Rathbun Lake Protectors
2
Move to Iowa bene ts family, land FAMIL Y TI ES: Amy and Jason Boyer (back, right) take a break from their Des Moines farmers market booth, “The Har vest Barn” , with thei r children (f rom left), daugh ter Kaitlyn, and sons Konrad and Kacey. By KATHLEEN CHESTER U RBAN sprawl and housing developments were driving up the cost of farmland in their home state of Pennsylvania, so Jason and Amy Boyer set their sights on Iowa. Newly married, they settled in Wel don, a small town in southern Iowa that is divided by the county lines of Clarke and Decatur. It was 1994 when the couple left Gettysburg, where they were both born and raised, and they’ve been farming in Clarke County, Iowa, ever since. Southern Iowa offered the op- portunity to have a combination operation they were looking for: 500 owned and rented acres to raise cattle, hay and pasture, and some row crops. But Jason soon discovered that heavy rain events wash away the soil on sloping ground, so they’ve been imple- menting conservation practices on their land all along to preserve the soil and protect the water. “You can’t stop runoff 100%, but what comes off the eld runs back into our water supply,” he notes. “We’ve had some pretty sporadic weather and heavy rains in recent years, so we needed to put in additional measures of some type to keep the soil on the ground where it started — not just for me but for the next generation and the generation after that.” The Boyers have installed one grade stabilization structure, 17 sediment control basins and a watering facility, and they have fenced heavy-use areas as part of the Rathbun Land and Water Alliance’s Protect Rathbun Lake Project, a project that works with landowners in the Rathbun Lake watershed to stop the delivery of contaminants to the lake. Get landlords involved Environmental specialist Velvet Buckingham, who coordinates the Protect Rathbun Lake Project, says this farming couple pro- motes conservation practices on both the farms they own and on the farms they rent, even per- suading the landowners from whom they rent to install ter- races. “The measures this family has installed reduce sediment delivery to Rathbun Lake by 163 tons per year and by 896 pounds of phosphorus per year,” says Buckingham. In 2013, the alliance recog- nized the Boyers as Rathbun Lake Protectors for their soil-saving ac- tions. They were nominated by the Clarke County Soil and Water Conservation District. Jason notes that the more soil you keep on the eld, the less goes into the lake, but you have to work at it. “We’ve been doing more no-tilling and trying to keep land in pasture longer . We’ve also planted lter strips below the row crops at the end of the eld, and we don’t row crop the highly erodible land. A few years ago, we rst planted rye as a cover crop to help keep the soil in place. The rye is about 4 or 5 inches tall when I harvest the corn, and the cattle graze on it along with the cornstalks, which seems to be working well.” Cattle help save soil The Boyers run a 60-head pure- bred Limousin cow-calf opera- tion, calving in both spring and fall. Pasture and forage for the cattle also help save soil. A few years after arriving in Iowa, Jason became director of the Iowa Limousin Association and has served in that position for 17 years. “We breed and sell a few Limousin bulls each year. What calves we don’t feed out, we use for 4-H, or we take the beef to the Des Moines farmers market where we set up a booth each weekend,” he says. The Boyers are in their sev- enth year of operating a booth at the farmers market, which they say is an extension of the Harvest Barn they opened in 2000 just east of Osceola. “About 35,000 people attend the Des Moines farmers market each weekend, and we see about 1,000 people come through our barn on busy weekends in late fall,” he notes. The couple’s three children take an active role in the farming operation and help tend the farmers market booth. The boys, Konrad and Kacey, have shown cattle for several years and are just starting 4-H, while daughter Kaitlyn is an active member of FFA, serving as an ofcer for both the local chapter and at the district level. While Amy has her nursing degree, she hasn’t worked in a hospital for several years, as she keeps busy with the family businesses and has been a 4-H leader for the past 12 years. Chester writes for Rathbun Land & Water Alliance. Keeping the water clean R ATHBUN Lake in southern Iowa is an 11,000-acre reservoir and is the water source for Rathbun Regional Wate r Association, which provides water to 50 communities in southern Iowa and northern Missouri. The Rathbun Land & Water Alliance works with farmers and landowners in the watershed to protect the soil and preserve water quality. Landowners began installing practices through the Protect Rathbun Lake Project in 2004. More than 41,666 tons of sediment per year no longer are delivered to Rathbun Lake due to the actions of more than 550 landowners who have installed best management practices on their farms. That includes more than 1 million feet of terraces. T o put that nearly 42,000 tons of sediment per year into perspective , it’s equal to 2,625 tr uck- loads (16-ton dump trucks filled with sediment) each and every year. If it was time for the tr ucks to make their annual delivery to the lake, there would probably be quite an uproar from the public. Another fun fact: The terraces, if built end to end, would nearly cross the state of Iowa, and there have been enough structures built through the Protect Rathbun Lake Projec t for each county in I owa to receive five additional terraces. — Kathleen Chester Conservation 84 www.FarmProgress.com ● September 2014 Wallaces Farmer
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Transcript of Rathbun Lake Protectors
Move to Iowa bene1047297ts family land
FAMILY TIES Amy and Jason Boyer (back right) take a break from their Des Moines farmers marketbooth ldquoThe Harvest Barnrdquo with their children (from left) daughter Kaitlyn and sons Konrad and Kacey
By KATHLEEN CHESTER
URBAN sprawl andhousing developmentswere driving up the cost
of farmland in their home state ofPennsylvania so Jason and AmyBoyer set their sights on IowaNewly married they settled inWeldon a small town in southernIowa that is divided by the countylines of Clarke and Decatur Itwas 1994 when the couple leftGettysburg where they wereboth born and raised and theyrsquovebeen farming in Clarke CountyIowa ever since
Southern Iowa offered the op-portunity to have a combinationoperation they were looking for500 owned and rented acres toraise cattle hay and pasture andsome row crops But Jason soondiscovered that heavy rain eventswash away the soil on slopingground so theyrsquove been imple-menting conservation practiceson their land all along to preservethe soil and protect the water
ldquoYou canrsquot stop runoff 100but what comes off the 1047297eld runsback into our water supplyrdquo henotes ldquoWersquove had some prettysporadic weather and heavy rainsin recent years so we needed toput in additional measures ofsome type to keep the soil on theground where it started mdash not justfor me but for the next generationand the generation after thatrdquo
The Boyers have installed onegrade stabilization structure 17sediment control basins and awatering facility and they havefenced heavy-use areas as partof the Rathbun Land and WaterAlliancersquos Protect Rathbun LakeProject a project that works withlandowners in the Rathbun Lakewatershed to stop the delivery ofcontaminants to the lake
Get landlords involvedEnvironmental specialist VelvetBuckingham who coordinatesthe Protect Rathbun Lake Projectsays this farming couple pro-
motes conservation practiceson both the farms they own andon the farms they rent even per-suading the landowners fromwhom they rent to install ter-races ldquoThe measures this familyhas installed reduce sedimentdelivery to Rathbun Lake by 163tons per year and by 896 poundsof phosphorus per yearrdquo saysBuckingham
In 2013 the alliance recog-nized the Boyers as Rathbun LakeProtectors for their soil-saving ac-tions They were nominated bythe Clarke County Soil and WaterConservation District
Jason notes that the more soilyou keep on the 1047297eld the lessgoes into the lake but you haveto work at it ldquoWersquove been doingmore no-tilling and trying to keepland in pasture longer Wersquove alsoplanted 1047297lter strips below therow crops at the end of the 1047297eldand we donrsquot row crop the highlyerodible land A few years ago we1047297rst planted rye as a cover cropto help keep the soil in placeThe rye is about 4 or 5 inches tallwhen I harvest the corn and thecattle graze on it along with thecornstalks which seems to beworking wellrdquo
Cattle help save soilThe Boyers run a 60-head pure-bred Limousin cow-calf opera-tion calving in both spring and
fall Pasture and forage for thecattle also help save soil A fewyears after arriving in IowaJason became director of theIowa Limousin Association andhas served in that position for 17years ldquoWe breed and sell a fewLimousin bulls each year What
calves we donrsquot feed out we usefor 4-H or we take the beef tothe Des Moines farmers marketwhere we set up a booth eachweekendrdquo he says
The Boyers are in their sev-enth year of operating a booth atthe farmers market which they
say is an extension of the HarvestBarn they opened in 2000 justeast of Osceola ldquoAbout 35000people attend the Des Moinesfarmers market each weekendand we see about 1000 peoplecome through our barn on busyweekends in late fallrdquo he notes
The couplersquos three childrentake an active role in the farmingoperation and help tend thefarmers market booth The boysKonrad and Kacey have showncattle for several years and arejust starting 4-H while daughterKaitlyn is an active memberof FFA serving as an of1047297cer forboth the local chapter and atthe district level While Amy hasher nursing degree she hasnrsquotworked in a hospital for severalyears as she keeps busy with thefamily businesses and has been a4-H leader for the past 12 years
Chester writes for Rathbun Land
amp Water Alliance
Keeping the water clean
RATHBUN Lake in southern Iowa is an 11000-acre reservoir and is the water source for RathbunRegional Water Association which provides water to 50 communities in southern Iowa and
northern Missouri The Rathbun Land amp Water Alliance works with farmers and landowners in thewatershed to protect the soil and preserve water quality
Landowners began installing practices through the Protect Rathbun Lake Project in 2004 Morethan 41666 tons of sediment per year no longer are delivered to Rathbun Lake due to the actionsof more than 550 landowners who have installed best management practices on their farms Thatincludes more than 1 million feet of terraces
To put that nearly 42000 tons of sediment per year into perspective itrsquos equal to 2625 truck-loads (16-ton dump trucks filled with sediment) each and every year If it was time for the trucks tomake their annual delivery to the lake there would probably be quite an uproar from the public
Another fun fact The terraces if built end to end would nearly cross the state of Iowa and therehave been enough structures built through the Protect Rathbun Lake Project for each county in Iowato receive five additional terraces mdash Kathleen Chester
Conservation84 wwwFarmProgresscom September 2014 Wallaces Farmer
