Every day is Earth Day on the Farm

Hickory Flat Cattle Co. is nestled in the rolling hills of Madison County near Highland. Ted Krauskopf and his family have been raising cattle on this farm since 1995.

“I worked for the steel mill and when I retired I established a cooperator herd with Andras Stock Farm of Manchester. My operation allows me to graze around 40 cows on 90 acres of pasture,” Ted said.

Hickory Flat Cattle Co. sits just 30 miles from St. Louis, so urban encroachment has become an issue. Several years ago, the Krauskopf family made a long-term commitment to preserve part of their farm by placing it in a permanent conservation easement, which forever protects the land from development.

“We’re in a beautiful part of the state and urban sprawl is getting closer. We’re using a management strategy to ensure this farm remains in the family for generations and that the land base is preserved,” he said. 

Ted worked with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to develop a best management practices plan through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). One key aspect of the plan was to put in place systems to protect surface water from access by livestock. This includes installing fencing and more than a mile of water lines.

“There are several environmental challenges in the area that we operate in,” he said. “Our water here falls into the Kaskasia watershed and it’s our responsibility to keep it clean. Our soil is also highly erodible and we’re mindful to improve soil quality.”

The Krauskopf family added new systems for getting water to cattle in pastures where it wasn’t available before. With the new water systems, Hickory Flat Cattle Co. was able to implement a new pasture management program which includes strip grazing.

The operation has, since 2007, significantly upgraded its fencing infrastructure to enable a strip grazing system. This enabled them to make the farm more productive by increasing the grazable land, while growing healthier grasses with stronger roots and improved soil conditions.

“The cattle are grazed on half an acre per day and they don’t spend much time trampling forage because they get fresh grass every day,” he said. “Most people assume strip grazing is time consuming and labor intensive, but it only takes me 20 to 30 minutes a day to take down the fence, give the cattle a new strip of grass, and put the fence back up. My main piece of equipment is a 4-wheeler.”

Krauskopf also credits strip grazing for making it through the summer of 2012 drought without having to feed hay.

The farm’s EQIP plan includes a winter feeding station. This 100 foot long by 35 foot wide structure can hold 60-head of cattle and was initially constructed as a covered facility to feed hay during the winter. Ted said it now serves several purposes including a cattle handling and weaning facility and providing summer shade for cattle comfort.

Dan Steinmann, USDA NRCS district conservationist said, “The Krauskopf’s farm is an excellent example of conservation systems used on pastureland, cropland and flooded bottom land fields. They planned and implemented conservation practices and management tools that go beyond basic resource management.”

Hickory Flat Cattle Co.’s conservation plan has not only helped increase the environmental integrity of the farm, but it also provided a few unintended animal health improvements.

“By keeping cattle out of the pond and by making water more readily available, the overall health of the cows and calves has improved,” Ted said. “We actually pay a water bill for the cows, but the cost is offset by the improved health and higher weaning weights. They aren’t fighting secondary infections picked up by drinking surface water and with cool, fresh water available they drink more during the summer.”

Implementing a conservation plan benefits Ted by cutting down on his work load, inputs, and machinery costs. The cattle have fresh water, green grass and a fence to hold them in – those are their three main objectives.

“We’re very pleased in what we’ve accomplished in the way of our stewardship initiatives,” he said. “I view environmental stewardship as both a gift and a responsibility. I look at the farm and have a sense of gratitude and at the same time I feel a huge responsibility to continue its upkeep to ensure the quality of the land for our use and for those around us.”