Q: What are some of the ways you’ve been practicing conservation?

I believe that the 4R’s (right source, right rate, right time, right place) …and nutrient management…is really the foundation of any conservation plan. It’s often the practice that makes the most economic sense when compared to the others because it can really improve your bottom line.

There’s soil testing every four years, and then variable rate application. And the piece that’s probably changed the most for me is around nitrogen application…transitioning to a strategy of applying nitrogen both at planting and after planting. This method is least susceptible to nitrogen loss, so it’s been one of the more recent changes to our in-season conservation plan.

In terms of other conservation efforts we are building more water and sediment control basins and waterways to control the flow of water where gully erosion is starting to happen. On the farm where I live, we embrace several different practices such as installing filter strips along the creek, shoring up erodible land, and putting in wildlife habitat. As a hunter, I’ve appreciated having parts of our farm support wildlife like pheasant, quail and deer.

We’ve also installed buffer zones to protect the streams, provide wildlife habitat, and pollinator habitats. We do a lot of this by taking areas out of production that tend to produce less anyway, where yields are lower, but costs are the same.

Q: What would you say to others who are thinking about proactively investing in conservation efforts of their own?

I’d say that in-field practices like cover crops and no-till are going to yield the greatest environmental benefits and improve water quality.

I also think that the technical support the local office can provide, through the soil and water district and Natural Resources Conservation Service, can be very valuable when it comes to adopting conservation practices, helping farmers better understand the opportunities that exist, and connecting them to the resources they need to be successful.

I’ve been connected with our local office for years as part of my role with AFT, and our conservation district recently got involved in developing a watershed plan. My farm is in a drinking water-supply lake watershed, and it’s been great to see more involvement from the local community, conservation district and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). They are examining the watershed and seeing which conservation practices will have the greatest impact on the watershed, which supplies drinking water to the community. Without that locally led conservation effort and having them on board, some of this would not be possible—especially in terms of getting the resources we need into the hands of farmers.

Q: What would you say to farmers who haven’t adopted conservation yet?

You have to consider: what are your goals? What concerns do you have? When we’re working off the farm and farming, efforts like cover crops and no-till save me time because they mean less time on the tractor, fewer hours in the field, and less use of our equipment, which also saves us money. So, it really means looking at the big picture and not just focusing on the yield and evaluating the total impact your efforts are having.

That means considering some questions: Is a combination of practices going to provide more long-term benefits down the road—three years from now, or maybe five years? How are the decisions I make today going to affect the soil for the next generation? Are my activities going to add value for those who will be using this land in the future? These are all important things to keep in mind when looking at the big picture.

Q: What kinds of concerns do you have about the next generation of farmer?

I’ve spent my whole career working full time, and as farm sizes get larger, I feel the risk is increasing, especially for smaller farmers. I’m all corn and soybeans now, so I’m thinking: Are there additional markets I can access today? There’s a lot of volatility in the market. Land prices keep escalating, making it harder for the next generation to get into agriculture. Land, machinery, input prices—they all make it challenging.

I was able to get into farming because of my dad. He said, “Here are some acres of your grandmother’s land you can rent.” But it’s taken me 25 years to get to the point I’m at today. Is that going to be the same for the next generation?

Q: Where does someone start if they want to get into conservation?

Well, for those who haven’t done anything conservation-related yet, a big component is identifying those fields or farms where it would be smart to start out with a few practices.

No-till and cover crops are easy for me to manage personally because I’ve already invested money in pattern drain tile to keep the soil moisture levels consistent. With tile drainage, some fields become more susceptible to nitrogen loss to creeks and streams.

When soil starts to go due to erosion, so does the phosphorous. So, it helps to focus on the fields where you know you’re going to see a bigger benefit from adopting the practices. Fields that have pattern drain tile installed, for example, and fields that are more rolling and contain marginal soils. Or maybe fields that have more topography to them, where the drainage is good but sometimes too good, causing erosion. These are the fields where we’re going to see the biggest benefits.

Wherever I’ve invested in tile, those are the first places I plant, and the first places I see benefits from no-till because it is easier to manage—I’m seeing the tile work. It’s going back to the 4R’s and the right TIME for nitrogen placement—doing it right beforehand so that I’m less likely to lose that nitrogen.

Last year, I invested in tiling another 80 acres of land. Both no-till and cover crops were challenging on that land, but I won’t have to till it any longer and I can get cover crops going as well. We’re really getting to a point where we’re able to say conservation doesn’t cost, it pays.

Q: How does renting versus owning the land impact the decision to employ conservation practices?

I own 120 of the 750 acres we’re on. Most of the land I farm on is owned by family. The first place I tried cover crops was on my own land because I wanted the risk to be mine and not shared by another landowner. Thinking about the practices and the time it takes to see the results, I’m more likely to improve the land I own first because it’s mine and I’ll be here to see those results.

When you look at farmers who’ve gone all in on no-till or cover crops, a lot of those guys own ALL of the land they farm. It certainly makes it easier to make that decision when it’s yours.

I do think it’s easy to use renting as an excuse not to do some of these things. But I see it as a way to develop better relationships with the landowners. It’s just saying “Hey, I want to do these things and try to improve the land.” And maybe if I can show [the landowners] that we’re investing in and improving the health of the soil, managing the nutrients and runoff better, and developing those relationships, then maybe we don’t simply lose out to the highest bidder. Because they see we’re actually working with them to improve the quality and the value of the land.

I still have room for growth on my farm, and it’s hard sometimes to do some of these practices. But I try to manage every field how it needs to be managed, continuing to learn every year. And always continuing to grow.