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.
Darrell & Deborah Odegaard
- Location:
Towner County - Watershed:
Devils Lake Basin, Mauvis Coulee - Acres Farmed:
2,500 - Crops Produced:
Wheat, malting barley, flax, canola, soybeans, peas, oats, corn - Livestock:
50 head Black Angus breeding stock - Farm Management:
Conventional
The Odegaard farm has been in the family for about 56 years. Darrell grew up on the farm, but went to UND to study business management. After graduation, Darrell worked in retail, but in 1985 had the opportunity to return and farm with his father. Darrell says, "I always wanted to be a farmer." Darrell and Deborah raise small grains and row crops. They also have 50 head of Black Angus brood cows. The calves are primarily sold for breeding stock. Darrell and his dad have been selecting this genetic line over many years.
Soil conservation is not a new idea to the Odegaards. "We haven't changed drastically in our practices," explains Darrell. "My dad was quite conserned about soil conservation, too. While Darrel and Deborah continue to manage their farm with a conservation philosophy, they acknowledge that making a living at farming is also important.
"Farm the Best; Alternatives on the Rest" pretty much says it all according to Darrell. "I look at the marginal areas and I wouldn't say I've got them all conquered, but you see what you can do with them and you avoid dumping money on them and getting nothing back."
The most significant change the CAP had on the Odegaard farm is the level of crop residue left on the fields. The CAP increased Darrell's understanding of soil structure and how it is improved by reduced-tillage and increased organic matter. "I try to leave as much crop residue as possible," states Darrell. After seeding, Darrell's fields have been measured at 60 - 70 % residue. To maximize his conservation residue, Darrell cut back to one tillage pass in the fall and started to increase his fall weed control.
Prior to participating in the CAP, the Odegaards graze their cows in one big pasture. The cows would over-graze on some grasses and not eat others at all. To better utilize the grass in the pasture, the Odegaards separated the pasture into two parts. By limiting the area the cows can graze at certain times, the cows don't 'wear out' the grass they prefer. Also, the new arrangement prevents the cows from grazing in the wetlands area with taller grass which ducks use for nesting in the spring. Once the nesting season is done, the cows are moved to graze in this section of pasture.
Deborah is the bookkeeper for the farm. She has a degree in farm and ranch management. Her skills compliment Darrell's management skills. She confides, "He doesn't do computers." In addition to tracking direct costs, the Odegaards pay special attention to their farm equity, and closely monitor their rental land for profitability.
Both Darrell and Deborah appreciated the broad knowledge base brought to the table by the Resource analysis Team. "The whole Resource Team is learning in this process," explains Darrell. "My county agent is listening to the seed guy or the soils guy, and they're going back and forth. It's really good and this whole group is learning more every meeting." The only frustration Darrell had with the process was when federal team members were not allowed to compromise on wetlands issues due to federal laws and regulations.
The Odegaards have been enrolled in he Adult Farm Management course since 1986. They use it to track profitability for crops, profitability of rental land, and to determine the bottom price they can accept for a crop to break even. The grass buffer stirps and residue management has also helped the bottom line. Deborah explains, "One less pass means you're burning less fuel." With fuel prices doubling in two years, the decreased tillage results in significant savings.
The Odegaards stess the need for flexible conservation programs. Darrell believes that when qualified, knowledgeable people make decisions based on local circumstances, the decisions are better. When you can work with a locally administered program, you have the flexibility to create a plan that makes sense on your farm rather than trying to implement requirements made in Washington DC with little or no local input.
Bruce & Sandy Teubner
Location: Towner County
Watershed: Devils Lake Basin, Mauvis Coulee
Acres Farmed: 2,800
Crops Produced: Sunflowers, durum wheat, spring wheat, canola, borage
Livestock: None
Farm Management: Conventional
Bruce's grandfather started farming 50 years ago. Bruce's father later took over the farm management. Bruce always wanted to be a farmer. He states, "Farming is the only thing I've ever wanted to do really since I was small.". That dream was fulfilled 21 years ago when Bruce started farming with his father. Bruce has been taking over more of the farm management decisions in recent years, however, his father remains active in the farming operation.
The CAP dramatically changed the Teubner's farm management strategy. According to Bruce, The biggest thing that has changed is how we handle our crop residue on top. Over the course of the project, Bruce has experimented with minimum-till and no-till. Bruce is now trying no-till on approximately 1/3 of the acres he farms. He will use minimum tillage on the rest of the land. Bruce also has a new appreciation for the value of annual soil testing for nitrogen, other crop nutrients, pH and salts.
To achieve residue conservation, Bruce started using narrower shovels on his field cultivator. As he began seeing the beneficial results of the increased crop residue, Bruce began considering other options, including the purchase of a no-till drill. "I'm not 100 percent sure no-till will work here," states Bruce, "but I think we're getting closer and improved technology has helped that." Bruce also believes that rising costs of fuel will generate more interest in no-till because farmers will have to find ways to reduce expenses.
Prior to his participation in the CAP, Bruce paid little attention to soil quality. "When people talk about soil tests, the first thing they always want to know about is nitrogen," states Bruce. "But going through these tests every fall, the fields that all ran good are the fields that had good organic matter in them."
In the past, Bruce knew that some fields had better yields than others, but he couldn't explain why. Now, when Bruce looks at the soil test results, he can see the impact those results have on his crops. Bruce also uses the soil test results to minimize the use of costly inputs on his fields. "We're paying a lot closer attention to the amount of nitrogen and trying not to over apply. It definitely pays to soil test."
Bruce was using GPS technology on his seeder and sprayer prior to his involvement with CAP. He bought the equipment as an alternative to field markers, which would let him know his location on the field. Bruce now has auto steer on his tractor which allows Bruce to concentrate more on the field application and settings.
In addition to her off-farm job as Chief Financial Officer at the local hospital, Sandy also does the bookkeeping for the farm. The Adult Farm Management course and reports help them evaluate which parts of the operation are profitable and which parts lose money. The Teubners plan to continue with the program after the CAP. For them, the program is worthwhile because it helps them catch oversights in their taxes and motivates them to keep their farm books up-to-date.
Bruce told his Resource Analysis Team, "I want to prove to myself that no-till will not work on my farm." Bruce started testing no-till by dedicating a 156 acre field to wheat production. He was able to achieve 60% residue conservation on a majority of his fields in 2003. The production on the experimental fields was equal to the fields that he had tested and he was able to use less inputs on the experimental fields. In 2004, the 156 acres in no-till wheat and the cover remaining was evaluated at 80 percent.
At the spring 2005 Resource Analysis Team meeting, Bruce announced that he had purchased a no-till drill and had fitted it with an anhydrous application system that allows him to apply his seed and anhydrous in one pass. Bruce says, "I've bought a new no-till drill, so I'm not sure that my plan of disproving no-till is working very well!"
One of the most important environmental changes on the Teubner farm is the increased organic matter. Besides seeing better yields, Bruce is also noticing less water erosion and more water infiltration into the soil.
Before the CAP, Bruce used larger cultivator shovels and tried to cover the crop residue through tillage. "I don't get concerned about leaving residue anymore because after a while you start to see the benefits of having it on top of the ground," explains Bruce. "My soil doesn't blow away. I've got some fields that have blown when I've cultivated too deep. Now that I've left residue, my soil has stopped blowing away."
The Teubner farm showed the most avian diversity of all four farms in the CAP. Ducks, geese, grebes, wading birds, rails, coots, sandpipers, gulls, terns, and black birds had the greatest numbers while Blue-winged Teal, Black Terns and several species uncommon to North Dakota – the yellow rail and the white-faced Ibis, were also found.
One of the key indicators of successful habitat change is the incidence of birds using habitats for breeding as opposed to just passing through. A 21 percent increase in breeding behavior was observed from 2001 to 2004 on the Teubners alternatives sites. The Teubner's farm provides the unique habitat required by various species and also fosters biodiversity.
Participation in the CAP not only had a positive economic impact on the Teubners, it also provided an educational experience. "I'm not from a farm," explains Sandy. "I grew up in Minneapolis, so I don't get involved in day-to-day operations. The project has increased my farm knowledge." Their son Bryce has also developed a keen interest in birds.
When first approached about participating in the CAP, Bruce declined twice. "hen you hear conservation and wildlife groups are involved," Bruce admits, "you don't want to be involved." Bruce cited the perpetual easement program for wildlife which his grandfather enrolled in the 1960's. Even though the farm and the economy have changed, Bruce must still follow the rules set up under the easement.
As a result of the project Bruce has more respect for wildlife groups. "It's still hard to get along with the wildlife guys," says Bruce. "They're not so bad. They have a job to do. It's nice to have them come to the table and sit down and get an understanding of where I'm coming from."