For the Walker family of DeKalb County, IN, conservation isn’t a trend. The past four generations on the farm have proved it to be a legacy. And because of their location within the Western Lake Erie Basin, the conservation implemented on their ground plays a critical role in protecting valuable drinking water in which more than 11 million people rely.
“I started farming right out of high school,” said Rory Walker. “My grandpa farmed, my dad farmed and then I took over.” Today, Rory’s son, Jacob, manages most of the operation’s 4,800 acres, while Rory “fills in the weak spots,” as he puts it.
In its infancy, the farm housed livestock used for dairy. Over the decades, the farm transitioned from a dairy farm into a row crop operation, steadily expanding and adapting through each new challenge. The farmland is currently comprised of a 50/50 corn and soybean conservation crop rotation with wheat occasionally added in the mix. About 20% of their cropland is irrigated and uses a tillage system that blends no-till, reduced till and occasional conventional tillage where needed. For the Walkers, the key word in their conservation journey is flexibility.
“We try to stay pretty flexible,” Jacob explained. “No-till is ideal, but once in a while there are fields that need increased tillage because of drainage work, residue management and mother nature. Part of conservation is figuring out what’s right for that field at that time.”
The need for flexibility can become more complex when paired with farm bill program requirements. The Walkers have participated in USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs for decades, first through Rory’s father, then through their own long-term participation in the Conservation Stewardship Program, and more recently, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program’s targeted funding for Great Lakes watersheds, including the Western Lake Erie Basin Initiative and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
The Walkers acknowledge NRCS’ financial assistance can help farmers take the first step in their conservation journey.
“The [farm bill] programs might push farmers to try something new,” Jacob said. “They can help mitigate a potential failure. If a farmer is going to tie his hands to a conservation practice for, say, five years, there needs to be some financial assistance at least on the front end to help. Without that incentive, you’d hang it up real fast.”
And the Walkers have seen a few failures throughout the years. From cereal rye that hit eight feet tall and clogged radiators, clover that worked beautifully one year and ruined stands the next, slugs, residue management issues and unpredictable weather all foiling their best-laid plans.
“Mother Nature holds the final card, and she can get your plans twisted up real fast” he said. “We’re constantly learning.”
Technical support from NRCS has been essential through this learning curve. District Conservationist Derek Thompson has worked with the Walker family for years, providing honest guidance, not just textbook answers.
“Your local district conservationist makes such a difference. The ideas. The resources. They’re there to help you get started, to learn,” said Jacob.
Derek credits the Walkers with being thoughtful, forward-thinking managers: “They’re strategic about what they sign up for. They think ahead. They don’t bite off more than they can chew.”
Even though the Walkers like maximum flexibility, they understand the programs requirements and are still able to utilize NRCS assistance to refine their conservation system by building better residue management strategies, reducing tillage where feasible and integrating cover crops in ways that work for their operation. And the benefits are adding up both financially and environmentally.
“It’s going to ebb and flow a little bit over time, but we are seeing the benefits,” Jacob said. “Economically, we’ve cut a bunch of costs with no-till, especially our diesel bill.”
Perhaps most importantly, the Walkers are using what they learned from NRCS and their years of assessment to manage conservation on acres that aren’t under an NRCS contract. Rory reflected on the long-term impact: “We used to have washouts everywhere. Now, because of what we learned 50 years ago through trial and error and from NRCS, we don’t have that problem anymore. Hundreds of structures we’ve built over the years came from those early lessons.”
This reduction of sediment leaving the field after heavy rain events is crucial to protecting and preserving the water resources of the Western Lake Erie Basin.
Not every farmer has the equipment or experience the Walkers do, which, in Jacob’s view, makes NRCS’ conservation programs even more critical. “For producers who can’t do this themselves, these programs are a huge benefit,” he said.
Despite their challenges, the Walkers’ commitment is unwavering. They see conservation as both a legacy and a necessity. — Kris Vance, Indiana NRCS state public affairs specialist
