When Randy Small returned to his family farm south of Neodesha, Kansas, in the mid-1990s following college, he studied continuous no-till to see whether the system could extend labor resources and reduce costs. Randy and his wife, Nicole, implemented 100 percent no-till in 1999 and haven’t looked back. Small’s initial presumptions not only came true, but soil organic matters on his no-till fields have improved dramatically and, most importantly, weed control is much improved due to keeping the ground covered.
The Smalls’ efforts earned them the National Corn Growers Association’s 2018 Good Steward Recognition, presented at Commodity Classic in Anaheim, California, in February. The program and recognition funding is provided by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation as part of its Harvesting the Potential campaign to raise awareness among United States farmers of the importance of conservation agriculture.
Systems approach
As 2S Land and Cattle, Randy, Nicole and their two children, Dexter and Maddix, farm 2,350 cropland acres and manage 400 head of cows. Continuous long-term, low-disturbance, no-till is a focal point of the operation. They believe the best way to ensure the farm remains productive in the future is to pass their conservation ethic on to their children.
The Smalls have developed a grazing system that works in harmony with their cow/calf operation to improve pasture stands, plant species diversity and the wildlife native to the area.
With continuous no-till and adoption of cover crops, the Smalls have noticed improvements in natural drainage of fields, a decrease in wind erosion and an increase in beneficial soil born species. A three-year crop rotation schedule is used to maintain maximum residue cover while still changing plant species. The rotation includes corn, wheat with red clover and double crop or relay soybeans. “We try to really intensify our crop rotation,” said Randy in an interview. “Anything we can do to keep the ground covered is great for weed control.”
Much of the farmland in Randy and Nicole’s area is located near river bottoms where soil erosion and nutrient runoff are more problematic. The soil conservation practices implemented on their operation ensure that the soil remains in place and nutrient loading isn’t an issue in local waterways. Not only are they decreasing pollution, but also improving soil health and productivity on their farm.
Big benefits
“When you take organic matter in our river bottom soils from less than 1 percent to 4 or 5 percent, you see changes in soil structure, mineralization of nutrients and it becomes a totally different scenario of farming in our area,” Randy said.
Herbicide applications are applied to reduce runoff into surface waters. Applying the correct pesticide and fertilizer rates is important to the overall ecosystem.
The Smalls follow Integrated Pest Management protocols with every field scouted for pests, weeds or insects, before pesticides are applied. Economic threshold recommendations are also taken into consideration before any pesticides are applied.
Cover crops, prairie grass management and wildlife plantings are key tools along with limiting mowing and significant buffer areas along field borders.
Cover crops have been used both as green manure crop and extended grazing on the crop acres for the livestock operation. Wildlife populations also enjoy the benefit of the added cover over the winter and summer months. Perennial cover crops, such as red clover, have also been used after wheat to provide additional grazing, hay and seed production. Red clover serves multiple purposes, providing nitrogen for the soil, it can also be grazed and makes a great crop in which to plant soybeans.
“Red clover is our favorite thing to graze,” Nicole said.
Nicole shares much of their farm experiences on her blog, Tales of A Kansas Farm Mom. The blog has had more than 540,000 unique page views and she is also active telling the story of their farm through social media. She also provides a wealth of quick and easy recipes that appeal to busy parents, who can also get a glimpse of life on the farm.
“The Small family…provide a great example of the kind of progressive soil management and stewardship gaining momentum today,” said Kevin Skunes, NCGA president from Arthur, North Dakota, in a statement.
“We are pleased to support the Good Steward Award to recognize farmers who demonstrate superior commitment to sustainable farming practices,” said Howard G. Buffett, chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. “We are proud to partner with NCGA to advance soil health and conservation agriculture among America’s farmers, who play a critical role in feeding the world, and congratulate Randy and Nicole on this recognition.”
Bill Spiegel can be reached at 785-587-7796 or [email protected].
