King of the Wilderness

Chapter 583: Chapter 297: Warrior Charter

”We have a strong fleet of agricultural machinery. The core consists of twelve John Deere heavy tractors and combines, which ensure efficiency.”

”Ground commuting relies on fifteen Ford F-350 heavy-duty pickups, and thirty Polaris UTV all-terrain vehicles for fast transit in complex terrain.”

”Sir, these twelve Green Legion units are the secret weapon that keeps the seemingly high feed costs controlled at 33 million dollars.”

”Without them, last year’s total feed expenditure would have probably exceeded five million dollars!”

He switched the projection, and on the map, a long, narrow green plain winding along the Giant Stone River was highlighted.

”In Wyoming, water is everything. It relies on our unparalleled senior water rights.”

”The former owner, Mr. Hunter, established a nearly three-thousand-acre modern irrigated agricultural zone in the most fertile river valley of the ranch, completely controlled by computers.”

”This is the main battlefield for the agricultural machinery fleet, fully following Wyoming’s efficient crop-livestock integration model, rotating two core feed crops to ensure soil fertility sustainability.”

Arthur’s laser pointer first pointed to a piece of land occupying approximately two thousand acres.

”Alfalfa is known as the king of forage; it is a perennial legume plant, whose root system can penetrate deep underground to fix nitrogen and improve the soil.”

”Wyoming’s high altitude with abundant sunlight and dry climate is very suitable for alfalfa growth, maximizing protein accumulation.”

”It’s usually sown in early May, and thanks to adequate irrigation, it can still achieve efficient harvesting in Wyoming’s short growing season.”

”Starting from the first harvest in late June to the last one in early September, it can be harvested three to four times in total.”

”Last year, this two thousand acres of land produced a total of about twelve thousand tons of top-grade alfalfa hay, equating to about 12,000 pounds (6 tons) per acre yield.”

”The crude protein content of this alfalfa remains stable above 20%, far superior to most commercial grasses available on the market.”

Next, his laser pointer moved to approximately a thousand acres of land next to it.

”Then there’s high-energy silage corn, which provides explosive heat for the fattening stage.”

”[ps: No need to picture corn!] ”

”The farm grows a specialized feed variety, not ordinary sweet corn, characterized by tall plants with impressive biomass.”

”Due to its longer growth cycle, sowing is done in mid to late May, after the frost period has completely passed.”

”Then, in mid to late September, when the corn ears reach the dough stage and the entire plant’s nutritional value is highest, it is harvested whole with large silage harvesters.”

”Sir, it must be emphasized that nowadays, most commercial ranches in the United States choose genetically modified herbicide-resistant or pest-resistant corn varieties to pursue yields and reduce costs.”

”But Mr. Hunter established the strictest rule from the beginning: no genetically modified crops are allowed on the land of ’Giant Stone River.’”

”Therefore, we spend a large amount every year to procure non-GMO corn seeds with the strictest certification from the few suppliers.”

”This undoubtedly significantly increases our planting costs and field management difficulties, as we must use more traditional, meticulous manual methods for weeding and pest control.”

”However, Mr. Hunter believes that this total control of the source and adherence to the pure natural concept are priceless.”

”This is also the assurance behind the ’Giant Stone River’ brand’s promise of absolute purity.”

”These crushed corn stalks and ears are immediately transported to sealed silage pits for fermentation.”

”This process perfectly preserves their energy and taste and is the key to forming top-grade marbling in the final fattening sprint stage of beef cattle!”

”Last year, this one thousand acres of land produced about nine thousand tons of high-quality silage feed, equating to 18,000 pounds (9 tons) per acre yield.”

Lin Yu’an nodded slightly, fully agreeing with this ultimate control of the source. But he quickly identified the most fragile, critical link in this seemingly perfect closed loop.

His question was pointed, ”Arthur, I fully agree with the non-GMO and ecological control concept. But after all, this is three thousand acres of open farmland, not a sterile laboratory.”

”If we encounter explosive, migratory pests like armyworms or locusts, relying solely on beneficial insects may not react in time.”

”Does Mr. Hunter have contingency plans for such events? We can’t just watch a year’s harvest be wiped out, can we?”

”Sir, your concerns are completely valid, which is why the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system jointly developed by Mr. Hunter and the Yale ecological team for Giant Stone River is at the core.”

”This system is divided into four lines of defense.”

”The first line of defense is ecological defense; it uses crop rotation, beneficial insect buffer zones, and healthy soil to prevent 99% of conventional pests and diseases to the maximum extent.”

”The second line of defense is scientific monitoring; under Hank’s supervision, two young cowboys drive UTVs daily, bringing professional monitoring equipment to conduct grid inspections of the farmland, recording pest and beneficial insect population densities.”

”The farm has a strict intervention threshold, and only when pest density could cause more than 5% economic loss do we initiate intervention.”

”The third line of defense is biological precision intervention; once intervention is initiated, the farm prioritizes using drones to precisely release parasitic wasp egg cards in specific areas.”