Stewardship Practices Convert Marginal Land to Pastures

Dan Crummett, Contributor

Over 20 years of their marriage, Marty and Crystal Williams have steered their farming enterprise in north-central Oklahoma with an eye toward the future. It begins with a reverence for the land and its limitations, and a willingness to adapt -- even when it means reverting to the past by turning land back to native grass.

Today, Frontier Farms is a diversified, no-till operation producing winter wheat for grain and grazing, and rotations of corn and grain sorghum with double-crop soybeans when rains and markets look promising. In addition to the small-grain forage produced, native prairie grass pastures support a 200-head commercial Angus cow herd and around 250 stocker calves per year.

The patchwork of farmland and grass pastures provides excellent wildlife habitat, which supports a vital economic stream to the farm in annual migratory waterfowl hunting leases. Plus, the couple is finalizing plans with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to implement a 99-year lease on 320 acres for a permanent wetland for waterfowl and other wildlife.

STEWARDSHIP ETHIC

The sixth-generation farm is located west of Red Rock, in Noble County, where the topography changes from Flint Hills-like native tallgrass prairie east of the Arkansas River to soils more akin to the Red Rolling Plains further west. Marty Williams grew up farming conventionally, continually turning the soil and burning diesel to prepare cropland for planting.

"While my dad was a conventional farmer back then, he always had a respect for the land," he says, explaining his own deeply held land stewardship ethic. "He always tried to take care of our native grass pastures with conservative stocking rates and brush control. While he used the plow, he never burned stubble like so many of our neighbors were doing. When Crystal and I began no-till farming on our own in 2005, he began to adopt no-till and uses it today."

As newlyweds, the couple settled on the family farm and began Frontier Farms on local rented land. Like most area farmers, Marty liked to raise winter wheat. However, he soon found Italian ryegrass infestations made moving to summer crops a necessity for weed control. As a result, "It just makes sense to leave mulch on the ground," he adds.

Nearly 20 years later, Marty is a confirmed no-tiller. In addition to maintaining residue on cropland throughout the year, he was an early adopter of variable-rate fertility on his small-grain acres.

For many years, Marty used the GreenSeeker system to pinpoint nitrogen needs on wheat, oats and canola. A change in vendors for that technology became cumbersome, so he now relies on Ninja Ag, based in (nearby) Stillwater. Fields are scanned by satellite, and he has nutrient prescription information within 24 hours.

Williams applies 50 to 70 pounds of preplant 11-52-0 or 18-46-0 starter fertilizer followed by another shot of 10-34-0 through the planter. Satellite imagery throughout the growing season pinpoints further crop nutrient needs. The remote sensing allows Marty to apply only the nutrients needed, and in a timely manner, to ensure crop health and reduce runoff. He consistently uses less fertilizer than traditional broadcast applications.

"I don't use remote sensing for corn and grain sorghum. Those crops grow so fast, I'm afraid I might miss a critical window," he explains. "On those fields, we use 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre on the whole field, then tissue-sample at about V10. If it looks like rain, we'll sidedress for additional yield. It's always a dicey decision because of the weather. Many years, we don't sidedress at all, taking a 'given' crop rather than investing in fertilizer that may go unused."

Marty's no-till and rotational practices have improved the soil through the years. Soil organic matter has gone from 1%, typical in this area, to about 2% on many fields.

"Rebuilding soil is a long process," he says. "We're buying a nearby farm that I rented while I was in high school and have farmed ever since. It took 15 years before it planted decently, and right now, it's just becoming a good no-till field."

FUTURE PLANS

In keeping with their conservation ethic, Marty and Crystal are looking to the future by steadily converting cropland back to permanent native pasture.

"Much of the land we own is marginal at best and should never have been broken out in the beginning," Marty explains. "When we get older, we want to be cattle-based, so we're returning those acres to grass." Several years ago, Crystal launched Frontier Beef, a direct-market farm-to-table beef enterprise to improve the farm's revenue stream.

So far, the couple has reseeded about 400 acres to native prairie species, such as big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass and switchgrass. These perennials thrive in Oklahoma conditions with little to no care other than brush control.

"We farm among pastures now, and as we can afford to do so, many of those fields will also become pasture," Marty explains.

WILDLIFE CONSIDERATIONS

The extended Williams family includes many hunters who enjoy harvesting their own deer, turkey, quail and pheasants. Those privileges will remain for family. Waterfowl is a different matter, however. Ducks and geese are plentiful in the area.

"We're active in managing our land with a local outfitter who guides migratory waterfowl hunts here," he says.

The wildlife connection is about to become even stronger. "Everything is designed and approved for our wetland easement," Marty explains. "It's on a farm I bought from my landlords, and over 13 years -- even with good crops averaged in -- it averaged only $50 per acre. It flooded two out of every five years."

The plans call for damming several natural channels and sloughs to provide 12 acres of permanent water and 40 acres of storage when it's full. Currently, he's cropping it for waterfowl hunting leases, but ultimately, it will be seeded to native grass. When it's funded and completed, it will be a valuable soil conservation structure, slowing natural runoff during heavy rains.

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-- Editor's Note: The Williamses and their farm were recognized in 2023 as Oklahoma's recipients of the Leopold Conservation Award presented for achievement in voluntary conservation efforts by the Sand County Foundation and American Farmland Trust.

-- Watch a video about Marty Williams at https://youtu.be/…

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