Features

Conservation... Our Purpose. Our Passion.
Our Featured Customers.

Updated 03/03/2008

Meet the Featured Customers! Eight featured customers were chosen to represent diversity of geography, culture, conservation practices and crops of our landowner-partners nationwide. Though these customers implement different conservation practices, grow different crops, and live in different locations, they share with us a passion for conservation and caring for the land. Read their stories.
	Meet The Ho Family, Hawaii The Ho Family has 40 acres to farm Japanese cucumbers, long beans, squash, tomatoes, and eggplant. They’ve been dedicated land stewards for over 20 years. The conservation plan they hold with NRCS is to address weeds, insects, and plant disease by following an integrated pest management system. Read about the Ho family's innovation and commitment to conservation.
	Meet the Stoller Family, Wayne County, Ohio The Stoller Family operates a 250 acre certified organic dairy farm raising corn, soybeans, wheat, barley and alfalfa. They also have goats, chickens, and donkeys. They milk 90 Holsteins and market all of their milk through Organic Valley Co-op. The Stollers are a brilliant example of farming with nature instead of against it. They strive to pass along the homestead by leaving the land better than they found it and also are teaching these important concepts to their children.
	Meet the Austins, Oklahoma Full-time farmer and rancher Frank Austin operates his farm/ranch on a simple philosophy when it comes conservation. He wants to leave the land in better shape than when he found it. His 1240 acre operation consists of 140 acres of cropland and 1,100 of grassland. When Austin acquires a farm he has always gone to the Natural Resources Conservation Service for help in developing a conservation plan.
	Meet the Garcias, Washington The older and younger generations of the Garcia family tend their orchard in Yakima Valley. When Rene Garcia was a field worker in the orchards more than 30 years ago, he never imagined that one day he would own more than 800 acres of productive orchards; operate his own state-of-the-art packing house and climate-controlled storage facility; and host the President of Mexico during an official state visit. Read about this family's love for conservation and success in business.
	Meet the Gwinns, Florida The Gwinn Brothers are Suwannee County farmers that practice what NRCS promotes - good conservation! By following the NRCS developed conservation plan for their 1137 acre farm, the Gwinn Brothers have been able to improve water quality, enhance water quantity, reduce soil erosion, improve animal and plant health, and enhance wildlife habitat on their farm.
	Meet the Wahl Family, Oregon The Wahls' herd of around 4,000 head of sheep is rotated daily, minimizing the impact on the landscape and maintaining high quality forage. Due to its coastal location, a number of aquatic and wildlife species have flourished based on the significant stream, riparian and wetland habitat restoration. The Wahls fenced and re-planted over five miles of riparian area and opened up a wetland and salmon habitat.
	Meet the Chesmers, Connecticut The Chesmers have installed practices to protect water quality, keep the soils healthy and productive, improve air quality and animal health and welfare, as well as save money and allow them to be good neighbors. Their commitment to riparian buffers along streams and wetlands, and management of woodlands support habitat for many species.
	Meet the Browns, North Dakota The Browns run a purebred cow/calf operation with an open-minded philosophy, a willingness to try innovative practices and a dedication to being good land stewards. The Browns have practiced zero-till farming since 1994. This, along with increased organic matter and litter on the soil surface, improves soil health, water infiltration and utilization for a positive impact on the environment. Wildlife species have increased, both in diversity and population.
The featured customers appear in this video. This video requires Windows Media Player Video: Conservation... Our Purpose. Our Passion (5:24 minutes) Video Transcript
There are hundreds of other conservation farmers featured on this web site, with many stories to tell and a shared respect for America’s rich farming heritage, a willingness to embrace innovation and new technologies, and an understanding that good conservation equals good economics. These stories can be sorted and searched by crop, state, and conservation practice.

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