James Isleib
isleibj@msu.edu
Cellphone: 906-250-9609
Alger County Extension Office
Crop production educator
Assessing common factors of success among Michigan's Upper peninsula beginning farmers
Authored Articles
- Field Crops Virtual Breakfast on May 21 features post emergent weed control with Erin Burns, May 7, 2020
- Upper Peninsula winter 2020 forage program offered as online recordings, April 6, 2020
- Online program addresses woodlot management on Michigan farms, March 3, 2020
- Selecting perennial and annual forage species and varieties for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, February 26, 2020
- Field Crops Webinar Series: Disease and insect issues of concern, February 17, 2020
- New Beginning Farmers series offered online by MSU Extension, December 10, 2019
- Review sessions in Upper Peninsula with exams for state certified pesticide applicators, November 13, 2019
- Clay soil moisture monitoring project explores farmer’s efforts to improve drainage, November 5, 2019
- Good hay crop in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula, August 5, 2019
- Getting the most from your single-cut hay system, August 2, 2019
- Field Crop Virtual Breakfast on June 6 focuses on late season weed control, May 31, 2019
- Understanding base saturation ratios on your MSU soil test report, May 14, 2019
- Tips on quality hay and pasture for beginning farmers: Part 2 – Legume species for hay and pasture, May 14, 2019
- Tips on quality hay and pasture for beginning farmers: Part 1 - Quality, March 4, 2019
- Financial aspects of cover crops is topic of upcoming online program, March 4, 2019
- Webinar focuses on herbicide efficacy under weather stress, February 26, 2019
- Am I up to the physical labor of starting a new farming business?, December 20, 2018
- A look at agricultural statistics in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, November 1, 2018
- Assessing your alfalfa stand, September 26, 2018
- Ontario groups studying alternative forage galega for northern climate, August 29, 2018
- Alfalfa nurse crop yields compared, August 9, 2018
- 2018 Beginning Farmer Webinar Series recordings now available online, July 12, 2018
- When should I harvest my small grain forage?, July 3, 2018
- Emergency forages – Part 3: Utilizing summer annual forage crops, June 21, 2018
- Emergency forages – Part 1: Sudangrass, sorghum and hybrids, June 21, 2018
- Emergency forages – Part 2: Millets, June 21, 2018
- Michigan Agricultural Mediation Program offers free services to producers, April 26, 2018
- Be smart when farming near underground pipelines and utilities, March 16, 2018
- Nurse crops for new alfalfa or mixed hay seedings, March 6, 2018
- Ever heard of a mole drain?, March 5, 2018
- Should you consider a U-pick enterprise?, February 5, 2018
- Review sessions and exams in Upper Peninsula for state certified pesticide applicators, November 22, 2017
- Environmental certification progressing on Upper Peninsula farms, November 8, 2017
- Pea and oat trial in Upper Peninsula completed — Part 1: Yields, September 28, 2017
- Should I burn off my old, unharvested hay or chop it back onto the field?, September 20, 2017
- Three-year demonstration completed on hay fertility in Chippewa County, September 13, 2017
- Raising woods-grazed pigs on new farms, July 25, 2017
- New recorded programs available on MSU Extension Beginning Farmer website, July 14, 2017
- What’s happening to the nitrogen in my water-logged soil?, July 7, 2017
- Pipeline safety is an important farm issue that can’t be ignored, May 30, 2017
- Hay fertility demonstration shows multi-year soil fertility changes through soil test results, May 25, 2017
- Why does boron show up on my soil test report?, May 17, 2017
- Plan now for corn silage success – Part 2: Crop nutrient needs and harvest management, April 20, 2017
- What you can do to ease the current income squeeze from low farm commodity prices, April 18, 2017
- Plan now for corn silage success – Part 1: Hybrid selection, March 9, 2017
- Crop nutrient management for beginning farmers, February 22, 2017
- A quick look at the nitrogen cycle and nitrogen fertilizer sources – Part 1, February 1, 2017
- A quick look at the nitrogen cycle and nitrogen fertilizer sources – Part 2, February 1, 2017
- Pros and cons of granular and liquid fertilizers, December 29, 2016
- Manure provides plant nutrients, but not always at book value, December 29, 2016
- Options for managing winter manure nutrients on Michigan beef farms, December 15, 2016
- Soil calcium-to-magnesium ratios should not concern most farmers, November 14, 2016
- Second year hay fertilizer and lime demonstration in Chippewa County, October 14, 2016
- Taking a close look at soil profiles helps understand soil health concepts, October 12, 2016
- When am I farming, and when am I excavating?, August 22, 2016
- Oat and pea forage combinations, August 18, 2016
- Uncommon forage grass species found on eastern Upper Peninsula beef farm, July 25, 2016
- Parasitic weeds are rare, but not unknown in Michigan, July 11, 2016
- New deep tillage methods on clay soils deserve a look, April 25, 2016
- Sulfur fertilization on alfalfa a likely advantage for central Upper Peninsula farmers, April 21, 2016
- Upper Peninsula farmer shares suggestions for newer farmers based on lifetime experience, March 2, 2016
- Building soil organic matter on Upper Peninsula crop rotations – Part 2 of 2, February 16, 2016
- Building soil organic matter on Upper Peninsula crop rotations – Part 1 of 2, February 8, 2016
- Should I use dolomitic or calcitic lime?, December 17, 2015
- Vegetable, field crop and fruit production presentations for beginning farmers archived, December 16, 2015
- Small farm business and marketing presentations for beginning farmers archived, December 16, 2015
- Livestock and poultry presentations for beginning farmers archived, December 16, 2015
- Small farm machinery and organic production presentations for beginning farmers archived, December 16, 2015
- Prepping an old, neglected field for crop production – Part 2 of 2, October 28, 2015
- Prepping an old, neglected field for crop production – Part 1 of 2, October 28, 2015
- 2015 planting and harvest weather in Upper Peninsula is big improvement over 2014, October 26, 2015
- Hay fertilizer and lime demonstration in Chippewa County, August 24, 2015
- Management suggestions for barley yellow dwarf virus control, August 20, 2015
- Three farms at forage field day give insight into annual forages and hay fertilization rates, August 20, 2015
- Understanding MSU soil test report basics – Part 2 of 2, June 29, 2015
- Understanding MSU soil test report basics – Part 1 of 2, June 29, 2015
- Hulless oats as a potential farm-grown feed grain, June 8, 2015
- Endophyte-free tall fescue: Should I be concerned about endophytes in forage grasses?, June 4, 2015
- Improving forage productivity with assessment and planning – Part 1, April 30, 2015
- Planting cover crops to improve clay soil quality used for pasturing livestock, March 26, 2015
- Upper Peninsula field and forage crop trial results shared with farmers, February 26, 2015
- Cover crop challenges in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, February 26, 2015
- Why bother with online Beginning Farmer Webinars?, January 23, 2015
- Cover crop strategies for northern Michigan farms, November 26, 2014
- Controlling wild carrot in hay fields and pastures, November 25, 2014
- Reed canarygrass – love it or hate it, October 14, 2014
- MSU helps kids understand agriculture and natural resource sciences, October 6, 2014
- Root rot on dry beans common under cool, wet growing conditions, September 2, 2014
- Why farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula?, August 28, 2014
- Armyworm infestations reported on Upper Peninsula farms, August 1, 2014
- Upper Peninsula field crop regional report – July 31, 2014, August 1, 2014
- Using grasses to optimize fiber content in dairy rations, June 24, 2014
- Low-input pasture renovation, June 24, 2014
- Upper Peninsula field crop regional report – May 30, 2014, May 30, 2014
- Questions for those considering "direct marketing" of farm products, April 30, 2014
- How close can Northern Michigan farmers come to raising $2 per bushel corn? Part 1, April 25, 2014
- Six strong reasons to plant certified small grain seed, March 31, 2014
- Bacterial blight of dry beans in Michigan, March 21, 2014
- Online education programs for beginning farmers still available, March 5, 2014
- Getting started with soil improvement: An overview for beginners – Part 2, January 31, 2014
- Getting started with soil improvement: An overview for beginners – Part 1, January 28, 2014
- On-farm trial identifies better yielding potato varieties under naturally grown practices, December 30, 2013
- Dependable information for beginning farmers – where can it be found?, December 30, 2013
- MSU Extension offers online programs for beginning farmers, December 27, 2013
- On-farm crop tests can be powerful tools for individual farmers, November 21, 2013
- Malting barley varieties compared in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, November 21, 2013
- Strategies for disease control in crops, October 28, 2013
- Naturally grown hay production: The pros and cons, October 28, 2013
- Growing local barley for local beer-making, October 1, 2013
- Reasons to consider rye for fall cover, September 27, 2013
- White mold in dry edible beans is evident now, September 3, 2013
- Zinc and manganese: Be on the alert for deficiencies in sensitive crops, September 3, 2013
- What motivates beginning farmers?, July 31, 2013
- Local food retailers offer insights into ways beginning farmers can be successful, July 29, 2013
- Birdsfoot trefoil fills a forage need on many Michigan farms, July 3, 2013
- New tools emerging to measure soil health, June 14, 2013
- Getting started with field crops and hay in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, May 31, 2013
- Upper Peninsula field crop regional report – May 30, 2013, May 30, 2013
- Tips for horse hay producers – Part 2, April 23, 2013
- Tips for horse hay producers – Part 1, April 22, 2013
- Forage webinar captures highlights of winter Extension meetings, March 27, 2013
- Foliar fungicide use in corn, March 26, 2013
- Screening new wheat varieties for stem rust resistance, February 25, 2013
- A Michigan’s Upper Peninsula farmer uses buckwheat to improve low fertility clay soils, January 25, 2013
- Forage and weed species identification crucial for stressed fields, January 23, 2013
- Signs and symptoms of plant disease: Is it fungal, viral or bacterial?, December 19, 2012
- A quick look at plant disease caused by nematodes, December 14, 2012
- Cost of renovating hay or pasture fields in northern Michigan, November 9, 2012
- Single species versus multiple species cover crops, November 6, 2012
- Need detail on the soils you farm or manage? Try the NRCS Web Soil Survey, October 10, 2012
- Hunters on my farm, October 4, 2012
- Fungicide trial on oats shows favorable results, September 17, 2012
- Keys to successful establishment of grass-legume conventional seedings: Part II, September 10, 2012
- Keys to successful establishment of grass-legume conventional seedings: Part I, August 7, 2012
- Test weight in small grains, August 6, 2012
- Potassium fertility impacts hay and pasture performance during drought, July 11, 2012
- Short-season corn hybrids in northern Michigan – an option for grain?, July 6, 2012
- Exploring alternative field crops, June 18, 2012
- Milkweed in no-till fields and pastures: A persistent problem?, June 7, 2012
- Enterprise budgets for selected U.P. small grain crops, May 4, 2012
- Soil temperature, seed germination and the unusual spring of 2012, May 4, 2012
- Wrapping dry hay, April 11, 2012
- Is festulolium a cool-season forage grass you should consider?, March 2, 2012
- Michigan noxious weed laws, though rarely enforced, define and regulate prohibited/restricted weeds, February 9, 2012
- Diseases of red clover and birdsfoot trefoil, January 16, 2012
- Tips on diagnosing field crop diseases (Part II), January 12, 2012
- A closer look at leaf diseases of alfalfa, December 7, 2011
- Tips on diagnosing field crop diseases (Part I), December 7, 2011
- Gain knowledge on stem diseases of alfalfa, November 21, 2011
- Do fungicides make sense for oats and barley in northern Michigan?, November 14, 2011
- Gardeners and small-scale potato growers can help prevent late blight, October 14, 2011
- Be familiar with root rot diseases of alfalfa, October 14, 2011
- Thinking about planting crops into marginal land?, September 7, 2011
- Long-term research demonstrates conservation merits of no-till corn production, September 7, 2011
- Tell me again…what does “lime index” mean?, August 15, 2011
- Small grain and forage pea mixtures: A forage option, August 11, 2011
- Do I really need to add ammonium sulfate to my glyphosate spray mix?, July 8, 2011
- MSU Upper Peninsula research center field day will “focus on efficiency”, July 8, 2011
- Deer exclusion fencing on Michigan farms, June 10, 2011
- The “19-19-19” Upper Peninsula fertilizer program, June 9, 2011
- Industrial wood ash on crop land, May 13, 2011
- Crop requirements for sulfur vary, May 13, 2011
- Crown rust on oats, April 25, 2011
- Winter feeding practices affect soil fertility and subsequent crop performance, April 25, 2011
- Starting out with a “clean” field, April 6, 2011
- Field peas for northern Michigan, March 31, 2011
- Understanding how hay dries in the field, March 16, 2011
- Liming Michigan’s Upper Peninsula soils, March 15, 2011
- Understanding how hay dries in the field, March 15, 2011
Authored Documents
- New farm start-up, January 15, 2020
- Quality hay and pasture, March 6, 2019
- U-pick farming, April 9, 2018
- Getting started with crop nutrient management webinar, April 4, 2017
- Growing and selling malting barley, January 27, 2016
- Cover crops in organic vegetable rotations, January 11, 2016
- Hoophouses webinar, January 11, 2016
- Community supported agriculture farming, January 11, 2016
- Animal based enterprises, January 11, 2016
- Cover crops in field crop rotations, January 11, 2016
- Plant-based enterprises webinar, January 4, 2016
- Basics of small grains: Part 1 & 2, January 26, 2015