C
Ohio’s Country Journal
Rops
See the Growth Energy ad
to learn more.
Buck demonstrates the
dedication of stewardship
ByMattReese In many years, the no-till corn on
This May, John Buck finished planting the farm presents the biggest
on the Saturday before Memorial Day production challenge.
after a delayed start. But, for Buck, every “No-till corn can be a challenge,” Buck
year is a bit of a delayed start due to his said. “You have to make sure your seed
100% no-till farming practices. has the right treatment, the proper fertility
“No-till teaches you patience. You and the right timing in the spring.”
have to wait another two or three days Wheat stubble and cold spring condi-
after you see your neighbors working in tions also can present challenges when
John Buck was recognized with the Ohio Soybean
Association and Ohio Corn Growers Association 2009
the fields,” he said. “The ground temper- no-tilling.
Environmental Stewardship Award for his dedication to
ature stayed cold for so long this year, “The biggest thing with the wheat stub-
no-till, water quality and conservation-minded man-
and no-till really forces you to wait until ble is waiting for the right time,” Buck agement on his Marion County farm.
conditions are right.” said. “If you don’t wait, you’re just throw-
of the soil. Performing this regular sam-
Over the past seven years, Buck has ing your money away. In 10 years, I
pling became a major component of deci-
been transitioning his diverse Marion haven’t replanted a single acre. Good or
sions for drainage and tillage issues and
County soils (including river bottom, bad, I wait to put my crops in at the right
tiling projects. Since I took over the oper-
Powamo and highly erodable soils) to time and that takes patience. Sometimes
In addition to the Ohio Soybean Association and Ohio
ation, I have started grid soil sampling
no-till, reaching 100% four years ago. with no-till you have to take the emotion
Corn Growers Association 2009 Environmental
and working with the local fertilizer sup-
“Like most farms in Ohio, I have a lit- out of farming. Waiting a little longer than
Stewardship Award, last winter, Buck was in the
plier to apply fertilizer and lime with national spotlight as the winner of the American
tle bit of everything with soils, and every your neighbors and sometimes looking at
precision in order to take better care of
Soybean Association Conservation Legacy Award.
acre is different with no-till,” Buck said. weedy fields can be tough, but with the
the soil and not over apply.”
The rotation for Buck’s 800-acre farm price of inputs, less is more with no-till.”
ly erodable land in waterways,” he said.
This custom application also allows
favors soybeans, which account for half For the 2009 planting season, Buck used
“We’re also considering adding a 36-acre
Buck to economically take advantage of
of his operation. Corn and wheat split .4 gallon of diesel per acre for getting the
wetland through the Scioto CREP on
the precision of modern equipment,
the remaining acreage. crop in the ground. Buck also implements
some ground that is flooded most of the
including variable rate technology and
“Soybeans have been the most prof- an integrated pest management approach
winter and once or twice in the spring.
GPS, and helps Buck avoid handling and
itable and least risk crop for me,” Buck to all of his acres to minimize pesticide use
We usually only harvest about half a
storing pesticides and chemicals on the
said. “This year I planted 100% low-lin and input expense on the farm. This has
crop on that farm.”
farm. This saves expense and eliminates
beans on the farm to cater to the con- been particularly important with soybean
These conservation practices filter
potential safety and liability hazards. The
sumer and go after that premium from cyst nematode management in his back-to-
runoff and provide wildlife habitat, in
custom application frees him up to run
Bunge in Marion.” back soybeans.
addition to the pond on the farm. Buck
his various other businesses as well, that
“I have gotten the soil tested and I
cares for all of these aspects of his farm
include multiple auto/equipment repair
just don’t have SCN problems,” he
in a manner to keep things looking good.
service centers and the TurnKey
said. “You just have to choose varieties
“The farm is an extension of me and I
Leadership Group that creates custom
wisely. I rotate varieties with different
try to keep things looking nice,” he said.
tailored leadership training programs for
sources of resistance.”
“If the farm is cared for in the right way, it
businesses and individuals.
Buck is careful to apply the best con-
shows that I am farming the right way.”
In the last few years, Buck has
servation practices available to build
For all of these reasons, Buck was
revamped his petroleum containment
upon his family heritage on the land.
named the Ohio Soybean Association
facilities with double-walled tanks.
“My farm has been in the family since
and Ohio Corn Growers Association 2009
Hazardous waste from his auto repair
1936 when my grandfather, Ransom
Environmental Stewardship Award win-
centers is either recycled onsite or han-
Buck, first purchased it and started farm-
ner and, last winter, Buck was in the
dled by a third party.
ing it himself in 1939. After my grandfa-
national spotlight as the winner of the
In addition, Buck has taken a number
ther’s untimely death, my father, Larry
American Soybean Association
of measures to improve the water quality
Buck, took over and farmed it until his
Conservation Legacy Award. Such
around his farm, including some highly
own untimely death in 1999. It was at
awards simply recognize the patience of
erodable land.
this time I acquired the farm,” Buck said
no-till, the diligence of management and
“We’ve installed more than 15 acres of
in his application for the award.
the dedication of stewardship.
waterways, windbreaks and other
“Over the years that my family has
“There is always more that can be
buffers through the Lake Erie and Scioto
farmed this land, our production yields
done and should be done to protect our
Conservation Reserve Enhancement
have increased and the fertility of the soil
resources, land and water,” Buck said.
Program — we’re right at the edge of
has increased as well. My father started
“We need to be attentive to this responsi-
both watersheds. I’ve got all of that high-
doing soil sampling to raise the efficiency
bility every single day.”
Buck keeps his farm looking nice to keep neighbors happy.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44