Forage-efficiency and maternal excellence at its finest . . . Sale runs: October 13 through October 31
Ficke Cattle Company – Graze Master Genetics
Come select your next herd bull in a natural environment, grazing alongside their mothers. Pick your selections up at weaning or let us develop them for you. We invite you to visit the cow herd at Ficke Cattle Company or call us to select your next herd bull for you.
Call, text or email Del for more information about the bulls and current programs available at (402) 499-0329 or fickecattle@outlook.com.
An abbreviated version of this story ran in the Midwest Messenger. The full story will also run in the Western Ag Reporter. We need many people helping others change for the better. All of us working together, benefits all of us in the end.
The Wild West of Soil Health
By Kerry Hoffschneider
Aaron Hird, Nebraska State Soil Health Specialist, admiring healthy soils on a neighboring Nebraska farm that has adopted regenerative practices (courtesy photo).
LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska State Soil Health Specialist, Aaron Hird, said soil microbiology and all the life therein has been referred to as the Wild West of the science world. It turns out, Hird’s life has been as adventuresome as the wild, mysterious, busy world beneath his feet.
Hird is literally a pioneer in his position in Nebraska, one of only a few of its kind created by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) nationwide, to help farmers, ranchers, the public as well as NRCS employees and partners get a sense of the vital role soil health plays on the environment. Hird said, “It’s about relationships and promoting research to provide real, factual answers. Learning with people is my passion.”
The young, up and comer in what is now coined as the “soil health movement” across the nation and world, grew up on a small, Central Nebraska, diversified farm and ranch. There he learned a work ethic and the impact grazing Angora Goats and cattle had on the health of pastures. The family also operated a large truck garden and poultry operation, selling at several farmers markets and doing all the harvesting and planting themselves.
After high-school, Hird attended Chadron State College and achieved his bachelor’s in Environmental Biology with minors in Wildlife Management and Plant Science. His education included an internship with Nebraska NRCS, specifically the Pathways Program, where he worked with State Range Management professionals in the summer and learned to do rangeland inventory and help develop ecological site descriptions. Passionate about livestock and grazing, Hird’s initial goal was to be a Rangeland Management Specialist for NRCS.
Soon, however, he found himself pursuing a wide-range of experiences that would eventually bring him back to Nebraska with a position to encourage farmers to consider the life not only above, but also below, their feet, “I applied to work as a contractor on the National Resource Inventory (NRI) crew, for NRCS. But somehow, my application got put in the wrong stack and I ended up applying for something else. It turned out to be an even better opportunity. So, that summer, instead of doing NRI work, I worked for the State Range Management Specialist as a student intern. The internship also came with a non-competitive job opportunity when I was finished. But, as it worked out, right when I was graduating there was a national hiring freeze and there were no jobs available, although “they remained committed to placing their top achieving interns.’”
Hird did not give up and started applying for jobs anywhere and everywhere. “One day, however, I got a phone call from the NRCS State office in New Mexico and they said, ‘We have one position that is still available. Do you want this job?’ I called my fiancé, Megan, and she and I talked. We had to decide that day. Somebody had told me once, take whatever job you can get with the NRCS because it is not easy to get started – you can move later. So, I took the job in Grants, New Mexico as the Range Management Specialist for Crownpoint, New Mexico, the only NRCS field office located on the eastern Navajo Indian Reservation.”
“Nobody had been serving in the position for two years,” Hird added. “When I showed up, the boss said, ‘Drive up to the Crownpoint field office and clean out the file cabinet.’”
In the meantime, Megan was getting her doctorate in Physical Therapy in Iowa. That was May and the couple married in July; but, Megan could not move to be with her husband until December, “We did not have a penny to our name and we did not get to travel home for Christmas.”
Hird admitted some of the sacrifices were difficult; however, the couple was determined to work hard and pursue their dreams. Hird also had a lot to sort out at the office, “Nobody knew where the (NRCS) contracts were located or who the participants were. I had a very steep learning curve along with the cultural and language barriers. Thank goodness they put me in an office with two of the best NRCS employees in the State of New Mexico. It was the perfect environment for me to learn and grow. The whole thing was a big lump of coal in some regards; but, I was determined to turn it into a diamond.”
Working with the native people proved very rewarding for Hird, “The Navajo people are much like rural Nebraskans – they have a heart for the land, care for the resource and are trying to make a living and do their best. No one with this land ethic is malicious or trying to degrade the land outright. They are only doing what they know and doing the best they can; but, most of the agricultural practices they were using were from 40 years ago. It was very rewarding for me as a farm and ranch kid to say, ‘Hey, I know a different way to do that.’ I was really driven to help those folks change their lives for the better.”
The examples of change are numerous and diverse; however, Hird gave one example to show an illustration, “On the Eastern Navajo reservation I worked on a 20,000-acre ranch with three wells and no cross-fences. Cattle will basically walk only two miles away from water to graze. In Nebraska, we rarely see that; because, in most places, we have some surface water in that two-miles or pastures are not more than four miles wide. So, we took pressure off the well locations by adding more water sources, using pipelines, stock tanks and cross-fencing. What a game-changer for a ranch to increase their stocking rate by increasing access to forage while resting other areas. We almost doubled their capacity this way, but, we still only stocked at 120 acres per cow/calf pair.”
Hird worked for four years as a Range Management Specialist in New Mexico and then became a District Conservationist for two years in Aztec, New Mexico (on the north side of the reservation), “There I was servicing both the eastern Navajo Reservation and the four corners area which consisted of large-scale coal, oil and gas mining and drilling – this situation often presented tough environmental concerns. I call it the tip of the spear for conservation work and I felt like I was tackling new problems and circumstances that had never been done in that area. Partnerships were key, and they had not been made in all areas. I was able to walk in with a fresh perspective and ask questions like, ‘Why have we not worked with the oil and gas companies and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the State Lands Office, the US Forest Service or all of the Tribal Land Boards?’ And, because of that, we were able to make some headway.”
“There are three rivers flowing south and west that converged in that district which turn into the San Juan River. The river then flows north into Utah and joins the Colorado River and then goes South into Arizona,” Hird went on. “It was a big river system and the land was severely degraded around it with a lot of soil erosion and often a lack of management. The public/private partnerships just weren’t always functioning. We were able to get both the BLM and ranchers together to come up with a conservation plan that helped public and private land. It was very challenging; but, we were getting someplace. I was also the Chairman of the NRCS Civil Rights Committee those two years. It’s a big deal to meet the Civil Rights Policy – not just lip-service. It all took a lot of time.”
Hird and his wife moved seven times in 10 years, “We’re a team. We’re best friends. We have gone through the thick of it. One time when we were traveling 120 miles across the reservation, halfway between civilization, our three-week-old son got sick. He was turning blue. I pulled the car over, opened the back door, grabbed him out and pulled on his hide to get air in him. He cried and cried, and it hurt; but, I got him to breathe. There were plenty of challenges for sure. But everyone has those.”
The couple always desired to return to their home state of Nebraska. But, the jobs were scarce and then Hird spotted what others may have seen as another lump of coal, “There was a NRCS job in Hebron, Nebraska that I had never seen. I must have been the only applicant. No one wanted the position or something because it was on the Kansas line, away from big towns. But, when got there, I said to myself, ‘A lump of coal, I know what to do with that.’”
“In Hebron, there was one contract with an organic farmer for cover crops. In New Mexico, I wrote one of the largest contracts we had with a big farm on the Navajo Reservation amounting to 10,000 acres of cover crops to be planted each year among other things. When I moved to Hebron, I already had cover crops and soil health on my mind. I worked with that one contract and learned the value of cover crops even more and watched the farmer change his soil. In 2015, there was a big rain at Hebron, 15 inches in one night and all that rain infiltrated on his farm because he had worked on his soil structure and had cover crops growing.”
Seeing success on that one Hebron farm was the impetus Hird needed to expand cover crops all over the area – in fact, his efforts led to more farmers than he could count starting to adopt these practices. Hird was also able to sign up the first cover crop Demonstration Farm in Nebraska – today there are 17, “Throughout my career, I guess you could say I have learned to say, ‘yes’ far more often than I say, ‘no.’”
Through hard work, Hird positioned himself with a wealth of experience and Nebraska NRCS leadership took notice. The day Hird interviewed for the State Soil Health Specialist, he said he was very nervous; but, he didn’t let that stop him from taking a call from another farmer right before the interview, who was seeking answers and wanting to exchange information. That conversation ended up providing key information that Hird went on to use in the interview. Now Hird supports conservation work on all Nebraska acres, some that are “coal” ready to be made into “diamonds,” other acres have already reached “diamond” status and some in-between.
Mostly, Hird is just moving forward, working hard and wanting to make a difference, “You just have to have passion and get up every day and promote your message and build relationships. I am not 100 percent at this yet. I am putting to use my knowledge of rangeland health and environmental biology. I just do my job and am honest. Having the emotional intelligence to be able to connect with people where they are at and communicate with them is so important.”
In the end, Hird said, it’s about giving people the freedom to farm and ranch and do it in the best way for themselves and the environment, “The NRCS is supporting a way of life, a lifestyle. We need conservation; but, we must have people out on the land. We as a nation must begin regenerating the health of our soil on landscape and watershed scales, not just mining its resources, but making it renewable.”
Contact:
Aaron Hird
Nebraska NRCS
State Soil Health Specialist
USDA/NRCS
100 Centennial Mall North Room 152
Lincoln, NE 68508 aaron.hird@ne.usda.gov Office: 402-437-4053 Cell: 402-309-5617
Partake in the Bounty Honey, Eggs, Graze Master Pork/Beef
Fall conjures up feelings of warmth, reflection and celebration of the earth and its provision. We invite you to try some of our offerings to fill the table of your family and friends throughout the holidays and winter season. Thank you so much.
Graze Master Beef and Pork products may be purchased by contacting Del Ficke at (402) 499-0329 or Emely Hendl at (402) 613-5483. Ask for more information regarding our delivery options and also how you can pre-order a quarter, half or whole beef.
All these products are wonderful with Wildtree Meal Solutions, spices and sauces: learn more or call Kerry Hoffschneider at (402) 363-8963. Visit this link to learn more and order: https://www.wildtree.com/Kerry831413
Anchor Meadow Farm Products
Please contact Emely Hendl for Anchor Meadow Farm eggs and honey and for farm tours to visit their Kune Kune pigs and enjoy their very accessible location at: 2297 A Street Road | Milford, Neb. 68405 (402) 613-5438.
Taking the “Scary” out of Seed Pricing
By Nate Belcher
The cost of seed and other inputs can be truly scary when making decisions about how to maximize profits in times of low commodity prices.The keys to profitable farming are going to be maximizing output while minimizing input costs.As you think of next year’s purchases, ask yourself this question, “What am I paying for in a $200 to $300 bag of corn?”
We asked ourselves this same question and were surprised with the answer.Most of the cost in bags of corn are flashy billboards, royalties for traits, high salaries and insane profit margins – none of these increase yields.
We knew there had to be a better way; so, we found a simple solution.Provide the highest-quality genetics that have been proven performers throughout the years and offer them direct to the farmer without any of the “frills.” We have partnered directly with plant breeders to be able to offer you high-quality seed corn at a fraction of the cost.You won’t see any fancy billboard advertisements; because, we know you would rather see those costs directed right back to your pocketbook.
In the coming weeks, we will be introducing a lineup of corn varieties priced at $85/unit.No frills, no confusing discounts and no hassle.Whether you need one unit of corn or 2,000 units, the price never changes.Stay in touch throughout the next two weeks as we roll out this superstar line of genetics, at a fraction of the cost.
Give us a call and find out what net profit per acre looks like. There’s no reason to deal with scary prices when buying your corn seed for next year.
My family trusts Kirk Peterson with securing our future and ensuring dreams can unfold in a liberated fashion for generations to come. We encourage you to contact Kirk if you are looking at planning ahead for your family and ag operation. If you have questions, let me know: Del Ficke at (402) 499-0329 or contact Kirk directly at (402) 519-0330. Kirk has a proven track record understanding people in agriculture with a clear view of the challenges they face as well as the opportunities that abound.
Kirk Peterson, FIC, CFFM
401 E. 4th Street | Suite 101
Minden, NE 68959
402-519-0330
Kirk.Peterson@mwarep.org
Stop the Squabbles
"If you're a parent, you've likely intervened in a few family fights over the years. As siblings grow, relationships may become more mature. However, arguments can still arise . . . especially when emotions are running high. A will and basic estate plan can help ensure your wishes are followed after your death. Your Modern Woodmen representative can work with you and your attorney. He or she can also help coordinate beneficiary designations on your life insurance, annuities and other plans. Source: Modern Woodmen of America."
Kirk can provide these services and has a host of resources to help you and your family.
We would like to take a moment to promote an artist friend of ours, Rush Cole. Pictured is Rush Cole, a true cowgirl artist. Photo credit: Herschel Mair. Please check out her work for gifts or your own enjoyment at: www.rushcolefineart.com
We want you to have more time for what matters most to you.
Fishing with my son Austin and granddaughter, Attley. Thank you for reading. See you in November!
No electronic or mechanical reproduction of The Liberator is permitted without direct consent of the author, Ficke Cattle Company. Contact (402) 499-0329 or fickecattle@outlook.com Thank you so much for reading!
