By Lisa Bard

 

 

Near the small southeastern Nebraska community of Steinauer, in the midst of rolling grasslands, lives the Christen family – Rod, Amy and their children, Rod’s sister, Kay, and their parents, Richard and Sharon. They run a Black Angus/Maine-Anjou cross cow-calf herd totaling 275 head on 1,354 owned acres and 1,080 rented acres. Only 250 acres are row crops, with the balance in grass. Like many others in the cattle business, they enjoy what they do and treasure their way of life. But this past year, the Christens received a bonus – they were the recipients of the 2007 Leopold Conservation Award.

While each cattle operation across Nebraska and the U.S. is different, the Christens are humbled that they have been highlighted among all the cattle operations that are sustaining and enhancing natural resources. Like many producers, cattle provide most of their income, with a few crops as a secondary source. However, the focus of their operation is conservation and grassland management.

 Grassland management is key

When Rod returned to the family farm after a few years in college, his goal was to become a partner with his dad. In 1995, he achieved his goal, becoming a full partner with Richard, and he married Amy that same year. Expanding the business, they acquired additional land and purchased more cattle.

The Christens’ conservation program began long before, though, back when Rod and Amy were kids and Richard would rotate cattle from pasture to pasture.

The first few years of the partnership suffered a serious income shortfall. To counteract that, Rod started to look beyond what they were currently doing and, through his membership in the Nebraska Grassland Association, he learned of intensive grazing systems. Applying these concepts allowed the Christens to double the time they could graze their grasslands, thereby decreasing their reliance on crops for cattle feed and increasing the health and diversity of their pastures.

They also began the process of utilizing water as a management and conservation tool, and not just a necessity of life. They installed water lines to the pastures and designed a portable mineral feeder to move with the cattle. Most of their water lines are buried and built to handle a volume of water at low pressure with continuous-flow Hudson valves that allow the lines to be used year round without freezing. They currently have up to three water locations for every 30-40 acres of grass.

These improvements allowed them to increase their grazing season to almost year round, only feeding supplement when needed. They also moved their calving date back to match available forage. This system required much less mechanically harvested winter feed, less time hauling feed and less time harvesting.

Stockpiling grass for winter feed has become a priority. The majority of owned acres are grazed only 10-15 days per year. In some cases, the Christens allow paddocks to lay idle all grazing season, using them for winter grazing only.

EQIP requires that ponds be fenced to keep livestock out. In order to provide water to cattle, Rod installed hydrants below the pond’s dam in various locations. Rod also added hydrants to their intensive rotational grazing system. The effect of fencing off ponds was so positive that the majority of their ponds are now fenced.

The Christens planted trees between the pond and the fence, attempting to develop a scenic landscape and habitat for wildlife. With effort and care, they report a 100 percent tree survival rate and have stocked the pond with fish. That the pond has become a recreation area for family and friends is icing on the cake.

The Christens are also involved with the Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). Through this program they have installed almost 10,000 feet of water pipeline, creating additional watering stations in their grazing systems at critical locations.

They participated in a LIP tree removal project, which involved a study by students at the University of Nebraska on the “before and after” of the tree removal. Undesirable trees and shrubs were removed, leaving ash, hackberry and oak trees to provide shade for cattle and habitat for wildlife.

The LIP program has also allowed the Christens to promote unbroken native grasslands. By developing additional water sources, they have improved pasture utilization, offered more days of rest and allowed the cattle to spend less time traveling. Tree clearance has enhanced the growth of more productive, native grasses and promoted better habitat for native upland birds.

The Christens have also participated in the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) and, while they reseeded most of the hill ground earlier, inclusion in the GRP allowed them to maintain the quality of grasses they are striving for. To date, over 320 acres have been approved to participate in the program.

The Christens also believe in outreach and share what they do with the community around them, as well as with the extended agricultural community. Ranch tours for producers and grassland managers are as common as their overnight cookouts for the local Girl Scout troop.

While the Christens’ focus on grazing systems began as a necessity to improve finances, the result has been improved conservation and wildlife management. “The added effects of improved management have greatly improved family recreation on our farm and improved our quality of life, while having a positive and sustainable effect on the natural resources we manage,” Rod says.

Changing their grazing management, moving the calving date later, adding stockpiled grass, cross fencing, developing multiple water sources and participating in available conservation programs have increased the land’s productivity and contributed to increased revenue. “We used to ask ourselves, ‘Can we afford to do this?’” Rod says. “Now we ask, ‘Can we afford not to?’” Y By Lisa Bard, Nebraska Cattleman managing editor.

 

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