Protecting Our Livelihood…

When I fell in love with my favorite farmer at the age of 18, I began to research his home state of Nebraska.  This interest in “where he came from” transferred over to my studies, and I wrote a research paper on the Ogallala Aquifer for one of my Environmental Studies classes at Dartmouth College.

At the time I did not realize it, but the Ogallala Aquifer is perhaps the single most important natural resource for our farm.  It is a subsurface body of water that underlies approximately 80% of the Hi Plains region of the country.  Nebraska is located above one of the deepest parts of the aquifer.

Approximately 2/3′s of our crop ground is irrigated directly from the aquifer, and it is also our source for drinking water (although usually our family drinks it out of a facet)…

In addition to ground water irrigation, Central and Western Nebraska are known for surface irrigation.  Our surface irrigation system is comprised of a series of ditches and reservoirs that work with the Platte River to bring rain water and snow melt from North Central Colorado and Eastern Wyoming to our region.

The irrigation pivot north of the feed yard that uses recycled water in addition to surface irrigation water to help this corn grow.

The surface irrigation system described above, in addition to irrigating our crops, also works to replenish the aquifer.  Together with water conservation practices and more efficient irrigation methods, this surface irrigation system has actually increased the water levels of the aquifer underneath Central Nebraska during the last 25 years.

One of my favorite parts of summer is looking at the lush green of Matt’s alfalfa fields.

Water, quite literally, brings life to our farm.  Our family, our animals, and our crops cannot survive without it.  It is paramount for Matt and I to take care of our water supply—our farm is not sustainable without it.

The promise of life…

The use of soil water probes, center pivots, and water recycling practices all play a role in the conservation of our precious water sources.  However, we must not only conserve the surface and ground water but also to protect the quality of the life-giving aquifer.

In partnership with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, I began Ground Water Monitoring testing at the feed yard in 2003.  I test the ground water (its depth and its quality) two times per year in five different strategically placed wells surrounding the feed yard.

Taking a water sample out of one of the five testing wells that surround the feed yard.

This allows me (and the NDEQ) to monitor the depth of ground water surrounding our farm, track the directional flow of the water, and ensure that ground water quality is not negatively impacted by my feed yard.  In its simplest form, Ground Water Monitoring is my report card of the job that I do to responsibly manage the nutrients on my farm.

Twenty years ago, when I met my favorite farmer, I had no idea that I would become a key contributor to our farm and the protection of its natural resources.  Today, I wear many hats:  American, Wife, Mom, Cattle Feed Yard Boss Lady, Caregiver of Natural Resources.  I wear them all with pride, never forgetting that my responsible diligence determines the environmental sustainability of my livelihood.

March Madness…

It’s March.  In Nebraska, this is the month known for wind, basketball, preparation for crop planting, and more wind.  My favorite farmer is following the basketball tournaments with enthusiasm, while also developing a certain personal sense of March Madness as he begins to do field work and prepare for planting.

Here the tractor is “packing” the soil so that it is smooth and level to plant seed into…

As the calendar warns of spring, Matt’s internal clock starts to crank up a notch as low key winter chores turn into higher energy preparations for the growing season.  One of the winter chores that we are wrapping up is hauling manure out of the feed yard pens to be used as fertilizer for our farm ground.

Good soil health is critical to the sustainability of our farm.

Taking soil samples from a field that will be tested at a local laboratory. The results tell Matt the nutrient levels in the soil.

It is what ensures that our land will be productive year after year.  According to my favorite farmer, the four key components for soil health are: balanced nutrients and moisture levels, active soil biology, and tilth (the composition of the soil relative to solids, liquids, and air).NRCSsoildocument

The by-product of my cattle (manure) plays an important role in both creating a healthy balance of soil nutrients and an active soil biology.  While some people may view manure as “icky”, to Matt it is a valuable resource.

The tractor and box scraper cleaning a home pen…

We harvest the manure by using a tractor and box scraper to lift the manure off of the surface of our feed yard pens.  We pile this manure temporarily in the pens before Matt’s crew hauls it to farm land that has been identified through soil testing as needing fertilizer.

A pile of manure in a home pen ready to be hauled out to farm ground and used as fertilizer…

Being diligent in cleaning the manure out of the pens serves a dual purpose.  It not only provides Matt with a valuable resource for our crop ground, but it also ensures good living conditions for our cattle.

The manure truck transports the fertilizer from the feed yard to the appropriate field, and then spreads it on the land at an agronomic rate (determined by the field’s soil nutrient count and the nutrient levels in the manure).

Cattle comfort is a priority to me because it is important for good animal welfare, but it also plays a role in reducing the environmental footprint of my feed yard.  When my cattle are comfortable, they are more efficient in converting their feed into pounds of beef thereby making it more environmentally friendly.

Comfortable cattle in a clean home pen…

Harvesting manure “on farm” also allows Matt and I to have a more balanced and sustainable farm.  We grow crops that are fed to animals, our cattle provide primary products (like beef) and secondary products (like manure).  The manure is taken back to the farm ground to replace the needed nutrients that were taken out with the initial crop growth.

While this is a very simplified flow chart of resources on our farm, it gives you an idea of how all of the different facets work together to form a Sustainable Spring (when mixed with just a little bit of March Madness!)

The Love Story…

More than a year ago, author Susan Amestoy contacted me because she was putting together a book of love stories.  She wanted to include Matt and I in her short story collection entitled So, How Did You Meet Anyway?  Susan is premiering our story for a second time on her blog site today (hopefully that means that it was popular the first time!).  For those of you that are interested in how the farm boy from Nebraska met the city girl from Florida, read on…and enjoy!

16 and a half years ago…

As my parents put me on a plane for Dartmouth College in September of 1993, my mother’s parting words were “Anne, stay away from the senior boys…”  I smiled, gave them both a hug, and determinedly walked aboard the aircraft ready to start my life as a college student.

Six weeks later, I looked across the room at a fraternity party and I knew that my world was about to change.  There was a great looking blue eyed boy (with devil’s horns glued to his forehead) smiling and heading my way.  Our conversation that night was short as I had an early swim team practice the following morning and he had imbibed plenty of beer…but we were destined to meet up again a couple weeks later.  I still remember what t shirt and jeans he was wearing that first night…And I will never forget the first time that I saw those blue eyes and gorgeous smile off-set by ridiculous looking devil’s horns!

I had found my “senior boy”.

We had our first date Thanksgiving weekend as we both stayed on campus due to sports practice obligations.  I casually asked him where he was from…He replied, “Nebraska.  My dad’s a farmer”.  I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu that night because I was worried that a farmer from Nebraska did not have very much money…Coming from urban Palm Beach County Florida my experience with “Nebraska farmers” was pretty limited!

Apart from swimming, football practice, and class; we were rarely seen outside of each other’s company.  Our team mates and his fraternity brothers teased us unmercifully, but we both recognized that we were soul mates.  We got a dog together the following spring…My mother inquired if I was aware of how long dogs lived?  Taylor (the dog) lived a long and comfortable life before passing away at age 13 and 1/2.  Matt will tell anyone who will listen that Taylor was our first child…

Much to my parents surprise and dismay, we got engaged on my 20^th birthday and married the summer before my senior year in college.  No matter how odd it seemed to our family and friends to marry so early, it felt right to us.  We spent the first year of our marriage at Dartmouth and then moved to Nebraska two days after I received my B.A. in psychology, and Matt received his Masters of Engineering.

Matt and I are the only two Dartmouth College graduates that live in rural Nebraska.  We are often asked why we moved to rural America after having received Ivy League degrees.  The answer is simple:  it felt right.  Today (15 years later), we raise crops, cattle, and three beautiful daughters in what I fondly call “God’s Country”.  Our life together is full of challenges as we work hard to care for our animals and quite literally “feed the world”.

I still like to tease my mom about “those senior boys” that she warned me to stay away from.  She just laughs and tells me that with three daughters of my own that I will one day worry about them too!

If you are interested in more love stories that Susan has collected, you can visit her site: http://wwwsohowdidyoumeet.blogspot.com/

Feeding The Body and the Soul: A look at how we grow food and spiritualism in Central Nebraska…

I am what some would call a cradle Episcopalian.  I was raised a member of Bethesda By The Sea Episcopal church in Palm Beach, Florida; and have spent my adult life a part of the family of St. Christopher’s in Cozad, Nebraska.

We are the little A-frame church that sits on the corner of 16th and B streets…

While I am a regular church goer, the heart of my spiritualism lies outside of the doors of the church building.  It is deeply rooted in nature and is an integral part of my adult life.

• It is present on my cattle farm.
• It is present in the volunteer work that I do to improve animal (cattle) welfare.
• It is present on the youth athletic fields where I mentor and coach.
  

  God’s paintbrush is evident as fall prevails on the prairie…

Friday afternoon I will be sharing my thoughts on the topic Feeding the Body and the Soul: A look at how we grow food and spiritualism in Central Nebraska at the 145^th Annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska.

While I am very open and transparent about how I raise cattle and grow beef on my farm, I tend to hold my faith in a more private place.  Despite that introverted tendency, I “take God with me” on my life journey.

What a beautiful journey it has been in the heartland of Nebraska.

There is something about wide open spaces and farming the land that lends itself to being closely tied to faith.  Perhaps it is the beauty of a sunset over the plains…Perhaps it is the feeling of intense pride and contentment that comes from growing things with your own two hands…Perhaps it is the feeling of helplessness that comes from witnessing the brutality of Mother Nature…Most likely, it is all of these things that lends a farmer toward a strong personal spiritualism.

The beautiful promise of new opportunity…

I have a sign in one of my flower gardens that reads:  The kiss of the sun for pardon; The song of the birds for mirth.  One is nearer God’s heart in a garden, than any place else on the earth.

There are times when I am exercising calves in the early morning light when I feel a comforting presence about me.  I feel peace, and with it a strong sensation that I am where I was meant to be.  When I think of what I desire most in the world as a parent, it is that my children will grow up to discover a vocation that brings them this same sense of “rightness”.

My greatest wish is for each of them to find a true vocation in life…

It is true that Nebraska is an enormous contributor to our country’s food supply.  Agriculture is the heart of our communities, our lives, and our economy.  If our rural “Fly Over State” is known for anything, it is for corn, crops and cattle.  What folks outside of our small communities might not realize is the strong sense of faith that prevails amongst the farms and ranches that permeate our state.

A simple beauty…

Just as Nebraska grows food, that growth of food seems intrinsically tied to faith.  That spiritual belief moves us forward in good times and in times of challenges. It unites us into a diverse family and creates a sense of “neighborliness” that is truly unique.

The next time that you think of Nebraska, you’ll have to add faith to the list of things that we grow—it blossoms amidst the bounty that our land produces…

Corn Harvest…

In the spring we plant the seed with the hope of moisture, sun light and growth…

With a bit of grace from God, combined with a bit of help to control the weeds…

It grows through the summer months…

We water it with sprinklers when the rains do not come…

Or on some fields we use gravity flow irrigation through pipes instead…

All while protecting our natural resources so that they can provide for our family and for you…

It grows to be taller than my “Ivy League Farmer”, and makes seeds and fiber which will nourish both us and our animals…

In the fall, the plant dies and we harvest its spoils…

The Golden Jewel of the Midwest…

A combine harvests the Jewel…

Tall, Strong, Golden

They sway,

in the wind.

Farmer’s pride

Combine time

harvest season is here.

The corn is picked

leaving bare, desolate fields.

Until next summer,

I bid you well, O Corn

the Midwest’s Jewel.

Poem by Ashley Grace

The Heart of a Farmer…

My husband would tell you that he majored in engineering because that was the department at Dartmouth that had the best toys.  When we graduated from school and moved back to the family farm in Nebraska, he put his engineering knowledge to work with lots of really big toys.

One of the first major decisions that Matt made when we moved back to the farm was to purchase a big alfalfa harvester.  It looks ALOT different than the horse drawn equipment that I shared pictures of on Tuesday…

I have met many farmers over the past 16 years—every single one of them is enamored with equipment.  It does not seem to matter if it is a horse drawn plow or a thirty foot disk pulled by a 290 horse power tractor, it pulls them in like a powerful magnet.

5 beautiful draft horses pull a small plow through an old alfalfa field…

Two blondes, 290 modern “horses” and a 30 foot disk…The equipment looks a bit different than the draft horses and one foot disk pictured above!

This fascination with machinery seems to go hand in hand with a borderline obsession with Mother Nature.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit with a farmer, the conversation will flow easily if you ask about either the weather or a machine.  I like to tease my husband about this, but if you substitute the word “cattle” for “machine”, I seem to be just as guilty as he is…

My girls are used to dinner conversations that revolve around the weather, our cattle, our crops and our machinery. They have an understanding for where their food comes from and an inherent trust that it is grown by someone who cares…

Last weekend, as I watched the equipment used to harvest alfalfa in the first half of the 1900′s, I was struck by the realization that farmers are intricately linked with both their machines and Mother Nature.  The three make a partnership that ebbs and flows in a constant search for balance.

It brings him a sense of peace when he works the land.  His grandpa used different tools than he does, but they share the same goal…

Technology as it pertains to agriculture and farming is a current buzz topic.  City dwellers may ask why a farmer needs a huge machine to plant, grow and harvest crops while a rural farmer may ask why the type and size of machine defines whether or not he is an actual farmer. 

Matt turned to me the other night after reading an article on the internet and said, “I do not understand why having a big tractor makes me less of a farmer.  The plants that I grow still provide food, and I still work the land.  Isn’t that what makes a farmer?”

His comment got me to thinking about what really is the heart of a farmer.  What defines him?  Perhaps almost more importantly, is this definition consistent over time and cultures?

Matt had never met this older gentleman before but, despite the difference in age, they still share a bond that leads to an easy conversation over an old piece of equipment…

Matt defines a farmer as someone who works the land to grow food.  In his heart lies the desire to bring life to the soil and harvest that life to provide for those in need.  Interestingly enough, older generations of local farmers answer that question in much the same way.

Larger equipment and a more advanced transportation system has enabled the farmers of Matt’s generation to provide on a global scale in addition to a local and national scale, but the heart of the farmer is still the same.

These two images belong in different periods of time…

What I witnessed last weekend at the antique farm demonstration strengthened my belief that while technology evolves and machines change, the heart of the person operating the machine is constant.  That heart holds a love for the land and a love of bringing life to that land that is much larger than the amount of steel required to build the toys that work the land…

What do you think defines a farmer?

Low Stress Farming…

I practice a concept called Low Stress Handling at the feed yard.  This animal handling philosophy is based on understanding how a calf thinks and using that as a basis for cattle handling and care.  I am constantly looking for ways to set my animals up for success by reducing the amount of stress that they must deal with.

Curious and comfortable, these two steers pause while eating linner to pose for a picture while their herd mates take a nap in the back of the pen…

There are many times when I am convinced that I do a better job with my animals than Matt and I do with our selves.  Every once in a while Matt will look at me and say, “Why do I ALWAYS have to be the responsible adult?” Those times are usually at the end of a long day that was riddled with equipment problems, huge volatile market swings, and uncooperative weather…Add in trying to stay in compliance with federal government regulations, manage employees, and operate a business and the thought of going back to high school sometimes sounds pretty darn attractive.

Part of my job is figuring out how to get him to smile at the end of one of those days…

There have been times this summer where our mental fitness has required “getting away” for a few hours.  The psychologist in me recognizes that this is vitally important even though my Type A personality resists taking time off…The strain that I repeatedly saw in my husband’s face this summer motivated the girls and I to kidnap him and head to a lake about 10 miles south of town each Sunday afternoon.

It isn’t hard to talk the girls into going to the lake…Here Karyn celebrates the fact that she remained victoriously on the tube while her sisters were ousted off!

Matt finds release while he water skies.  He is really amazing to watch.  He not only can still almost touch his shoulder to the water as he cuts back and forth (not bad for someone who turns 41 tomorrow!), but he also does a strange type of water skiing yoga…

The hills are still brown and we still need rain, but at least he is thinking about something else at this moment…

Water skiing yoga step 1…

Water skiing yoga step 2…

Water skiing yoga step 3…

Water skiing yoga step 4…

There is just something about this sight that makes both Matt and the girls and I laugh.  That laughter helps to refuel us and give us hope that tomorrow will bring good times.  Although I also enjoy water skiing, I am no where near as talented as my hubby is.

I prefer beating the pool water or going for a run to alleviate stress, but I still cherish those times at the lake with my family when I am reminded to always count my blessings…

How do you manage the stress in your life?

Striving For Sustainability…

Matt’s grandparents moved from Northwestern Ohio to Cozad Nebraska in 1945.  Originally, they were Mennonite alfalfa farmers in the Archbold, Ohio area.  Converted to the Methodist religion, and desiring to travel west, they loaded their family of four (Grandmother Grace, Grandpa Burky, and sons: Dave and Erv) on the Union Pacific Railroad in 1945 to journey to Nebraska.

Grandmother Grace, Grandpa Burky, Dave and Ann with children Matt and Lara, and Dave’s brother, Erv and his wife Chris and daughter Zoe circa 1976…

The original family farm in Nebraska was a “custom” farm where Matt’s grandpa purchased alfalfa “standing in the field” from neighboring farmers, and then dehydrated the plants into alfalfa dehy pellets.  Over the years, Grandpa Burky and Dave (Matt’s dad) were able to purchase some land as well as lease land to farm.  The farm continued to shift in this direction as Matt and I came home to work, and today our farm is based primarily on family owned and leased land.

Today, Matt and I are raising the 4th generation…

The crop farm expanded to include a cattle feed yard in the late 1960’s.  Surrounded by animal feed and successfully established as an alfalfa farmer, Grandpa Burky and his friend, Ray Bates, dreamed of diversifying the farm.  Matt’s dad, Dave, had just arrived home from Stanford Business school and was a major contributor to the expansion along with my favorite 79 year old (Archie Curtice).

Dave and Archie have made a lifetime of memories together…

What began as a few pens now is home to several thousand animals that are fed locally grown crops, and prepared to become the beef that nourishes your family!  Archie’s son, Doug, and I now manage the cattle portion of our farm and work hard to carry on the family tradition.

Today, we have the ability to trace our animals from birth to harvest: an important component in my plan to raise the highest quality beef using the fewest natural resources…Here I am weighing an animal to track his gain performance at the feed yard.

It has been 67 years since Matt’s family got on the train and moved west.  When I look at what our family has built during that time, I am filled with a tremendous amount of pride.  While I have only been lucky enough to spend the last 15 years contributing, I think that what Matt and I do each day is a testimony to what his grandfather began so many years ago.

So what makes up our farm in 2012?

• 1481 acres of organic alfalfa
• 1579 acres of traditional alfalfa
• 617 acres of organic corn
• 966 acres of traditional corn
• 120 acres of traditional soybeans
• 184 acres of traditional wheat
• Approximately 600 acres of cool season grass pasture
• A cattle feed yard that has between 2300-2900 cattle (depending on the time of year)
• 4 horses, 3 dogs, and 7 cats

Much of the traditionally grown corn and alfalfa are fed to our animals in the cattle feed yard.  In addition, the wheat stubble and a good portion of the corn stalks (what is left after harvest) is baled to feed to the cattle.  We blend these home grown feed ingredients with wet distillers grains to grow our cattle and make beef.  We do also purchase some corn from neighbors to augment our personally grown supply.  In a twelve month period, our cattle farm will prepare approximately 5500-6000 animals for harvest.

Traced from birth to harvest, I am proud to feed the beef from this animal to both my family and yours…

In 2006, with the increasing availability of wet distillers grains for our cattle and the growing demand for organically grown crops, Matt decided to diversify our crop farm by including organically certified alfalfa and corn.  The organic animal feed is sold to organic animal farmers across the country.  While this places a limit on the amount of feed that we grow for our own traditionally raised cattle, it opens up a more diverse marketing plan for our farm.

Matt’s alfalfa dehydration plant…

This diversity is a key player in the search for long term sustainability on our farm…I am pretty sure that Grandpa Burky would have never thought that his grandson would raise a blend of crops that included organic feed, or that his granddaughter-in-law would be the Boss Lady at the cattle feed yard.  But, the combination of team work and outside sales of a variety of products allows our farm to better weather the challenges that both Mother Nature and the economy bring…