters. A successful program launch needs to happen well ahead of the field activity it is designed to influence. Understanding when farmers make decisions, what information they need, and when they need to secure inputs or equipment can make the difference between a program that gains traction and one that arrives too late.
At Mercer Landmark, we work directly with farmers throughout the year and offer the services and support they need to develop and execute their crop management plan. Here’s a look at the decision-making timeline compared with the implementation timeline for several common practices included in sustainability programs.
The Field Activity Isn’t the Starting Line
A practice may be implemented in the field in spring, summer, or fall, but the farmer’s decision may happen months earlier.
DECISION → PLAN → SECURE INPUTS → IMPLEMENT
If a program launches after inputs are purchased, equipment is secured, or crop plans are finalized, the opportunity to influence that season may have already passed.
Tillage: The type of change dictates the timing
Farmers generally till their fields for three primary reasons: managing residue, incorporating fertilizer, and preparing the seedbed for planting. Depending on the purpose, these activities can occur anytime between harvest and planting, making both fall and spring important intervention windows.
The decision-making timeline, however, can be much longer. For example, adding a tillage pass to incorporate fertilizer may be tied to a change in the farmer’s fertility plan. That plan is often developed before the previous crop has even been harvested. Farmers may also need additional time to arrange access to the equipment required to make the change.
Reducing tillage can have a shorter decision window. A farmer may decide to eliminate a tillage pass much closer to implementation, potentially up until the next crop is planted.
Cover Crops: Planning Starts Well Before Planting
Cover crops may require more advanced planning than almost any other conservation practice. Farmers need to make several decisions, including what species or blend to plant, where to source seed, how and when to plant it, what seeding rate to use, and how the crop will eventually be terminated.
In Ohio, cover crop planting can begin as early as July following wheat harvest and continue well into October. In practice, most farmers need their cover crop plan in place and seed secured by August.
That means a program that launches in late summer may already be too late to influence the upcoming season. Waiting can limit seed availability, reduce the range of species or blends available, and leave too little time for successful establishment.
For farmers who are new to cover crops, the planning process may need to begin even earlier as they evaluate how the practice fits into their operation.
Fertility:
Fertility decisions offer another important example of the difference between planning and implementation.
In many cases, fertility plans for the upcoming season are developed in late summer, before the current crop has been harvested. Nitrogen is one of the most common nutrients addressed in sustainability programs, and in our region, it is primarily applied to corn and wheat. Decisions about application timing and method are often dictated by what kind of equipment is available, while rates are informed by soil tests and yield goals.
For corn, there are three common nitrogen application windows: fall after harvest, spring before planting or at planting, and summer side-dress. The majority of nitrogen is applied during the summer side-dress window, when the crop is approaching the period of greatest nitrogen demand.
The decision to use a nitrogen stabilizer, however, may happen much earlier… or much later. Stabilizer products can be purchased as early as the prior December to take advantage of pre-pay programs, or as late as when fertilizer is being loaded for application.
Wheat presents a similar dynamic. Nitrogen is generally applied in the fall and spring, with the spring application accounting for the larger share of total nitrogen. Stabilizer purchase decisions may occur anytime from before planting through the application window.
Successful Programs Start with an Understanding of the Farmer’s Calendar
There is no single timeline for agricultural practice change. The right time to launch a program depends on the practice, the crop, the geography, the inputs involved, and the decisions farmers need to make before implementation.
For farmers, this means having access to program information early enough to evaluate how a new practice fits into their operation. For CPG companies, it means recognizing that a sustainability goal at the supply-chain level must align with the realities of the farm-level decision cycle. And for ag retailers like us, it means understanding how to translate program requirements into actionable opportunities at the right point in the season.
A program can offer a compelling incentive, but if farmers learn about it after they have already made the relevant decisions, the opportunity to influence practice change may have passed.
Mercer Landmark can help program developers bridge that gap. Our team understands the agronomic, operational, and business decisions farmers make throughout the year and how those decisions vary by crop and practice. By working with Mercer Landmark early in the program development process, CPG companies and other program developers can build launch plans that align with the farmer decision cycle, reach growers at the right time, and give programs a stronger foundation for participation and impact.
The mission of Mercer Landmark Inc. is to make a difference by providing profitable solutions that keep agricultural producers and communities growing. Mercer Landmark is a farmer-owned cooperative with over 300 employees and 20+ locations throughout northwest Ohio. Our team is fully equipped to provide customers with the industry knowledge and expertise they need to make smart, profitable decisions for their operation. Our continuous investment in our people, facilities and technology has allowed us to expand our offerings, provide the best service and solutions for our customers and help contribute to our mission to safely and effectively Feed the World.