Valley Acres Farm’s commitment to conservation catches the eye of SWCD
Valley Acres Farm owner Jacob Yoder and his family have committed to conservation practices, and their efforts earned them the 2017 Holmes Soil & Water Conservation District’s Conservation Farm Award.
Farming as a way of providing for a family is a noble effort. Doing so while learning how to properly care for the earth as it is farmed is taking it to a whole other level of respect for the earth and everyone around you.
That is what the Jacob Yoder family has done, and in doing so, they have set a wonderful example of how farming and conservation can go hand in hand.
Valley Acres Farm, the home of the Jacob Yoder family, was recently tabbed as the recipient of the Holmes Soil & Water Conservation District’s Conservation Farm Award for 2017. The Jacob Yoder farm is a certified organic dairy operation located on County Road 70 between Walnut Creek and Sugarcreek.
Jacob Yoder, his wife Elmina and their five children Rhoda, Leon, Marcus, Steven and Ruby make up the family unit that operates Valley Acres Farm, and keeping it all in the family has worked well for the Yoders, who have shown a true dedication to maintaining a highly productive farm while at the same time utilizing numerous conservation practices that have benefited the land surrounding their farm greatly.
“Over the last several years, the Yoder family has worked extensively with the Holmes Soil & Water Conservation District through our Walnut Creek Nutrient Trading program and have implemented several conservation programs that have really made a big difference in improving their water quality,” said Michelle Wood, SWCD program administrator.
The Valley Acres Farm operation consists of 35 Jersey dairy cows, 16 heifers for replacements, and eight to 10 horses for farming and transportation. The cows are rotationally grazed in the summer and housed in a compost bedded pack barn in the winter.
The Yoder’s farm more than 100 acres of owned and rented land, growing corn and hay and utilizing it for pasture.
While his farm was already successful, Jacob Yoder began working with the Holmes SWCD in 2014 in hopes of taking advantage of the many conservation opportunities the SWCD affords the farmers in Holmes County.
Yoder participated in the Walnut Creek WWTP Nutrient Trading program. “This was a program to improve water quality in the watershed by installing conservation practices that generate water-quality credits,” said Joe Christner, SWCD water technician.
The Yoder’s first plan of business was to relocate the manure storage area and construct a concrete manure storage on the farm. This area is no longer used for manure storage and has been planted to grass.
“Jacob mentioned that this photo (showing the farm’s former manure storage) brought back memories — and not necessarily good memories — of log chains and pulling out equipment,” Christner said with a laugh at the presentation of the ward during the banquet.
In 2014 a new cow lane and access road were constructed, using geotextile fabric and limestone. This provides an all-weather surface to move livestock and equipment by eliminating mud during wet weather.
In 2015 Yoder added a roof to the manure structure in an effort to make the manure more stackable and reduce the amount of water he was hauling. He then went to work on the cow lane that led to the pasture and provided access to the manure storage area. Yoder said the mud was a challenge for livestock and equipment during spring and fall.
In 2015 Yoder also continued to install conservation practices in order to reduce feed-lot runoff to the ditch and treat milk-house waste water.
“This was done by installing this feed-lot curb and fence,” Christner said. “The screen contains sediment on the feed lot, and the surface inlet collects runoff water and transfers it to a sediment basin across the road.”
Christner went on to explain that the feed-lot runoff and milk-house waste water are piped to a sediment basin. The sediment drops to the bottom of the basin, and the water is released to the grass filter strip.
Like many farmers who utilize the services of Holmes SWCD, the farm has benefited greatly, and the family has done wonders in providing excellent conservation to the family farm’s resume.
“The Yoder family continues to make improvements to their operation,” Christner said. “A recent project on the farm was to cover a feed-mixing area and a small feed lot.”