Conservation awards handed out at dairy breakfast
DARLINGTON - The Lafayette County Land Conservation Department handed out conservation awards at the dairy breakfast June 14.
• Dean Thoreson received the Friend of Conservation award for his efforts in conservation, not only on his farm but through his involvement on the Land Conservation Committee, serving as a member for six years, five of those years as chairman. He also became involved with the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association and the Southern Area Association, and the Southwest Badger RC & D. Thoreson was very supportive of the conservation work being done, and worked hard to keep funding coming into the county to assist farmers with this work. He also served on the Scenic Rivers Energy Coop Board of Directors for many years representing this area.
He and his brothers, Gary and Everett, have operated the 400-acre family farm just south of Woodford, together since 1954. They raised hogs, 150 sows, which at the time was a large operation. Thoreson installed over 12,000 feet of terraces, five acres of grassed waterways, and began doing No-Till on some fields. He has been a "good steward" of the land and a "Friend of Conservation".
• Ed and Kerry Gratz received the 2008 Lafayette County Conservation Farmer Award. Ed and Kerry Gratz's farm has been in the family since 1847 (that's 161 years for those who are doing the math).
Ed has been on the farm for 53 years and Ed and Kerry purchased the farm in 1982. They run 400 acres, with 305 acres in cropland, 80 acres in pasture and timber, and 15 acres of CREP. All of the cropland has either contour strips or terraces, and conservation tillage. They have installed 22,120 feet of terraces (that's 4.2 miles for those who are doing the math), and 1,385 feet of grassed waterways.
They milk 60 dairy cows and have a 26,000 lb. herd average. They have another 60 heifers and young stock and 40 steers. They have an earthen manure storage structure with a year's storage, which they contract haul in the fall and incorporate following the application.
Ed recalls his decision to step up the conservation practices on the farm to seeing the ditches in the fields and then, "It hits you one day that this soil erosion can't be happening every year, and you have to do something about it."
• The Wildlife Habitat Development Award is given each year to a landowner who through their actions has shown efforts to improve wildlife habitat. This year's award goes to Margaret Rasch and David Stute of rural Argyle. Dave and Peg, as most people know them by, purchased 120 acres in October 2000 and then added 40 additional acres in October 2004. A basic farm plan was developed immediately on the cropland. This plan included contour strips, reduced tillage, and the restoration of Native Prairie habitat.
In May of 2001, Peg and Dave signed a Lower East Pecatonica Watershed Contract. They immediately began restoration of the stream banks on Whiteside Creek by installing 1088 feet of riprap, 108 feet of shaping, nine fish habitat lunkers, and some heavy use area. Their actions were instrumental in two additional contracts being signed by neighboring landowners in doing additional projects.
Currently they have over 35 acres enrolled into the Conservation Reserve Program and have planted more than 300 trees and shrubs throughout the farm. They both have a passion to eliminate invasive species such as garlic mustard and the multi flora rose plant and in turn reestablish native prairie plants.
They are both members of Prairie Enthusiast, the Nature Conservancy, and 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. Peg is the current president of the Home and Community Education program in Lafayette County. They both enjoy going on nature walks in "Beautiful Lafayette County" as their telephone answering machine indicates.
DARLINGTON - The Lafayette County Land Conservation Department handed out conservation awards at the dairy breakfast June 14.
• Dean Thoreson received the Friend of Conservation award for his efforts in conservation, not only on his farm but through his involvement on the Land Conservation Committee, serving as a member for six years, five of those years as chairman. He also became involved with the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association and the Southern Area Association, and the Southwest Badger RC & D. Thoreson was very supportive of the conservation work being done, and worked hard to keep funding coming into the county to assist farmers with this work. He also served on the Scenic Rivers Energy Coop Board of Directors for many years representing this area.
He and his brothers, Gary and Everett, have operated the 400-acre family farm just south of Woodford, together since 1954. They raised hogs, 150 sows, which at the time was a large operation. Thoreson installed over 12,000 feet of terraces, five acres of grassed waterways, and began doing No-Till on some fields. He has been a "good steward" of the land and a "Friend of Conservation".
• Ed and Kerry Gratz received the 2008 Lafayette County Conservation Farmer Award. Ed and Kerry Gratz's farm has been in the family since 1847 (that's 161 years for those who are doing the math).
Ed has been on the farm for 53 years and Ed and Kerry purchased the farm in 1982. They run 400 acres, with 305 acres in cropland, 80 acres in pasture and timber, and 15 acres of CREP. All of the cropland has either contour strips or terraces, and conservation tillage. They have installed 22,120 feet of terraces (that's 4.2 miles for those who are doing the math), and 1,385 feet of grassed waterways.
They milk 60 dairy cows and have a 26,000 lb. herd average. They have another 60 heifers and young stock and 40 steers. They have an earthen manure storage structure with a year's storage, which they contract haul in the fall and incorporate following the application.
Ed recalls his decision to step up the conservation practices on the farm to seeing the ditches in the fields and then, "It hits you one day that this soil erosion can't be happening every year, and you have to do something about it."
• The Wildlife Habitat Development Award is given each year to a landowner who through their actions has shown efforts to improve wildlife habitat. This year's award goes to Margaret Rasch and David Stute of rural Argyle. Dave and Peg, as most people know them by, purchased 120 acres in October 2000 and then added 40 additional acres in October 2004. A basic farm plan was developed immediately on the cropland. This plan included contour strips, reduced tillage, and the restoration of Native Prairie habitat.
In May of 2001, Peg and Dave signed a Lower East Pecatonica Watershed Contract. They immediately began restoration of the stream banks on Whiteside Creek by installing 1088 feet of riprap, 108 feet of shaping, nine fish habitat lunkers, and some heavy use area. Their actions were instrumental in two additional contracts being signed by neighboring landowners in doing additional projects.
Currently they have over 35 acres enrolled into the Conservation Reserve Program and have planted more than 300 trees and shrubs throughout the farm. They both have a passion to eliminate invasive species such as garlic mustard and the multi flora rose plant and in turn reestablish native prairie plants.
They are both members of Prairie Enthusiast, the Nature Conservancy, and 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. Peg is the current president of the Home and Community Education program in Lafayette County. They both enjoy going on nature walks in "Beautiful Lafayette County" as their telephone answering machine indicates.
