2012 Bringing it to the Table

MU_MN_SP_04-01_N_B_A_1_CA1

THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM

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SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

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The annual Spring special section, which publishes in both The Star Press in Muncie and The Palladium-Item in Richmond, spotlights area farmers

as well as industry trends and news.

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THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM

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SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012

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From Indiana to India: Local farmer impressed with countrys progress. Page 4

Honoring Hoosier Homestead Farms: Family farms awarded distinction. Page 8

A Piece of Indiana History: The Mitchell family farm serves as local history lesson. Page 10

Off the Beaten Path: The Stampers grow non-tra-ditional veggies on their Greensfork farm. Page 14

The Rising Cost of Farming: Cost of ag business has grown as technology advances. Page 16

Protecting the Environment: River-friendly farm-ing keeps topsoil where its needed. Page 18

Keeping the Middle Fork Safe: Don Berger takes river-friendly farming seriously. Page 20

Getting a Head Start: Some farmers planting spring wheat in warm weather. Page 22

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Bringing it to the Table SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012 PAGE 3THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM

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Bringing it to the TablePAGE 4 SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012 THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM


By KEN WICKLIFFE

One of the worlds fastest-growing economies, India is home to 1.2 billion people, and the country has an agricultural sec-tor that is on the brink of major advancements, according to Eugene Whitehead, a local farmer and the co-chairman of the Delaware County Farm Bureaus Young Farmers.Recently back from a 12-day tour that took him with 26 other farmers

to a variety of agricultural facilities in India, Whitehead said the trip was organized by the AgrIInstitute of Indiana to facilitate international cooperation.

The AgrIInstitute focuses on building future leaders, and a trip like this can help develop understanding that could open communication for future partnerships that may devel-op, he said.

Activities during the trip included daily visits to farms and food pro-cessing facilities as well as meetings with Indian farmers and officials.

One of Whiteheads observations: While Indian farmers do not yet employ technology as extensively as do their American counterparts, this is changing quickly.

By our standards they still do a lot of things primitively, but they are right there on the cusp of technol-ogy in terms of plant genetics and the types of equipment being used on farms, Whitehead explained. In India, theyre also just beginning to implement some of the safety and technological practices that have become common here.

Yet, in other areas such as recy-cling, he said, India has become quite advanced.

Many parts of India are crowded almost beyond the imagination of someone from a less-populated country, but this has led India to make extensive use of recycling to preserve and make the best use of their resources, he said. Seeing this just re-affirms the need for us to take care of our land and environment here in the United States.

Of course, India has a different mix of agricultural products than the U.S. owing to climate differences as well as different food customs and preferences.

As a livestock farmer, one difference that immediately stands out is that they do not eat a lot of meat in India, Whitehead said. Its funny to go into a McDonalds and see a sign on the wall that says they do not serve beef or pork.

However, the dairy associations in India are immense, and we had the chance to go through a dairy processing plant.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Local farmer impressed on visit to India

By our standards they still do a lot of things primitively, but they are right there on the cusp of technology in terms of plant genetics and the types of equipment being used on farms. In India, theyre also just beginning to implement some of the safety and technological practices that have become common here. EUGENE WHITEHEAD

Eugene Whitehead, local farmer, traveled to India on a trip organized by the AgrIInstitute of Indiana, to facilitate international cooperation. Whitehead, above left) was impressed with what he saw. At left, Whitehead also toured the country and visited the Taj Mahal.PHOTOS PROVIDED BY EUGENE WHITEHEAD

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The crops in India are also different, with more emphasis on oil seeds and canola, Whitehead noted, rather than the corn and soybeans com-mon in Indiana and other parts of the Midwest.

The hospitality of people in India was something Whitehead noticed everywhere he went.

People there are friendly, he said. In a big city here you might not always find the friendliest of people, but in India we were welcomed everywhere we went; everyone offers tea or coffee and crackers or cookies, regardless of whether youre in a big place like the embassy or a small rug shop.

Delaware County Farm Bureau Young Farmers Back in Indiana, Whiteheads position as co-chairman of Delaware

County Farm Bureau Young Farmers involves helping coordinate charitable efforts and working to increase public awareness of issues affecting agriculture.

Consisting mainly of farmers between the ages of 18 and 35, the group has assisted the Second Harvest Food Bank and other organi-zations, arranged activities for National Agriculture Week and sent representatives to Indianapolis in January or February to meet with legislators.

Issues now affecting all farmers, especially younger ones, include inheritance and property taxes as well as increasing the publics knowl-edge of Right to Farm laws, he said.

Inheritance taxes place a burden on the family farm and affect younger farmers, in particular, Whitehead said. When a parent passes away and the farm is passed down from generation to generation, the young farmer may lose from 10 to 33 percent of his or her assets.

And, as increasing numbers of city-dwellers move to the country, the need for the public to understand Right to Farm legislation is also a concern.

The Right to Farm law was just reaffirmed, and it simply says that the agriculture community has the right to farm the ground as long as we follow all of the rules and regulations, Whitehead said. We try to be good neighbors, but people need to understand that if they choose to live next to a grain or livestock farm, there are things that will happen, such as the use of equipment, that they need to be aware of.

The vast majority of people who live near farms understand these issues, he added, but the Right to Farm law is necessary to address isolated problems that occur.

Eugene Whitehead, left, spent two weeks in India studying farming in the country. The photo is of spices in an open market in New Delhi.PHOTO BY KYLE EVENS

People there are friendly. In a big city here you might not always find the friendliest of people, but in India we were welcomed everywhere we went; everyone offers tea or coffee and crackers or cookies, regardless of whether youre in a big place like the embassy or a small rug shop. EUGENE WHITEHEAD

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Bringing it to the Table SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012 PAGE 7 THE STAR PRESS & THE PALLADIUM-ITEM

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By KEN WICKLIFFE

Established in 1976 by Robert Orr, then the lieutenant governor of Indiana, the Hoosier Homestead Farm program is administered by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to recognize Indiana farms that have been owned by the same family for 100 years or more, according to the program website.

Longstanding farms can be honored with a Centennial, Sesquicentennial or a Bicentennial award commemorating 100, 150 or 200 years of ownership. Since the program began, more than 5,000 Indiana farms have been so honored.

The program recognizes farms that have been owned by the same family for 100 years or more, and stresses the contributions these family farms have made to the economic, cultural and social advancement of Indiana, the Indiana State Department of Agricultures website says.

A statement issued by the Purdue University Cooperative Extension notes that living and working on a family farm is an opportunity available to fewer people now than in the past.

Growing up on a family farm is something that very few ever get to experience, the Purdue Extension says. It is a treasured part of an individuals life that provides them with a sense of pride and accomplishment as they help out on the farm that was once owned by a relative they may or may not have met. However, as the economy and landscape has changed, the number of true family farms has decreased.

Hoosier Homestead Farm Award ceremonies are held each February at the Indiana Statehouse and each August at the Indiana State Fair.

During 2011, five area farms received Hoosier Homestead Awards.In February, the Brian and Jessica Kitterman family of Blackford County received

a Sesquicentennial award for their familys farm, which was established in 1856.Two Wayne County families were honored at the same ceremony. The Ruth Louise

Doerstler family received a Centennial award for their farm, which was established in 1910, and the Lori Lee Tice family received a Centennial award for their farm, which was founded in 1909.

In August, the Kevin L. Hernly farm of Randolph County, established in 1898, received a Centennial award, as did the Toschlog farm of Wayne County, which was founded in 1888.

Families owning farms that might be eligible to recognized as Hoosier Homestead Farms can download application materials on the program website, www.in.gov/isda/2337.htm

The application deadline for the February award ceremony is Dec. 1, and the deadline for the August ceremony is June 1.

The Hoosier Homestead distinction honors Indiana farms that have been owned by the same family for more than 100 years

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By KEN WICKLIFFE

Photos by KYLE EVENS

Founded just 23 years after Indiana became a state and rec-ognized as a Sesquicentennial Hoosier Homestead farm, the Mitchell farm in Delaware Countys Harrison Township is

both the mainstay of a local family and a resource shared freely with others in the community.

Currently managing the 273-acre cattle, grain and poultry operation are Larry Mitchell and his wife, Vickie. As has been the case throughout the his-tory of the Mitchells farm, the family members running it have also pursued second careers. Larry is a fourth-grade teacher at Monroe Central Elementary School, and Vickie teaches pharmacol-ogy as well as administration classes at Ivy Tech Community College.

Teaching students about Indiana his-tory is part of Larrys curriculum at school, but his familys farm represents a history lesson in itself. In recognition of that, each of his classes visits the farm once or twice a year for a fall fling, a spring fling or both. With Larrys current class, the Mitchells this past fall celebrated the 50th time a group of students have visited the farm. In all, more than 2,000 Monroe Central youngsters, often accompanied by their parents, have had the opportunity to spend a day getting in touch with the land as well as meeting the Mitchells cows, donkeys and chickens.

Sarah Mitchell Parker, one of Larry and Vickies daughters, is also a teach-er, and she has begun taking her spe-cial education students from Albany Elementary School to the Mitchell farm. In this way, the tradition of bring-ing school children to the farm will continue even after Larry retires from teaching.

Pictures on the living room wall of the farmhouse, and features the house has acquired over the years, commemo-rate different periods in the history of one of the countys oldest continuously-operating farms.

Jacob W. Miller, my great-great-great-grandfather, founded this farm in 1839 after having walked here from Madison, Ind., where he had arrived by traveling down the Ohio River on a flatboat, Larry said. He noted that Millers original venture was farming, but he also operated a business selling steel bridges.

At that time much of the area on and near the farm was wooded, so a sawmill was soon built on Jakes Creek, the water-way named after the founder and run-ning along the south edge of the farm.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

The Mitchell family farm serves as local history lesson

Jacob W. Miller, my great-great-great-

grandfather, founded this farm in 1839 after

having walked here from Madison, Ind.,

where he had arrived by traveling down the Ohio

River on a flatboat. LARRY MITCHELL

TOP: Izabella Mitchell poses with one of the farms minature

donkeys. RIGHT: The sixth, seventh and eighth generations

of Mitchells on the family farm in western Delaware

County. Jake Mitchell holding Isaac Mitchell, Vicky and Larry Mitchell Jennifer Powers and

son Luke Powers, Izabella Mitchell and Sarah Parker.

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As motorists today drive west on Bethel Pike from Muncie, they cross Jakes Creek on the section of Bethel that jogs due north as the road combines for a short distance with Delaware County Road 700-W.

In the decades that followed the establish-ment of the farm, Mitchell explained, drov-ers often herded cattle through Delaware County, loading the animals onto trains at Reed Station and at other points, so the farmhouse was subdivided into two sections during the late 1800s.

In this way, temporary lodging could be rented to the drovers. While the home is no longer subdivided, a second front door remains as a reminder of that part of the farms history.

Before and during the Depression, Larrys father, Bernell, worked at the Bethel Store, just up the road from the Mitchell farm, earning 10 cents an hour.

My grandfather passed away when my dad was 15, so my dad started working at that time, Larry said. He noted that the average annual income at that time the late 1920s was only $300 a year, so the salary his father earned was actually quite good.

Located at the intersection of Bethel Pike and County Road 775 West, the building that was once the Bethel Store still stands, but it is no longer used commercially. Another nearby landmark, the Bethel Church, is built on land donated by the Mitchell fam-ily. Just before Christmas each year the Bethel Church operates a live nativity scene that features some of the animals from the familys farm.

Currently the farm is being subdivided, with family members living on and operat-ing different sections, so the original farm is now home to several branches of the extended family.

While Larry and Vickie acknowledge that large-scale agriculture is necessary today to meet the needs of a growing world popula-tion, they believe that a smaller farm like theirs still has an important place not only for individual families but also for agricul-ture in general.

Over the years, farmers have been the stewards of the land, and farming gives people the sense of being connected to the land and to history, Larry said. We want to leave the ground to future generations in better condition than it was when we began working it.

Theres also a sense of family. Running a farm like this is not about one individual, but about family members working together, and parents and grandparents passing this on to the next generation, he added.

And as people become more interested in food quality and the sources of their food

supply, Vickie said, buying from local pro-ducers is one way for people to know what theyre eating.

Our cattle and chickens are all free-range, she said. We operate a small busi-ness selling freezer-beef to friends, and of course members of our family rarely have to buy beef in stores.

Family farms also make for strong inter-generational connections, Vickie said. Rather than being relatives to be visited on holidays and other special occasions, grandparents on a family farm are much more likely to be involved with their grandchildren every day and to retain an active role on the farm well past what many consider a normal retire-ment age.

As the children who grow up on a family farm marry and start their own families, many choose to remain involved with the life they came to appreciate. In 2010, Sarahs wedding was held at the farm. She married Dustin Parker in a ceremony held in the part of the field that lies just east of the familys home, and the young couple now participate actively in running the farm.

We work here out of a sense of respect and pride, Sarah said, recalling with fond-ness the messages she got while she was a student at Wes-Del High School when it was necessary to hurry home and corral a cow that had managed to get through a fence and was headed toward Alexandria.

The Mitchells son, Jake, is also involved with the farm operations, and his other job is also in the field of agriculture: He works for Geoponic, assisting local farmers with the GPS mapping of fields to determine optimal planting and chemical application levels.

Daughter Jennifer Mitchell Powers is no longer involved with running the farm day-to-day, but she is quick to point out that she remains connected to it.

I would return to working on the farm tomorrow if it became necessary to keep it going, she said.

The Mitchells three grandchildren Isabella, Luke and Isaac represent the familys eighth generation locally. While Luke and Isaac are too young to participate actively in any farming activities, Isabella, age 10, has already completed 4-H projects in sewing, foods, swine, steers, heifers and feeder calves.

All members of the Mitchell family seem to agree on one thing: The chance to operate a family farm today is a gift.

God has blessed us with an opportunity, and Vickie and I have the job of passing this on to future generations, Larry said. God willing, I would like for us to see this farm reach 200 years of family ownership, which will happen in 2039.

TOP: Luke Powers, Isaac Mitchell and

Izabella Mitchell feed a recently born calf on the Mitchell

farm. Above: The eighth generation

of Mitchell farmers, Luke Powers and Isaac Mitchell, try

to round up a two-month-old calf.

RIGHT: The Mitchell Farm and founder

Jacob W. Miller.

PHOTOS BY KYLE EVENS

PHOTO BY KEN WICKLIFFE

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ABOVE: Jerry Stamper looks at his Swiss Chard he grows in his Greensfork area greenhouse for Jungle Jims in Middletown

Ohio RIGHT: Bok Choy grows in one of Jerry Stampers greenhouses.

I sell very little at home. Jungle Jims takes care of the marjority of what we grow. Because I know

other growers, Ive also helped Jungle Jims find some products in the area they were looking.

JERRY STAMPER

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By PAM THARP | Photos by STEVE KOGER

Jerry and Janet Stamper are farmers, but you wont see corn and soybeans growing on their farm.

Kale, bok choy, eggplant, peppers, specialty potatoes and Brussel spouts are a few of the 30 vegetable varieties on nearly 3 acres.

Most of their produce is sold directly to regional produce powerhouse Jungle Jims International Market in Fairfield, Ohio. The grocery, which has

1.5 acres of produce on display, is a destination for foodies looking for menu items off the beaten path.

The Stampers started growing wholesale vegetables five years ago on their Fox Road farm in Wayne County.

Jerry, 55, who had helped farmers while growing up, worked in a factory for 25 years before launching the produce business. Janet, 56, who grew up on a farm, helps with the farm work and works as a nurse at Reid Hospital in Richmond.

I learned by doing, Jerry said. I asked a lot of questions. A lot of young kids would like to farm, but who can afford to start (traditional farming) on their own? This is a way of farming in a different style.

The couple also enrolled in the Purdue Extension Master Gardener program in Wayne County. Both now are Master Gardeners and say the Extension Service is an excellent resource for them when they have questions.

The Stampers have been selling produce to Jungle Jims for about three years, after friends with connections to retailer introduced them. The unusal grocery, which is expanding to a second location in northern Cincinnati, caters to a grow-ing ethnic market by supplying produce not usually grown in the Midwest, the Stampers said.

Freshness is everything in the produce business. Jerry delivers vegetables within 24 hours of picking, making the nearly 100-mile round trip once or twice a week.

I sell very little at home. Jungle Jims takes care of the marjority of what we grow, Jerry said. Because I know other growers, Ive also helped Jungle Jims find some products in the area they were looking.

Quality is also extremely important in selling produce, the Stampers say. Their produce is not organically grown, and they still lose some because its not perfect, Jerry said.

We probably throw away a lot that most people wouldnt reject, Jerry said.Swiss chard, spinach and kale grow in the high tunnel in later winter and early

spring. Potatoes, onions, Brussel sprouts, leeks, eggplants and tomatoes are plant-ed in the field.

Eggplants are a specialty crop for the Stampers, who sell nine different kinds, a roster that includes white, green, orange, black, long and short.

The search for new or unusual seed varieties begins in early October. Jerry pours over the catalogs, using input from Jungle Jims on what theyd like to sell the next year. Seed is ordered in the fall so it will be available when its time to start seedling in the greenhouse.

This year theyll grow a new German cabbage variety thats used for sauerkraut, Jerry said.

Kale and Swiss chard plants were started in January this year, with kale ready to deliver to Jungle Jims the third week in March.

The couple also carefully times their plantings so they dont have too many crops ready at one time that require back labor, Jerry said. Vegetable farming is physical work, but the Stampers say producing quality food requires the passion of an artist.

Youve got to love to do this because of the labor it requires, Jerry said.Theres a sense of pride. You see all this stuff growing and you know you did

it, Janet said.Loving your work doesnt always mean its profitable. Jerry laughed when asked

if he was earning a living selling produce.We havent started making a living at it yet, Janet said, but were getting

close. I can some of what we grow, which helps us.Not all of an occupations benefits are tangible. The Stampers say they find

much fulfillment in their work with sun and soil.Theres nothing any more exciting than opening a seed packet, putting the seed

in a peat pot and in seven days, that seeds come alive, Jerry said.

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The Stampers grow non-traditional vegetables on their Greensfork farm

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Its hard to figure out a fair amount of cash rent, especially in an environment with so much potential for quick commodity price declines and input price surges. We dont want to see another 2009 where grain prices dropped, costs

increased and profitability disappeared. Its a challenging risk management environment for the farmers. ALAN MILLER, A PURDUE UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIST

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By KEN WICKLIFFE | Photos by KYLE EVENS

While prices for many farm implements have increased markedly over the past 30 years, other expenses such as land rent and fertilizer actually play a more significant role in determining a farmers overall level of profitability, according to a local farm equipment dealer as well as a Purdue University agricultural economist.

Rex Wiseman, a sales representative at the Muncie location of Reynolds Farm Equipment, noted that he has seen prices of some implements increase nearly tenfold since he began selling farm equipment in 1978.

A tractor or combine that sold for $37,000 in 1978 may now cost $300,000, he said. Not only is equipment more technically advanced now, but everything that goes into the equipment manufacturing process, such as steel and labor, now costs more.

The inclusion of GPS (global positioning system) technology that helps auto-mate certain operations and makes for more accurate planting and chemical application is an example of an advancement that has made some implements more sophisticated and costly, he said.

Farmers are willing to pay for innovations that will result in less waste and greater efficiency, Wiseman said.

But the costs associated with some other agricultural inputs have risen even faster than prices of equipment.

Cash rents and chemicals have shot to the moon, he said.Wisemans impressions are supported by a recent analysis conducted by

Alan Miller, a Purdue University agricultural economist. Miller compared last years farming costs with those forecast for the upcoming growing season. He found that volatile fertilizer prices and surging farmland rental costs will make these two categories of expenses the primary forces driving farmers costs up during 2012.

Preliminary budgets show variable costs for rotation corn increasing by 16 percent, soybeans by 15 percent and wheat by 12 percent as compared with our January 2011 budgets, Miller said in a news release.

Seed prices are also forecast to increase five to 10 percent this year, he added, while pesticide prices will vary depending on the product used.

Land rental expenses will also go up this year, the Purdue agricultural economist predicted. Like fuel prices, land rental expenses can be influenced by many social and economic forces outside a farmers control.

Its hard to figure out a fair amount of cash rent, especially in an environ-ment with so much potential for quick commodity price declines and input price surges, Miller said. We dont want to see another 2009 where grain prices dropped, costs increased and profitability disappeared. Its a challeng-ing risk management environment for the farmers.

He encourages farmers to establish flexible lease agreements for the land they farm if it is possible to do so.

Try to help landowners understand the market and the volatility, Miller said. Possibly look at flexible lease agreements instead of locking in cash rents in case inputs increase and commodity prices stay where they are at now or fall even further.

In the future, Wiseman said, further technical advancement of equipment may allow for expense reductions in the form of lower labor costs.

The ability to have driverless tractors is already here; John Deere has had this technology for a while, he said. The big concern of customers has been liability.

Farmers worry that a tractor driven only by a computer could malfunction and go out of control, Wiseman explained. The solution thus far has been to automate certain facets of tractor operation while still having an operator present who could re-assume full manual control if necessary.

As in all years, weather will remain a hard-to-predict variable affecting farmers during the upcoming spring and summer, he added. While technology has made crops more drought-resistant, a host of other weather-related factors remain.

We will always depend on the good Lord to give us good weather, Wiseman said.

Some of the new farming equipment seen at Reynolds Farm Equipment in Muncie: LEFT: The new John Deere DB 60 Row Planter. TOP: The John Deere StarFire GPS system. ABOVE: The interior of the new John Deere 9410 tractor.

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A natural filter strip of 60 feet between the tilled ground and the river bed on a farm along 700 East.

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By KEN WICKLIFFE | Photos by KYLE EVENS

Following the best available practices to prevent valuable topsoil from being washed away and keep agricultural chemicals out of waterways is known as river-friendly farming, and several local farmers have been recognized for their achievements in this facet of environmental protection over the past several years, according to Debra Carpenter of the Indiana Association of Soil

and Water Conservation Districts.Sam Harris, whose farm borders the White River near Prairie Creek

Reservoir in the southeastern portion of Delaware County, received one of the agencys River-Friendly Farmer awards in 2010. To protect the nearby waterway, Harris maintains a filter strip between the land he farms and the river itself.

The filter strip can consist of trees or a crop thats planted but not harvested, Harris said, adding that the root structure of trees and other plants helps to hold the soil in place. On Harriss farm, a wide tree line is maintained to achieve this buffer zone between agricultural land and the river.

Having the river full of valuable topsoil isnt good for the river, and its extremely harmful for farmers, too, because weve already lost so much topsoil over the years, he said.

Keeping fertilizers out of the river also prevents phosphates and nitrates from reaching water supplies, Harris added. Over the past 15 years, he said, water quality tests have been performed on the river near his farm, and these tests have verified the effectiveness of river-friendly farming practices.

While the job of keeping rivers free of soil and chemicals might seem most pressing for those located on or near a waterway, all farmers and even city residents play and important role, Carpenter said. As the IASWCDs regional technician/district administrator, she has studied the

topography and soil of this area and found that several natural and human-created fac-tors make river-friendly farming especially important in Indiana and nearby states.

Over the years, Carpenter said, the qual-ity of the soil in the eastern Corn Belt, made up of Indiana, Ohio and parts of Michigan and Illinois, has been compromised by the amount of heavy rainfall received here, as well as the combination of rolling and flat terrain.

The conditions here make erosion more likely than in some other areas of the country such as Iowa or the Dakotas, where there is more of a dry-land climate, Carpenter explained. In addition, after years and years of plowing, our soil con-tains less organic matter and does not hold water as well.

As a result, she said, the typical Indiana summertime pattern of warm, dry peri-ods alternating with heavy rainfall during storms may cause rainwater simply to run off, carrying topsoil with it, rather than sup-plying the needed moisture to crops.

Other factors that have affected erosion patterns over the years include the con-struction of drainage tiles and ditches, as well as some projects undertaken during

the 1800s to artificially straighten creeks and other small waterways. By speeding the movement of water, these drainage systems and stream alterations have increased soil erosion, she said.

And in cities, the paving of large areas and the construction of resi-dential neighborhoods right up to the banks of waterways has also fos-tered erosion and resulted in more sediment finding its way into rivers and streams, Carpenter added.

Certain species of fish, such as trout, cannot live in water thats heavy with sediment, she said. In addition, as increasing amounts of sediment build up in a river or other waterway, the water has less area to flow, so flooding becomes more likely, as well.

The River-Friendly Farmer Award Program recognizes many of those who have made special efforts to protect Indianas surface waterways, but a large number of farmers deserve credit, Carpenter said.

You still see the occasional farm thats plowed right up to the ditch, but this is becoming much rarer, she said. Some people see farmers as the culprit, but more and more farmers are implementing these river-friendly practices.

To further improve the condition of waterways, cities and towns can augment the efforts of farmers by looking at such projects as better sewer systems and by implementing more river-friendly development practices, Carpenter said.

Since the establishment of the River-Friendly Farmer Award Program in 1999, the IASWCD has recognized more than 600 farmers across Indiana for good production management practices that are keeping Indianas rivers, streams and lakes clean, according to an IASWCD bro-chure describing the program. Farmers can be nominated for the pro-gram by contacting the Soil and Water Conservation District office in the county where the farm is located.

The River-Friendly Farmer Award Program is sponsored by the IASWCD as well as the Indiana Department of Agriculture Division of Soil Conservation, the Indiana Farm Bureau, Purdue University Cooperative Extension and the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Certain species of fish, such as trout, cannot live in water thats heavy with sediment. In addition, as increasing amounts of sediment build up in a river or other waterway, the water has less area to flow, so flooding becomes more likely, as well.

DEBRA CARPENTER, OF THE INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS

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By PAM THARP | Photo by STEVE KOGER

When Don Berger watches the Middle Fork flow through his Wayne County farm, he knows being a river farmer carries a lot of responsibility.

The Middle Fork of the Whitewater River is scenic, and also provides about half of the city of Richmonds drinking water sup-ply.

Educating farmers on farming practices that make the citys drinking water safer is a job Berger and other members of the Friends of Middle Fork Steering Committee accepted several years ago.

Initially assisted by state and federal grants that now are gone, the Friends of the Middle Fork decided to continue on their own to promote good farming practices in the watershed .

Its not a matter of dollars, Berger said. These people feel its important enough that we need to continue to keep the public and farmers aware of the need to protect the water.

Friends includes farmers, a retired university professor, a water company representative, a farm supply employee, a real estate agent and the county surveyor.

Wayne County retired farmer George Bihl has about 40 acres in the Middle Fork watershed. He said the group hopes to keep its clean water mission alive.

Its a worthy project and you can learn so much. I know weve affected the water quality, Bihl said.

Rich Nicholson, Indiana-American Water Co. supervisor for environmental compliance and water quality, said theres good evidence the groups efforts have improved drinking water quality in the Middle Fork Reservoir.

Atrazine is a popular agricultural herbicide that kills grass, and its wide use in the watershed showed in drinking water levels. Its a chemical the water com-pany must mostly remove, using charcoal filtration.

Theres been a consistent and significant drop in the levels of atrazine in the reservoir, Nicholson said. We dont measure sediment, but I imagine that it has also declined.

Wayne County surveyor Bill Brown said he serves on the committee because he lives in the watershed and he could help with mapping needs. Improving water quality doesnt happen overnight, he said.

It takes quite a while to make a difference, Brown said.We want to keep reinforcing the ideas with landowners.

When soil stays in place, so do the chemicals in the soil. Farmers in the water-shed were eligible to receive incentives not to use atrazine and the group also put money into nutrient management, fencing and cover crops to protect the water.

Retired Indiana University East professor Dick Roeper, also Friends member, had a ready supply of students who tested Middle Fork water to locate problem areas. The Friends also demonstrated water- and soil-saving farming methods on a 20-acre demonstration plot on Porterfield Road. The plot land was made available by the late Kirby Hiller, Berger said.

Hillers family agreed to allow the group to continue using the land for dem-onstrations, Berger said. Harvest Land Co-op is providing all the supplies to grow the demonstation plot this year, Berger said. Theres no shortage of ideas to demonstrate and discuss, he said.

It helps a lot for farmers to be able to come here and see these ideas in per-son and talk about them. They get more comfortable trying them themselves, Berger said. Cover crops do wonders. They hold the soil all year long and lock up nutrients in the roots in the fall. Those nutrients are slowly released in the summer to the growing crop as the roots rot.

Berger also has a personal reason to be concerned about the water quality in the Middle Fork. A retired dairyman, Berger has 10 grown children and 22 grandchildren, youngsters who come to the farm and play by the river, Berger said. The family enjoys a big, annual Labor Day campout by the water thats now healthier due to the efforts of the Friends of the Middle Fork.

The river runs right through our place. It makes me feel good to think the water is good, Berger said. I feel like I have a responsibility to the community to protect the river because it runs right through our property. And I think grandparents have a responsibility to teach conservation to these kids.

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Don Berger stand near the river that runs through his property near Whitewater, Ind.




BY STEVE KARNOWSKI, ASSOCIATED PRESS

MINNEAPOLIS Mike Bergeron started sowing wheat on his farm in northwestern Minnesota on St. Patricks Day. One week earlier, he was towing two of his daughters on a sled behind his snowmobile.

Bergeron and his business partner Jon Ross are among at least a few farmers in the Upper Midwest taking advantage of an unusually mild and dry winter to start planting spring wheat in mid-March. While there could still be a bad frost, theyre taking a calculated risk that the early start will let them reap a bigger crop this summer.

Its crazy, isnt it? Bergeron said with a laugh on Tuesday, the official first day of spring.

Experts said that while its rare for farmers in the Upper Midwest to plant this early, its not crazy.

Were still on the early side, but thats the key to having a good wheat crop its planting early, said Doug Holen, a University of Minnesota Extension educator based in Morris. He said he knows of wheat growers in other parts of Minnesota who also have started planting.

Wheat yields tend to be better in cooler weather partly because wheat makes more efficient use of soil moisture the earlier it gets planted. Wheat and other small grains such as barley and oats also arent as susceptible to frost damage as corn and soybeans.

Those farmers are sitting tight because planting before mid-April doesnt normally benefit their crops, said Darrell Good, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois. The key with corn is avoiding late frosts and getting enough warm days over the season, while soybeans have a shorter growing season theres no urgency to get them planted early, he said.

While Kansas is often the countrys top wheat pro-ducing state, it grows winter wheat thats planted in the fall because its summers are too hot and dry. North Dakota, Montana and Minnesota typically are among the spring wheat leaders.

Joel Ransom, an extension agronomist at North Dakota State University in Fargo, said while hes hearing that some wheat growers there are getting

anxious and might be about to start planting, he hasnt actually seen anyone doing it or spoken with anyone who will soon. While North Dakota also has had a mild, dry winter, the soil there is wetter than in Minnesota and needs to dry a bit more, he said.

The ground is also still a little too wet in Montana, said Lola Raska, executive vice president of the Montana Grain Growers Association. She said she hasnt heard of any wheat being planted there, but some farmers are likely to start sowing barley soon. As soon as the ground is warm theyll be out there, she said.

Still, St. Patricks Day planting is unusual. Ross father, whos 84 and started their farm near Fisher, has planted at the end of March but never as early as March 17, Bergeron said. Bergeron himself had never planted earlier than April 7.

But the men checked with their crop insurance agent and a small-grains specialist, and persuaded skeptics at their local co-op elevator to come out and apply fertilizer last Saturday. Then the rush to plant was on. Bergeron said they have planted 450 acres of wheat and hope by Thursday to be halfway to their goal of 1,200 acres.

Eventually, theyll turn their attention to soy-beans, sugar beets and sunflowers for the rest of their 3,800 acres.

A key factor in their decision to plant early was that its been unusually dry across the Upper Midwest since late last summer. Snow cover was minimal over the winter.

Bergeron said there were only 3 to 4 inches of snow on the ground earlier this month when he was giving his daughters rides behind his snowmobile, and it all vanished quickly with the onset of record warm temperatures in the 70s.

Fearing the drought might persist into the sum-mer, and with no freezing weather in the medium-term forecast, Bergeron and Ross decided their odds were better with an early start. Replanting if theres a freeze would cost about $12,000, but theyre hoping Mother Nature rewards their risk with at least a normal yield for them, perhaps 70 bushels per acre, despite the dry weather.

Mother Nature always has its own mind, though, Bergeron acknowledged with a laugh.

Mike Bergerons dog, Bogey, rides shotgun as he finishes planting a 308 acre field of spring wheat on March 19, north of Fisher, Minn. Its the earliest planting start Bergeron has had due to the warm, dry season. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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