Montana Organic Producer Profiles

• Organic Farming Proves to be a Valuable Conservation System Mikel Lund farm, Scobey, Montana
• Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool Company

Organic Farming Proves to be a Valuable Conservation System

By Jeff Schahczenski, Program Specialist, NCAT

“Look there is mud on my shoes! There’s mud on my shoes!” For organic grain and livestock farmer, Mikel Lund, from Scobey, Montana this was a statement that required repeating. After too many days of temperatures above 90 degrees the quarter inch of rain that fell on Mikel’s fields and put mud on his shoes was very welcome. The diverse certified organic crops of kamut ⁽¹⁾, flax, peas, oats, winter rye, vetches, safflower, hard red and hard white spring wheat, clovers and barley that Mikel has grown over the last fifteen years need timely rains like all his fellow farmers in Daniels County, Montana.

Mikel is also one of a handful of organic farmers in Montana who has qualified for the new Conservation Security Program (CSP) implemented by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “Mikel’s involvement in the CSP has made him a model for the community, and his current and future conservation efforts are critical to motivate others in the community” says Valerie Oksendahl the local NRCS conservationist that assisted Mikel with the application process and contracting for the CSP.

The CSP, created in 2002 and first implemented in Montana in 2004 was designed to reward current high standards of conservation practices, while encouraging even greater efforts over 5 to 10 years depending on contract obligations. While the CSP was not particularly designed for organic farming systems, there are many ways in which organic systems are likely to fit this new program. As NRCS conservationist Oksendahl explained, “the main challenge with organic producers is the perception they have that there are no government programs available to them, I told Mikel that if he really thought that organic farming was the “best of the best” he should apply”. He did and after going through the extensive application process his 5,300 acres of certified organic production resulted in significant stewardship, practice and enhancement payments in the first two years of participation in the program. “This has been a timely program that has really helped my bottom-line” says Mikel.

Mikel Lund and his Organic Livestock

A History of Innovation

Mikel began organic farming in 1991 and it has been a learning process that has taken the farm from a fairly typical grain livestock operation in northeast Montana to one with a much greater diversity of products and even more diverse and complex methods of farming. As Mikel related, “I am the third generation farming this land and I did not start out farming as an organic farmer.” Mikel began to think about organics after a stint as a chemical pesticide applicator during summers while still in high school. “My dad wanted to keep me out of trouble in the summers and set-me up with a small applicator rig and I would go out and spray all summer. While it did keep me out of trouble, it didn’t keep me out of the doctor’s office”, said Mikel. He developed severe nose bleeds that summer that required several visits to the doctor to have the blood vessels in his nose cauterized to stop the bleeding. While Mikel readily admits that he probably did not take all adequate precautions for the chemicals he was handling, it did set him to thinking about whether there wasn’t a better way to farm. “That summer experience did change me and while we never used a lot of chemicals on the farm I was set on a path that ultimately led to certified organic production” said Mikel.

Mikel’s engagement in conservation programs also has a longer history than the recent experience with the CSP. Along with his father in the late seventies the Lund’s participated in the Great Plain Conservation Program which was one of the early NRCS programs that ultimately became the current Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). “Our involvement with the Great Plains was about protecting our waterways and productive grasslands from wind and water erosion for our livestock operation” says Mikel. With close to 3000 acres in pasture, making sure that this land is healthy and productive is important.

Interestingly, while organic livestock production was a logical next step from his earlier cropping effort, Mikel came at organic livestock production through his experiences with Holistic Resource Management (HRM) system of livestock production and farm decision-making. HRM with its system of rotational grazing and its emphasis on simultaneously considering economic, social and environmental realities- both short and long term – also played an important part in the farm’s development.

Indeed, economics plays a role in Mikel’s choice of organic production. As Mikel explains, “organic grains will generally sell for about twice the price of conventional grains, but even then one has to keep ahead of changes in the market because organic products also show similar variability to conventional crops as new producers enter high-valued markets.”

In fact the choice of rotations of grains, legumes, green manures is not really a static “system” independent of changes in organic crop markets. Mikel describes his crop rotations as a set of methods that are driven by the need to rotate a cereal grain, a nitrogen-fixing commercial crop like field peas, and crops that provide green manures like chickling vetch not only for the health of the soil, disease resistance and weed control but also to get the greatest economic benefits.

Ripening Kamut Crop

On the other hand, organic livestock production has tighter over-all margins and despite lots of different marketing efforts, Mikel has largely obtained higher prices for his organic cattle only through direct consumer sales. Mikel has worked with a local Scobey meat processor even going so far as to help provide for organic processing certification. However, the market infrastructure, distribution channels and price for organic beef are still not there. Mikel has hopes for some recent state-wide efforts to try and cooperatively sell certified organic beef so to be able to meet expanding national demand at a price that makes the extra effort of organic production worthwhile.

CSP on the Lund’s Farm

Mikel participated in the 2005 CSP sign-up that was available in the Lower Milk, Porcupine and West Fork Popular watersheds. Implemented on a watershed basis the CSP provides annual payments that are based on level of current conservation effort (called “tiers) and by specific types of practices that will be maintained or adopted during the period of the program contract. Mikel was awarded a Tier II contract because he addressed soil and water quality to NRCS standards on his entire operation. The highest level of conservation effort that Mikel could have been eligible for was Tier III, but this would have required that he had met high NRCS standards concerning manure management in connection with his calving barn.

Fortunately, the CSP does allow for Mikel to move up to Tier III within the five year contract period by meeting these standards and thus increasing his annual payments under the program. Mikel is currently pursing several ways to further enhance his production practices to move his current status in the CSP from a Tier II participant to Tier III. For instance, Mikel is considering ramping up his ability to compost manure and can get help from NRCS to address some of the technical issues of composting in a fairly dry environment.

The bulk of Mikel’s annual payments in the program are based on what are called enhancement activities. The enhancement activities do vary by watershed and fortunately for Mikel many of those in his watershed were relevant to his organic production system. For example, one important enhancement activity for Mikel was support for the use of manures and legumes to supply crop nutrients to reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizer and thereby enhance conservation of energy. Also, Mikel’s use of HRM grazing management systems are valued by the CSP both for protection of water quality as well as for general wildlife habitat management.

One interesting advantage that Mikel experienced in his application process was that because he is a certified organic producer, documentation of conservation practices was relatively simple because organic certification requires that Mikel maintain careful records and have in place a detailed organic system plan. While the translation of an organic system plan to a CSP assessment and contract is not perfectly straightforward, it is very helpful for the rather complex application process of the CSP. Also, Mikel was particularly fortunate in that he has taken steps to have a fairly accurate documentation of changes in soil quality through regular soil testing. Indeed, having soil testing records was an important eligibility requirement for participation in CSP in this watershed.

One disadvantage that Mikel did have to contend with in his CSP application concerned tillage practices and soil quality. According to NRCS conservationist Oksendahl, meeting CSP eligibility requirements for soil quality can be potentially difficult for organic crop producers because of their need to use tillage for weed control and incorporation of green manures. The measurement that NRCS uses for soil quality measurement in the CSP is called the Soil Conditioning Index (SCI). This index is based on a combination of measurements that reflect erosion potential, maintenance of crop coverage and amount of tillage passes.

“Most of Mikel’s cropping acres are on ground that does not have high erosion potential. Because of his complex rotational system, previous development of wind breaks and general effort to keep the ground covered with some crop he did meet eligibility requirements-- but it is certainly possible that organic crop farmers in another context might not meet this criteria” says Oksendahl.

The SCI has been criticized in that it may be biased toward herbicide-based no-till cropping systems and may not adequately take account of the soil building advantages of complex rotations that are so integral to organic systems. Indeed, Oksendahl has been exploring research on no-till organic systems that are being developed just north of Scobey in Canada. Given Mikel’s innovative nature and Okensdahl cropping system interests there is great promise that together they will lead the way for even greater conservation efforts and innovation.

Crop Residue Management

The Future

Organic agriculture, like all agriculture, is not a system with a specific end point, but rather involves a continual learning process that is needed to meet the inevitable contradictions and tensions of sustaining the land and its people. The CSP is a fundamentally new kind of conservation program that clearly rewards the efforts of those intimately engaged in this process and it needs broader support so that more farmers can take the necessary risks to move to more sustainable systems of production. “I like the program (CSP) when we work with individuals who have really stepped up to the plate and are working for the land as well as reaping off the land. Individuals like Mikel who look at the whole picture and realize that all forces of nature should be in balance are the true conservationist of today and leaders for tomorrow” say Okensdahl. One of Mikel’s sons may be interested in taking over the farm some day and it is Mikel’s goal to make that transition as easy as possible. By assuring that the economics of the farm makes sense, by maintaining healthy diversity of both crops and livestock he is hopeful for the future of the fourth generation of Lund farming.

⁽¹⁾ Kamut is trademarked ancient variety of wheat the Mikel grows under contract; it often can be eaten by persons who are gluten sensitive.

Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool Company

By Vicky Lynne

Becky Weed and Dave Tyler have been grazing sheep on the diversified grass pastures of Thirteen Mile Farm since 1987. They now run 270 certified organic ewes, 350 to 400 certified organic lambs, and a few beef cattle on their farm located near Belgrade at the base of the Bridger Mountains . The land is blessed with springs, wetlands and sub-irrigated ground, making it most suitable for growing grass and grass-fed lamb.

They live in the original house built in 1865 by homesteaders; Becky and Dave are only the third family to live here. Conservation easements protect their land and several surrounding farms and ranches from development.

Neither Becky nor Dave came from farm or ranch families. There former lives were in research, academia, and private industry, Becky as a geologist and Dave as a surveying engineer. Both agree and they’ve packed a lot of learning in a few short years while developing the ranch into a viable operation that sells certified organic lamb, a little beef, and a variety of wool products. On the other hand, they feel that not coming from an agricultural background gives them a different perspective and allows them to explore more possibilities for the ranch. From their website, one finds that they have set “a goal of sustainable care of a local landscape, and production of good food and fiber to sell” for their ranch. They are striving to coexist with the plant and animal species that are native to the farm while making a living and caring for the land.

During the farm tour in July, about thirty interested folks stood out in a pasture watching lambs push their way to the kelp in the mineral feeder. In the background, ewes and their lambs grazed on grasses and clovers, accompanied by a guard llama. Becky stood with the group explaining that, “Grass management is one of our central tasks.”

A variety of grasses, brome, orchard grass and timothy, and clovers, were growing in the pasture the tour participants were standing in. Asked if they had replanted the pastures, Becky replied that when they started grazing sheep the pastures contained a mixture of grasses and weeds and they used what was here. Every year, little by little, they’ve worked on improving the pastures. They’ve done some inter-seeding with no till seeding and have replanted an alfalfa field. Clover is now showing up in the pastures. Becky explained that, “by grazing the sheep and encouraging clover, we avoid using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. We still see room for more pasture improvement and we continue to refine our grazing practices.”

A key part of Becky and Dave’s philosophy is the concept of raising their sheep in a “predator friendly” manner. During the tour, sponsored by both AERO and the Predator Conservation Alliance (PCA), Janelle Holden of PCA described the background of the organization and the idea of “predator friendly.” Predator friendly sheep producers commit to not allowing lethal control, such as shooting, trapping or poisoning, of predators to protect their sheep. For Becky and Dave this means adopting a variety of management tools to protect the sheep. Becky said, “Being predator friendly is not the most difficult part of ranching but it permeates the reason for being.” [DID I SAY THAT?……

They have two llamas for guard animals, who handle the coyotes well unless the pasture is too big or the topography makes it difficult for them to see the whole field. This past spring the biggest problem they had was from foxes that killed about half a dozen lambs. Becky used a high-powered flashlight at night to locate one of the foxes, which disconcerted it but didn’t stop it. She has also slept out in the back field at night sometimes to discourage predators. In addition to the foxes, they have had problems with coyotes, mountain lions, bears, and eagles.

The Bridger Mountains contain critical wildlife habitat and serve as a link for mammals in the Northern Rockies . A tour participant asked Becky, “What will you do when wolves arrive.” She explained that it will be, “A whole new ball game, different than the occasional mountain lion or bear. We may consider using guard dogs that are specific for wolves. We’ll continue to change our sheep operation to deal with the wolves.” (Since the farm tour last summer, they have purchased two guard dog puppies).

As the group walked through several pastures, they noticed that livestock have minimal access to the several water courses that run through the place. In one area a solar-powered pump pumps water from a shallow well into a storage tank where it gravity feeds tanks in other pastures. Riparian areas were shady from the trees and stream sides were well vegetated.

When asked about the breed of sheep they were raising, Becky explained that they started out with some Columbia ewes and are now using predominantly Corriedale ewes and Romeldale, Corriedale-Border Leicester cross, and Wensleydale-Border Leicester cross rams. About half of the flock is made up of colored sheep. Dave said “We’re constantly working to improve the flock and raise our own replacement ewes. We haven’t found an “off the shelf” breed that meets our needs for both meat and wool.”

They’re not striving for carcass uniformity in the lamb crop because they aren’t selling in the commodity market. Direct marketing allows them to strive for quality instead and lamb meat is their predominant source of income. They’re able to direct market lambs weighing 100 to 120 pounds live weight eight to nine months of the year, beginning in September. Lambs (and beef) are processed at a USDA-inspected and OCIA certified organic plant in Great Falls .

They cannot keep up with the demand for their lamb. They sell about one-quarter to one-third of their lamb to half a dozen high-end restaurants, some is sold to the Community Food Co-op in Bozeman and the remainder is sold directly to individuals. They ship lamb all over the country.

Becky talked about the importance of choosing to raise and sell grass-fed lamb and beef and the resulting animal and human health consequences. Grass feed changes the fatty acid content of the meat; higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega3 fatty acids are found in grass-fed animals than in grain fed animals. And a rich grain diet contributes to an environment in the animal’s rumen that’s conducive to virulent strains of e. coli bacteria. “I’ve come to feel that the implication of a grain-fed regime affects not only human and animal health but also the whole grain industry and our environment as well.”

Not only is grass-fed lamb better for you (CLAs have been shown to inhibit carcinogens in experimental animals), it also tastes great. Thirteen Mile Farm lamb has been judged the best lamb in the country by a food newsletter editor and appears on the menus of fancy restaurants, including Restaurant Nora in Washington , D.C. , the first certified organic restaurant in the country.

About four years ago Becky and Dave discontinued the use of chemical wormers for internal and external parasites, relying instead on pasture management to break parasite cycles, genetic selection of more resistant animals, feeding herbs and good mineral supplements, including kelp, and dusting the sheep externally with diatomaceous earth mixed with pyrethrum. They have also stopped vaccinating for CDT (Clostridium types C and D and tetanus) after concluding that the act of vaccinating was more stressful than the benefits warranted.

Shearing takes place the first week in March before lambing. By shearing before lambing, the ewes are more sensitive to the cold and they tend to seek shelter when they have their lambs. Becky employs a combination of pasture lambing and using jugs for the first 12 hours after lambing, particularly if the weather is bad. The greenhouse is used as the lambing barn.

The breeds of sheep raised on Thirteen Mile Farm are multipurpose, providing not only excellent lamb meat but also fine quality fleece for wool products. Becky and Dave direct market their wool products and have recently installed a woolen mill in a refurbished barn with solar collectors on the roof to provide hot water for washing. The wool is washed with citrus-based soap, spun in a washing machine to remove excess water and laid out in the greenhouse (the very same greenhouse used as a lambing shed during the spring) to dry. Waste water from the washing operation is stored in an underground storage tank until it can be moved into a portable tank and sprayed on the fields. The water contains, among other things, potassium salts from the sheep sweat. Soil tests of the soil on their farm show that the soil is low on potassium so Becky and Dave are hoping that the waste water will help restore potassium levels.

After washing, the wool is run through a picker to remove vegetation and fluff it up for the carder. The carder can process about 50 pounds of wool per day into roving or batts. Roving can also be further processed by going through the pin-drafter, the final step before spinning. This past winter Becky and Dave got the spinning frame up and running so they can now make yarn. They have also added three employees who are doing a lot of the processing work in the mill. They can also make batts into felt. The farm now accepts wool from outside flocks for processing at the mill. They have also added a page to their website specifically on their wool processing with prices and descriptions.

Wool from the farm is machine-knitted sweaters, hats, scarves by local knitters. Woven yarn hand spinners fleeces sheepskins are also sold by the farm.

To find out more about Thirteen Mile Farm and Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool Company, visit their excellent and very informative website.

You can find out more about the Predator Conservation Alliance by visiting their website.

Last Modified: 07/09/2007