Lessons of a LaCrosse farmer

Since I am now in the process of retiring after more than 40 years of farming, I thought I would pass along some of the things I have learned.

I remember as a kid there were ditches in the field from erosion that required filling before crossing with a wheat truck. I remember farming with plows and hoeing weeds in the summer fallow by hand.

When I later took over the farm, I believed in chisel plowing deep to break the “plow pan.” Then, I did the strip farming when it was recommended to prevent erosion.

I soon learned that this did little to prevent runoff and was quite inefficient. Water would still run through the strips; it took more turns and time and fuel. Ridges would build up between the strips and there would be more soil compaction from driving in the same track. You were never able to finish the strip with a full swath (even so now with GPS).

I planted our hills into CRP grass which lasted for several years. In the meantime, I tried to figure out a better way to farm after the CRP contract expired.

After doing research and attending many conservation farm meetings, I basically learned that leaving the soil alone as much as possible was the best practice (direct seeding).

Two presentations impacted me:

One was a large hose of pressured water being aimed at a conventional tillage plot and then at a direct seeded plot next to it.

The water immediately ran off the conventional ground, but all of it soaked into the direct seeded plot.

The other presentation showed the takeout of CRP using conventional tillage compared to spraying RoundUp before direct seeding. The conventional plot had 200 weeds per square-foot and the direct seeded plot had no weeds — none.

These were very convincing to me.

Change can be difficult and requires courage for all of us. But I decided to take the leap and change my farming operation.

So, when my CRP contract expired, I sprayed the heavy stand of our CRP grass with RoundUp and direct seeded wheat into it.

Indeed, the grass decomposed and the young wheat grew up through it, saving the residue and organic matter.

I am now doing what I believe is the best way to save and improve the health of our soil. I do my best not to disturb it and leave the standing stubble.

Every stalk decomposes and allows water to enter the stalk hole. The stubble shades the ground keeping it cool and helps preserve the moisture. Bare summer fallow in 100-degree heat is like an oven cooking the life out of the soil.

I also believe even the harrow can be harmful. It pulverizes the top inch of soil making it vulnerable to erosion and covers the stalk holes, breaks the stalks off which makes it easier to plug the drill and it spreads weed seeds.

Here are the advantages I have discovered from direct seeding:

1) Prevents erosion from water and wind.

2) Improves the soil health by building up the organic matter.

3) Plow pans go away and the soil becomes softer (and very little crust to cause reseeding).

4) Saves fuel, labor, repair and machinery costs (fewer trips over the fields).

5) Direct seed drills can go through 90 bushel stubble (especially when standing).

6) Saves taxpayer money from our Whitman County Public Works digging ditches out along our roads (about $750,000 per year).

7) Saves money from dredging our soil from waterways for ocean-going ships on the lower Columbia River.

8) Cleaner water helps save more fish downstream.

9) Prevent car crashes (injuries and even deaths) during dust storms.

10) Cleaner air to breathe and even less dusting required inside our homes.

11) Carbon sequestration in our soil helps prevent CO2 from going into our atmosphere which helps to stabilize our climate.

12) More quality time for ourselves and families.

Throughout history, civilizations have disappeared because of the loss of topsoil.

We are fortunate to be farming the great soils of the Palouse hills, but they are very erodible.

Our county produces more wheat than any other county in our nation (over 3,000 counties). It is a noble profession to feed so many people here and overseas.

But, we do need to be aware of our responsibility to future generations and our nation by emphasizing saving and improving of our soils.

I believe the direct seeding method is the greatest way of accomplishing this.

— Tedd Nealey is a longtime LaCrosse, Wash., farmer. Email him at teddnealey@gmail.com.