2020 Annual Meeting Awards

The WCCD is happy to announce our 2020 Conservation Awardees! This year three individuals are being celebrated for their efforts and commitment to conservation and tree planting in Washtenaw County. Awards are typically given at our Annual Meeting in January, but due to the pandemic and virtual format of our Annual Meeting on January 21st, awardees have already accepted their awards. A presentation of each awardees operations and property will be given during the Annual Meeting as well as either a live or recorded acceptance speech. Read on for more details on this year's conservation award winners!

Randy Klager of Klager Farms has been a staple in the Washtenaw County Agriculture Community. Randy is a second-generation farmer, and farms with his 23-year-old son. Together, they farm about 1000 acres of row crops and wheat. The operation has consistently stood out to conservation minded community members for their continued implementation of conservation practice. Randy’s farming primarily takes place in the Saline area and has stood out for his dedication to doing his part to keeping the River Raisin Watershed as free from runoff as possible. 
Randy first began getting involved in conservation about ten years ago. Randy was approached by former staff from the Washtenaw County Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) field office about participating in Conservation Programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). CSP rewards producers who are willing to take conservation to the next level and rewards them financially. For Randy, this was a no brainer. He already practiced no till, and he already rotated his crops. So, adding a few practices was something he was glad to take on. Through the CSP, Randy implemented a Pest Management program, and installed several grassed water ways around his farm to reduce erosion caused by water. 

When asked what guides his dedication towards practicing conservation minded agriculture, Randy replied: “Working to the tune of nature is easier than fighting nature.” He explained that he does not need to reinvent the wheel to implement high quality conservation. For example, in a corn-soybean rotation, he always considers the nitrogen credit left behind from the previous bean crop, as beans are natural nitrogen fixers. As a result, when planning his nutrient management program for the upcoming corn crop, he subtracts the established nitrogen credit from planned nitrogen applications. Additionally, Randy regularly uses of soil tests, helping to fine tune his nutrient management. Nutrient levels change year to year based on crops and a surplus of nutrients are often left in the ground. By testing for phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, randy is not oversaturating the ground and doing his part to avoid generating runoff, that ultimately would enter the Western Lake Erie basin. Again, Randy explained he is not doing anything radical, just following basic, yet critical steps to reaching his goals of caring for the River Raisin Watershed while reaching his production goals. 
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For years Randy has demonstrated a commitment to being a conservation minded farmer. His operation exemplifies how easily adaptable conservation practices can be and the value of getting involved with NRCS programs. While he modestly stressed he is not doing anything other than following common sense practices, the dedication to doing exactly that is what makes Randy a leader in Conservation Agriculture in the River Raisin Watershed, and Washtenaw County as a whole.

Since beginning his farm in four years ago, John Cox has quickly become an exemplary farmer when it comes to grazing management and agriculture conservation practices. John Cox, owner, and operator of the recently established Baseline Farm is a grass-fed beef producer located on Strawberry Lake Road, in Webster Township. The operation consists of 258 leased acres, 200 of which John’s cattle graze throughout the grazing season. The plan for John was not always to graze cattle. Originally John started in engineering, however his real ambitions were to work outside. This led to taking part in Tiller’s International educational classes, where he quickly picked up on the beauty of grazing management. After a stop in Iowa where he was able to refine his efforts on grazing, John came across a great opportunity where he is today, in Webster township. So, after settling down with 30 cows from Iowa, the operation began, and John quickly became a master grazer. 

Attributed to his experiences with Tiller’s International and his time in Iowa, John’s operation is an ideal example of how working with nature makes for better farming. Conservation practice wise, John does an excellent job managing pasture using a grazing stick and respecting the production limits of the grass. This means always allowing pastures to take their time growing back, planting perennial grasses, and practicing no till on his crop fields. As a result of his efforts and working with nature, pastures and fields Baseline Farm have become increasingly productive, leading to extended grazing seasons and a high-quality grass fed and finished beef product. 
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Highlighting the work of John is important. His practices are a model for Washtenaw County and the Midwest in general when it comes to grazing management. As a result of his efforts, he has become verified in the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program’s (MAEAP) Farmstead, cropping, and livestock systems. His operation was also showcased during a co-hosted virtual field day by the Washtenaw County Conservation District and Michigan State Extension. When discussing grazing management, John made it clear that is a system that is not only ecologically smart, but profitable as well. If grazing is practiced to the tune of nature, no supplemental feeds need to be brought in, another benchmark of success John has continually surpassed. All around the work of John is admirable, and his dedication to Conservation Minded Farming is admirable, and very much appreciated by the Washtenaw County Conservation District. 

Since 1994 Walter Keppler has channeled his inner conservationist by restoring his property to native plants and planting an abundance of trees on his land. Once a crop field, year by year Walter has taken the simple steps to plant a few trees and plants. 26 years and thousands of trees later, his 13-acre property in Dexter is flourishing with wildlife, mature trees, and native plants. A modest and thoughtful person, Walter was not shy about giving credit where credit was due for his commitment to conservation through tree planting. As many are in life, Walter was inspired not only by the idea of conservation, but by the actions of a Professor several years ago when he was Just a kid. 

William B Stapp, the late professor of resource planning and conservation in the U of M School of Natural Resources and Environment was an inspiration to Walter. When Walter was a kid, Professor Stapp visited his class and spoke on the importance of conservation and planting trees, and that was a message Walter took seriously and cherishes to this day. From then on, Walter made it a point to one day put Professor Stapp’s lesson into action as soon as he could. So, when Walter purchased his land in 1994, planting trees was without question a first order of business. 
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After planting 400 trees in its first year, Walter’s property began a transformation back to its native state. Every year Walter takes simple steps to practice conservation. From planting trees, to establishing native habitats on his property, the idea of conservation is put into action on Walter’s property in everything he does. Walter has never attempted to reinvent the wheel; his goal is to simply keep the ecosystem on his property in tune with its natural rhythm. That goal is surely being achieved thanks to Walter’s efforts.