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Dee River Ranch uses global positioning system receivers on tractors,
combines, and sprayers. These devices, combined with yield monitors,
guidance systems, and variable rate-spray nozzles, improve the accuracy
of the cropping enterprises to inches rather than acres.
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The probability of soil erosion from cropland was reduced with the
increased use of winter cover crops as part of a conservation tillage
cropping system.
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The Blackland Prairie soils of the Dee River Ranch can become a quagmire
when wet and make cattle management nearly impossible. With improved
pasture management and installation of erosion control practices such as
heavy-use pads, on-farm surface water monitoring indicates that little
if any soil erosion from pastures.
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Poultry litter is used to supplement commercial fertilizer for hay
fields and pastures, reducing production costs and improving the
sustainability of the ranch.
Mike
and Annie are very stewardship conscious. Mike said, "As we think
of stewardship, we can’t be limited to look at next year’s crops, be
it corn, wheat, or cattle. We have to think about the next 10 years. We
have to be improving the soil and the environment all the time because
we have to produce more from every acre to maintain our livelihood and
success. We have to be improving all the time, not just
maintaining."
Dee
River Ranch takes seriously the philosophy of using the land wisely.
Much of the land managed by Dee River Ranch is best suited for pasture.
Mike said, "The cattle operation is an integral part of our whole
operation. It helps us utilize our acreage that is not hospitable to row
crops. Some of our land is very suited to grow forage and that’s the
best use of the land. To be able to harvest that forage with the cattle
is the most efficient use of the land."
Another
example of using the land wisely is demonstrated in the installation of
field borders and buffers. Annie said, "By installing riparian
buffers, we have made unproductive land productive. Our equipment keeps
getting larger and larger. The ends of some of our fields were not
productive and it was difficult to turn the equipment. We squared off
the fields and planted those areas to trees, which creates wildlife
habitat."
To
combat high fuel prices and with an increased awareness of global
warming, the Dees are making use of vehicles powered by alternative
fuels. In cooperation with Auburn University Natural Resources
Management and Development Institute, an on-farm alternative fuel
production plant will be installed using soybeans, sunflowers, and
canola grown on the farm.
Annie
said, "Our on-the-farm bio-diesel facility will make us more
sustainable as a farm. We will use the crops to make fuel and then use
the co-products, the cooked soybean or sunflower meal, as a source of
protein for the cattle. Nothing that we use to make the fuel will leave
the farm. That is stewardship!"
Mike
and Annie Dee are active participants and leaders in local, regional,
and state conservation programs. They are involved in efforts to improve
stewardship among the agricultural community and to enhance the public’s
perception of the farming industry. Dee River Ranch is always available
for producer tours. The Dee family takes pride not only in showing the
benefits of the stewardship practices that they have implemented, but
they also gladly share the lessons that they have learned over the
years.
The
greatest potential impact the Dees have on the cattle industry is their
activity with the Alabama Rural Medicine Program. Dee River Ranch is a
learning laboratory for medical students enrolled in the University of
Alabama’s School of Medicine. Students learn first hand about the
cattle business from a beef producer. With the stewardship practices in
use on the ranch, these developing physicians see how a ranch should be
operated to protect and enhance the environment.
Dee
River Ranch has taken advantage of the many conservation partners
available to assist them. They make full use of the technical and
financial assistance available from USDA-Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS). The ranch has been an active participant in the deer
management programs offered by the Alabama Department of Natural
Resources. They participate in a surface water monitoring program
coordinated by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. They
make heavy use of the USDA-National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, the Auburn
University Agronomy and Soils, and the Auburn University Biosystems
Engineering Departments, as well as the Alabama Cooperative Extension
Systems Crops Team for assistance with the geospatial technology used on
the ranch. The Auburn University Animal Sciences Department and the
Alabama Cooperative Extension System Animal Science and Forages Team
provide similar support to the beef cattle enterprises.
Dee
River Ranch was recently selected as a regional winner in the
Environmental Stewardship Awards Program (ESAP). Sponsored by the
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Dow Agro-Sciences, and USDA-
NRCS, the annual ESAP awards honor cattle producers whose stewardship
practices are inventive, cost-effective, and contribute to environmental
conservation. The Dee River Ranch was nominated by the Alabama Cattlemen’s
Association. The prestigious ESAP is now in its 17th year. The national
winner will be selected in October and presented at the national meeting
in January 2008.
Terry
Williamson, NRCS District Conservationist, said, "Annie and Mike
Dee are good stewards of the land. They have learned the value of
partnerships in the conservation effort. They sought the help of USDA-NRCS
to help them use the land that has been entrusted to them in the most
efficient ways. They also partner with Auburn University and Mississippi
State University, as well as numerous state commodity groups. Through
the cooperation of these partners, they have become leaders in the
stewardship effort in Alabama. They have combined their love of the land
with a sound business plan to produce an operation that is both
profitable and sustainable."
While
economics is the driving force behind any business, Mike and Annie Dee
have gone the extra mile to ensure that their farming operation is not
only profitable but also environmentally sound. They have incorporated
conservation practices into their farming operation that have enhanced
the productivity of the farm, reduced soil erosion, improved moisture
retention in the soil, and provided wildlife habitat. As recognized
industry leaders, the impact of the Dee family on environmental
stewardship in Alabama is remarkable.
At
one location on the Dee River Ranch, it does appear that you can see
forever. One field on the ranch is 2,000 acres and it includes land in
both Alabama and Mississippi. Annie said, "This is the largest
contiguously farmed field east of the Delta." A picture can’t
capture that vast space, but it is very impressive, as is the entire Dee
River Ranch operation.
Julie
A. Best is the Public Affairs Specialist for the USDA-Natural Resources
Conservation Service in Auburn. |
