The Wolfe family of Fairfield County, Ohio, has been named an Ohio Conservation Farm Family Award winner for soil, water and conservation work that began with Mike Wolfe's grandfather, Merrill, in 1929 and now covers a 1,500-acre farm.

Merrill interseeded rye into corn in the 1930s. Mike's father, Roger, tried no-till in the 1970s, ridge till in the 1980s and then strip-till. Today the farm's corn, soybean and wheat rotation runs mainly on no-till and strip-till, with 442 acres of cover crops and a nutrient management plan on all its ground. "If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you," Mike said, quoting his grandfather.

Mike has installed 21 water and sediment control basins, grass waterways, buffer strips, streambank restoration and extensive tile drainage — also for neighbours, using the family's own tile machine and plough. The farm takes part in the Conservation Reserve Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, H2Ohio and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Precision tools came early: the family set up its own RTK network in 2000 for variable-rate work. Fertiliser follows prescriptions from soil tests, sprayers have automatic boom shut-off and controlled traffic limits compaction. After wheat, Mike sows pollinator-friendly buckwheat, sunflower, clover and phacelia, and uses poultry litter in place of commercial fertiliser. "I think soil erosion is one of the hidden costs of farming that a lot of people don't see," he said.

The farm has grown from Merrill's 120 acres to Roger's 380 and Mike's 1,500, but growth has limits east of Columbus, where Mike points to Intel, data centres, solar arrays and housing. Parts of the land are enrolled in farmland preservation. "My goal is to make the ground we've got more efficient," he said, aiming to be a low-cost producer with no more fertiliser or tillage than needed.

Mike farms with his wife, Maria, with part-time help from their son, Tommy, and longtime hand Robert Wyeth. Tommy, who runs a landscaping business, has not decided whether he will take over. The family hosts 4-H meetings and school groups and helps the local FFA with soil-judging pits.

The report was written by Jennifer Kiel, editor of Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer.

Source: Farm Progress