Fall soil sampling in Minnesota and North Dakota
Independent soil sampling crew based in Park Rapids, MN. Zone and grid soil sampling before freeze-up. Hydraulic probe on a Polaris Ranger. 200,000+ acres sampled. We do not sell fertilizer.
Don't write next year's fertilizer bill on a guess. Plan zone or grid sampling around harvest, field conditions, and freeze-up, with optional prescription maps built for the controller you already run.
Call or text: (218) 255-2189
How it works
- Send acres and county. We tell you zone vs. grid, shallow vs. deep, and what timing and field conditions look like before freeze-up.
- We sample it. Hydraulic probe on a Ranger. Consistent depth. GPS points. Shallow 0–8" and optional deep 8–24" for residual nitrate.
- Lab and maps. Nutrient levels, pH, organic matter. Zones that match how the field actually yields — not a grid dropped on a plat map by default.
- Optional prescription map. Add a variable-rate N, P, K, lime, or population map formatted for John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Trimble, Raven, or Ag Leader.
Zone sampling vs. grid sampling
Zone sampling — for variable ground. Built from imagery, yield, topography, or in-season NDVI. Uses fewer samples than a tight grid and fits fields with obvious high and low areas. The default recommendation for most corn, soy, and small-grain acres in this region.
Grid sampling — when the field is new, manure history is messy, or you want a tight baseline on every few acres. We can use your existing map or create a custom grid — never a one-size package.
Optional deep core (8–24") for residual nitrate helps avoid buying nitrogen already in the profile. Optional prescription maps available as an add-on.
Independent — we do not sell fertilizer
Most sampling in this region is done by the same place that wants to fill the tender. We don't sell fertilizer, lime, seed, or custom application. Kevin pulls the cores. John helps read the field. You buy product where you already buy it. Your soil test should not be a product ticket.
Who is in the field
Kevin Vaadeland — Technology and sampling. 7+ years in precision ag. 200,000+ acres of soil sampling. Part 107 drone pilot. Runs the Ranger probe and creates optional prescription maps.
John Vaadeland — Kevin's dad and partner. 30+ years as a potato agronomist on potatoes and row crops across the Upper Midwest. Helps match the sampling plan to the crop, not just the software. Father-son crew based in Park Rapids. 20,000+ acres sampled in a year with one hydraulic rig.
Service area
We work across Minnesota, North Dakota, and beyond. Corn, soybeans, potatoes, small grains, sunflowers, edible beans, sugarbeets. Send the field location so we can confirm routing and timing around harvest, weather, and field conditions. Phone: (218) 255-2189.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should we sample?
After harvest, before freeze-up. The window depends on harvest, weather, and field conditions. Fall is the preferred window because you get the winter to plan. Spring is the backup.
Zone or grid?
Most variable ground up here does better with zones — especially if we have imagery, yield, or NDVI. Grid is the right call on new ground, heavy manure history, or when you want a tight baseline. Send a field boundary and we'll tell you which.
Do I have to buy fertilizer from you?
No. We don't sell fertilizer. You get the data, and you can add a prescription map if you want us to create one. You buy product where you want.
What do I get back?
Sampling points, lab results, and a field summary. If you want us to create it, you can add a variable-rate file that loads in John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Trimble, Raven, or Ag Leader.
How fast do results come back?
We don't let samples sit in a shed. Lab time depends on the lab and the tests. Sending your details early gives us time to review the field location and confirm timing around routing, harvest, weather, field conditions, and freeze-up before you make the winter fertility plan.
What is the minimum?
Tell us the acres. Small fields get quoted honestly. We would rather tell you if a field doesn't pencil than take a job that doesn't make sense for either of us.
Can you use the drone maps you already flew?
Yes. If we collected NDVI or NDRE on that field this season, those zones can drive the fall sampling plan.
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