DARLINGTON - Lafayette County Conservation and Zoning announced the winners of the 2014 Conservation Awards.
The 2014 Conservation Stewardship Award went to the Olthafer Land and Cattle Company Inc., owned by the George Olthafer and Joe Olthafer families. The operation is located 2.5 miles south of Belmont on Pine Tree Road. The original 320-acre farm was purchased in 1955 and the rest of the land has been added throughout the years. The farm currently totals 2,343 acres. In 1955, a cooperator's agreement was signed.
The Olthafers grow corn and soybeans, and the farm has been no-till for the last 10 to 15 years. Many conservation practices have been installed on the farm. In 1991, 1,200 feet of waterways on Tract 174 were installed. A well abandonment was done in 1995. In 2002, 1,550 feet of waterways were completed, and another 3,995 feet was installed in 2003. In 2004, 4,000 feet of waterways were added. In 2004, 57.9 acres of riparian buffers were planted. In 2010, waterways were installed on the Clayton land to the south; and in 2012, about half a mile of waterways were added west of the buildings.
The Water Quality Leadership Award is given each year to a landowner, who has shown efforts to enhance the water quality flowing from their farm. The award goes to the Corneille family who have farms located in both Iowa and Lafayette counties.
In the early 1980s, Barrett Corneille's father, Bob Corneille, installed his first clean water diversion located above their barnyard. By 2005, Bob had installed 8-grade stabilization structures, 6,270 feet of grassed waterways, and 96 acres of contour strips. He also provided a Public Fishing Easement for fish anglers on Cannon Creek. Cannon Creek is a tributary to Yellowstone Lake.
In 1996, Barrett purchased one half of the original farm from Bob's former partner. In June 2009, Bob Corneille passed away and Barrett continued Bob's plans. In 2011, Nancy and Barrett consulted DNR staff and worked on a Savannah restoration project on property they own which is adjacent to Cannon Creek. In 2012, the Corneille family installed two spring developments, 1,225 square feet of heavy-use area protection, an additional 335 feet of grassed waterways, 362 feet of stream bank riprap which included four fish lunker structures and six habitat structures. This year's plans are to install an additional 300 feet of riprap, three lunker structures, four stream crossings, five boulder placements, one Vortex Wier, a third spring development and a nutrient management plan.
The 2014 Forest Stewardship Award went to Brad Lancaster. Lancaster's land is a 37-acre Managed Forest Law entry. Utilizing the help from a professional forester, Lancaster had a successful timber sale in 2011, which removed large low-quality and unhealthy trees. The high-quality, healthy larger trees were left to produce seed for natural regeneration of oak, shagbark hickory and walnut. After the timber sale, Lancaster has been cutting undesirable brush and small trees to allow for natural regeneration of sun-loving species: oak, shagbark hickory and walnut. In case natural regeneration does not work, Lancaster has been hand-planting hundreds of oak seedlings, and planting many thousands of walnut, shagbark hickory and oak seeds. This will be an ongoing process.
Eighty acres of former pasture have been transformed into a wildlife habitat. Lancaster has planted about 15 acres of conifers, hardwoods and shrubs. Stream bank work is helping hold the soil. He has all but eradicated the invasives such as multiflora rose that were prevalent in the 10-acre wooded portion. Warm season grasses and forbs are now providing wildlife habitat and diversity where there used to be cool season pasture grass.
The 2014 Conservation Stewardship Award went to the Olthafer Land and Cattle Company Inc., owned by the George Olthafer and Joe Olthafer families. The operation is located 2.5 miles south of Belmont on Pine Tree Road. The original 320-acre farm was purchased in 1955 and the rest of the land has been added throughout the years. The farm currently totals 2,343 acres. In 1955, a cooperator's agreement was signed.
The Olthafers grow corn and soybeans, and the farm has been no-till for the last 10 to 15 years. Many conservation practices have been installed on the farm. In 1991, 1,200 feet of waterways on Tract 174 were installed. A well abandonment was done in 1995. In 2002, 1,550 feet of waterways were completed, and another 3,995 feet was installed in 2003. In 2004, 4,000 feet of waterways were added. In 2004, 57.9 acres of riparian buffers were planted. In 2010, waterways were installed on the Clayton land to the south; and in 2012, about half a mile of waterways were added west of the buildings.
The Water Quality Leadership Award is given each year to a landowner, who has shown efforts to enhance the water quality flowing from their farm. The award goes to the Corneille family who have farms located in both Iowa and Lafayette counties.
In the early 1980s, Barrett Corneille's father, Bob Corneille, installed his first clean water diversion located above their barnyard. By 2005, Bob had installed 8-grade stabilization structures, 6,270 feet of grassed waterways, and 96 acres of contour strips. He also provided a Public Fishing Easement for fish anglers on Cannon Creek. Cannon Creek is a tributary to Yellowstone Lake.
In 1996, Barrett purchased one half of the original farm from Bob's former partner. In June 2009, Bob Corneille passed away and Barrett continued Bob's plans. In 2011, Nancy and Barrett consulted DNR staff and worked on a Savannah restoration project on property they own which is adjacent to Cannon Creek. In 2012, the Corneille family installed two spring developments, 1,225 square feet of heavy-use area protection, an additional 335 feet of grassed waterways, 362 feet of stream bank riprap which included four fish lunker structures and six habitat structures. This year's plans are to install an additional 300 feet of riprap, three lunker structures, four stream crossings, five boulder placements, one Vortex Wier, a third spring development and a nutrient management plan.
The 2014 Forest Stewardship Award went to Brad Lancaster. Lancaster's land is a 37-acre Managed Forest Law entry. Utilizing the help from a professional forester, Lancaster had a successful timber sale in 2011, which removed large low-quality and unhealthy trees. The high-quality, healthy larger trees were left to produce seed for natural regeneration of oak, shagbark hickory and walnut. After the timber sale, Lancaster has been cutting undesirable brush and small trees to allow for natural regeneration of sun-loving species: oak, shagbark hickory and walnut. In case natural regeneration does not work, Lancaster has been hand-planting hundreds of oak seedlings, and planting many thousands of walnut, shagbark hickory and oak seeds. This will be an ongoing process.
Eighty acres of former pasture have been transformed into a wildlife habitat. Lancaster has planted about 15 acres of conifers, hardwoods and shrubs. Stream bank work is helping hold the soil. He has all but eradicated the invasives such as multiflora rose that were prevalent in the 10-acre wooded portion. Warm season grasses and forbs are now providing wildlife habitat and diversity where there used to be cool season pasture grass.
