Larry and Kay Rutter made a commitment to conservation by creating forested areas on their corn and soybean farm in Kansas in order to improve the quality of water that leaves their farm through Coon Creek.
A few years ago, Kanas farmers Larry and Kay Rutter were thinking about trees. Their farm is located near Harveyville, which is 20 miles southwest of Topeka. They considered growing more trees on their farm; trees with a purpose.
The Rutters made an investment in conservation. They began on land where they had been growing no-till corn and soybeans. They were hoping that converting a few acres would have long-term benefits for their farm and family.
“We wanted to implement new timbered areas, not only for our love for the trees, but to invest our time and efforts into tree planting that would pay dividends in the future to either our children or grandchildren,” said Larry Rutter.
The Rutters used the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to plant 4.2 acres of cropland to riparian forest buffers. They chose farmland along Coon Creek that runs through their property. The riparian buffers include a 160-foot-wide strip of land planted to trees and another 30-foot strip planted to native grasses and forbs.
The Rutters first developed a management plan with a district forester with the Kansas Forest Service following the American Tree Farm Systems program. Their plan emphasized four areas including wood for harvesting, water quality enhancements and recreation opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking and diversified wildlife habitat development.
CRP, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015, is among the largest private lands program for conservation used to reduce soil erosion, improve water and air quality and provide wildlife habitat.
It is a voluntary program that allows eligible landowners to receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving covers on eligible farmland throughout the duration of their 10-to-15-year contracts.
Planting trees and managing timber is not a new concept for Rutter. He is a member of the Kansas Tree Farm, serves on the Kansas Forestry Association Board, represented the association on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Kansas Technical Committee and was secretary and treasurer of the Kansas Chapter Walnut Council.
So far, more than 2,000 black walnut and bur oak trees have been planted in a specific spacing pattern for ease of maintenance and for optimal tree development. Some of the seeds were stratified seed from Purdue University and Kansas State University. The seeds were selected because of their genetic superiority over native trees in the area.
Establishing new timber also comes with challenges.
“The thriving squirrel population in the area thought the seeds were placed there just for them,” said Rutter. “A project like this takes dedication and commitment many times over.”
The final round of tree planting was done using all bare root trees purchased through the Kansas Forest Service Conservation Tree Program.
Half of the newly planted trees were protected from deer with tree shelters, plastic tubes and sheets that prevent the deer from eating the soft plant. The shelters promote the growth process and also keep unwanted vegetation from growing around the trees.
“We are always striving to improve the natural resources and forest land on our property and want to keep the water leaving our farm as clean as possible,” said Larry. “All property owners have an obligation to leave their land in better condition than when they came to possess it. That is why we are committed to sustainable forestry and conservation practices.”
Since being established on Dec. 23, 1985, CRP has helped prevent more than 8 billion tons of soil from eroding and protected more than 170,000 stream miles with riparian and grass buffers. Additionally, more than 100,000 acres of bottomland hardwood trees, nearly 300,000 acres of flood-plain wetlands, and 250,000 acres each for duck nesting habitat and upland bird habitat are thriving under CRP.
2015 marks the 30th Anniversary of CRP. For an interactive tour of CRP success stories from across the U.S., please visit the FSA CRP 30th Anniversary website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/CRPis30.
