Four North Dakota Drift Prairie farmers and their farm operations participated in the demonstration project which proved that farmers are willing to make changes to protect the environment when those options are economically feasible. Stewards of the Land is their story.
Tom and Kathleen Langemo
- Location:
Barnes County - Watershed:
South Maple subbasin of the Sheyenne River - Acres Farmed:
1,500 - Crops Produced:
Soybeans, wheat - Livestock:
None - Farm Management:
Conventional
Tom's great grandfather purchased land from the railroad in 1879. The land has remained in the Langermo family since the purchase. Tom and Kathleen moved back to the farm in 1976 to help Tom's dad. After a trial period, Tom and Kathleen decided to continue farming. Over the next couple of years, they worked with Tom's dad to buy the farm and transition the management of the farm to Tom. They have been farming ever since.
For the Langemos, the most important change resulting from the CAP is their adoption of reduced-till and no-till practices. Tom transitioned from conventional tillage to concentrating tillage on prime soils. Tom explains, "With reduced-till and no-till, we make conscious decisions: do we go out and burn this fuel, and are we gong to accomplish anything for the cost? Back when we first started, we'd just work it. We don't do that anymore." According to Tom, the project is about "working smarter rather than longer."
The Langemos received incentive payments for setting aside 42 acres of wetlands and 80 acres of buffers around wetlands. The incentive payments made it possible for Tom to leave the marginal areas out of production and save the cost of inputs (seed, fuel). Tom admits that he will be re-evaluating the set aside land once the incentive payments cease. If the areas are too wet to work in the spring, they will probably remain grass; however, if it is a dry spring and the areas could be productive, it will be more difficult for Tom to leave the land seeded to grass.
The CAP exposed Tom to different technologies including satellite imagery and GPS measurement and guidance. Kathleen does most of the bookkeeping on the farm. At the beginning of the project, the Langemos changed to a computerized system which makes reports easier to access and information easier to find for taxes.
Direct access to experts on the Resource Analysis Team helped improve farm operations. Tom and Kathleen were able to review concerns and options on a regular basis and make highly informed decisions based on diverse perspectives. The Resource Analysis Team provided information and resources that helped the Langermos adjust their crop rotations to increase profitability and analyze the return on equipment investments.
As a conservation measure, Tom elected to set aside 42 acres of troublesome wet areas by planting 80 acres of grass filters. The asked the Resource Analysis Team to devise a means to document whether the grass filters would prevent soluble salts from creeping into his productive area. Three years of soil sampling show significant changes in the soil when went from moderately saline (triggering crop yield loss in 2001) to non-saline by the spring of 2004. The grass stopped the saline creep.
Over the course of the project, the Langemo's have experienced an 8% increase in breeding birds as well as a broader range of species.
The CAP program will have a lasting impact on the Langemo's farm. Tom is less fearful about using technology-based equipment, and will continue to evaluate and adopt different farm management practices like reduced tillage and setting aside marginal lands.