Prairie Public Television : Stewards of the Land : Opportunities

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.

Opportunities

The Plan

With 90% of North Dakotas landscape in agricultural use, the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust began developing a concept to involve farmers as partners in a large-scale conservation effort.

The project began by developing actions and programs to increase the profitability of agriculture while also promoting private water storage and conservation. If farmers could set aside less than prime farmland and receive payment for those acres, the farmers would have the flexibility to focus their farming expertise and direct input costs on the most productive soils. The strategy was projected to lower input costs and make farming more efficient while lowering the use of fuels, herbicides and fertilizers. At the same time, less productive lands would provide a wealth of societal benefits within the watershed including wildlife habitat, flood management and decreased erosion.

The Implementation

In 2000, the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust initiated Sustainable Agriculture with the mission to demonstrate that when agriculture and conservation thrive together, agriculture's profitability is enhanced and conservation of natural resources and societal benefits are realized as well.

The five year demonstration project was designed to:

  • Protect natural resources while maintaining a profitable farm economy.
  • Improve communication between wildlife agencies, conservationists and farmers, and
  • Improve the quality of life for people who live and work on the farms.

Project Structure

The CAP required a new way of approaching the challenges, a new way of communicating, and a new way of decision-making including the creation of an advisory board to manage the 5-year project, Resource Teams to assist the farmers in the whole farm planning process, and criteria to select diverse farm operations for the demonstration.

Advisory Board

Established in 2000, the Conservation Agriculture Advisory Board included 13 members – eight farmers/land owners, and five agency representatives from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, NDSU Extension, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the ND Natural Resources Trust. The Advisory Board developed and managed the program including creating the selection criteria for demonstration farms.

The Advisory Board had a number of strengths that supported the success of the project including:

  • The Board was locally led and had effective authority to implement the CAP project on four demonstration farms without restriction of a federal agency.
  • The Board structure of eight farmers and five agency representatives ensured a landowner majority voice throughout the life of the project.
  • Officers of the board were elected and the President and Vice President were required to be farmers.
  • The Board had a budget and real authority over the budget.
  • Activities weren't dominated by any one agency or organization. Every board member was respected and valued
  • The Board met quarterly with a planned agenda. Complete metting minutes and motions were recorded.
  • Farmers who served on the Board were given a stipend and mileage to attend meetings. Agency representatives attended meetings on payroll and travel was paid.

Resource Analysis Teams

Current conservation programs place the burden of research and decision-making on the farmer who must visit, gather data and juggle the complex and oftentimes conflicting program requirements of the various multiple agencies.

A key component of the CAP program is the utilization of a Resource Analysis Team in the whole farm planning process. Members of the team came together around the farmer’s table to discuss soil types, farm economics and farm programs.

Together, the farmer and team members developed a whole farm plan which addressed the economic, social and environmental characteristics of sustainability and made technical recommendations based on the farmer's vision for his or her farm.

Resource Analysis Teams met twice a year and individually as requested by the farmer to review the whole farm plan and address challenges on the farm.

Each Resource Analysis Team had seven members:

  • Adult Farm Management Instructor (AFMI) – The AMFI from the Jamestown Vo-Tech Center and the Lake Regional College established a system of record keeping with each farmer. The instructors conducted an annual year-end farm analysis, assisted with income and expense projections, conducted farm management classes, and built local, regional, and state analysis reports.
  • Economist – The USDA Agricultural Research Service economist from Morris, MN, assisted the AMFI in establishing baseline inputs and outputs for each demonstration farm. The economist also assisted with the year-end analysis and helped determine net income returns. The economist conducted the farm efficiency analysis and determined the change in farm inputs.
  • Agronomist – The NDSU Extension or Maple Valley Ag Products agronomist assisted in developing profitable agricultural practices, which included input reduction. The agronomist helped designate prime and non-prime soils on each farm and helped develop non-production, alternative resource uses. An independent consultant served as an animal nutritionist as needed.
  • Soil Scientist – Soil Scientists from the USDA or Agvise analyzed appropriate land treatment choices in terms of soil and evaluated proposed land treatment in terms of conservation.
  • District Conservationist – The local Natural Resources conservation Service district conservationist evaluated the demonstration farm in terms of conservation deficient areas, advised regarding existing programs and facilitated enrollment in appropriate programs.
  • Wildlife Biologist – The wildlife biologist from the US Fish and Wildlife Service or the Trust evaluated the land and alternative uses in terms of wildelilfe habitat, protection, enhancement, eco-tourism and their benefits to wildlife.
  • Quality of Life Specialist – The quality of life specialist was engaged in rural ministry within the watershed and monitored the discussion and development of the whole farm plan to ensure that changes made fostered health families and sound communities with an ecological conscience. They also provided guidance to assure that basic human needs were met and people felt secure.

The Resource Analysis Team members were diverse in their backgrounds, coming from federal agencies, state agencies, private non-profit organizations, agricultural industries, ministerial associations and retired technical personnel. This breadth of experience brought numerous insights and diverse knowledge-bases to the farmers' tables.

According to the demonstration farmers, the Resource Analysis Teams provided valuable information in the decision-making process. Likewise, team members reported that it was a positive experience to apply routine knowledge to a specific farmer and see how that information had an impact year after year. Following the same farm operation for five years allowed the team members to observe the "trials and tribulations" of the farming experience and to make good recommendations.

The team meetings also provided a forum for lively and spirited discussion regarding the best ways for individual farmers to reach their whole farm goals. In addition to sharing information with the farmers, team members shared information with each other and provided a broader perspective.

However, it did take time to develop trusting relationships between "turf" protecting agency representatives and between the farmers and the team members. The holistic, multifaceted discussion of the farm and the farm family, rather than only production agriculture, illuminated the value of the team approach and the importance of diverse knowledge-bases.

Selection Criteria

The Advisory Board felt it was important to select farms representative of farming in the state. The selection criteria for demonstration farms included:

  • Landscape diversity;
  • Farm diversity including livestock, crops, grassland and diversity in water resources;
  • Landowner has a positive attitude and commitment to program objectives and is credible;
  • Represent North Dakota farms with the primary income source being farming;
  • Represent the diversity of watersheds with preferences plased on farms in specific locations within the watersheds;
  • Farm has the potential to demonstrate conservation and wetlands management;
  • Best area fo demonstration with easy accessibility for farm tours; and
  • Possibility for partnerships or cooperation with other programs or projects.

The Advisory Board nominated twenty-six farmers from the Drift Prairie Region as possible demonstration farmers for the project. Of those nominated, 19 farmers agreed to be surveyed and considered for the Conservation Agriculture Project. From those farmers surveyed, the Advisory Board selected four farmers.