Land improvement is a vital part of our business model at Wappel Grain & Herb.  Maximum commodity productivity can only be obtained if the growing environment is primed for optimal plant growth.  Our land improvement operation works to provide the base.  Our goals are supreme water optimization, larger field size, and all out sunlight utilization.  Following are some examples of how we reach our goals and some pictures of the equipment that helps us along the way.

Irrigation: It can be very challenging to maintain the proper amount of moisture in the soils of Northwest Indiana.  The Wappels combat this challenge by building irrigation systems.  Center pivot irrigation is our main tool, but we also run some soft hose traveler irrigation systems. 

Field Tile: As fast as the soil dries out it can also flood rapidly.  Field tile systems offer a good drainage alternative.  Thousands of feet of tile are installed every year at Wappel Grain & Herb.

Ditch Re-cleaning: Proper ditch maintenance works hand in hand with field tile systems.  We run our excavator and chainsaws all winter long with the goal of maintaining and improving natural water flow.  Clean ditches and extensive field tiling help us reduce the risk of flooding.

Obstruction removal: Farm equipment has drastically increased in size and efficiency over the past few years.  Obstructions in the field hamper these advancements.  In order to avoid inefficiencies we spend countless hours removing obstructions like fence rows and tree lines.  We also fill in low holes with sand to avoid water ponding and sticking the equipment.

Mouse Over Picture for Description
Click to View Larger Image