A Virtual Tour of Long View Farm Near Valley Falls, Kansas October 5, 2006

Oren Long, along with his wife Vera, purchased their farmstead and 110 acres in 1960. At that time the soils were in very poor condition and the pastures were full of brush and weeds. Farming over the decades has been an intellectual and spiritual odyssey for Long. Attending biology classes in graduate school at the University of Kansas stimulated Long to restore his farm back to a healthy ecosystem. Now in his eighties, Long hosted a farm tour in early October to share what he has learned farming the rolling hills near Valley Falls, Kansas. The Longview Farm is 225 acres with 180 acres of pasture grazed by 60-70 cow-calf pairs. This virtual tour will use many of Long’s own words to summarize what he considers to be key principles of with nature. “The grassland system I use is a mix of three grasses – brome, fescue and orchard grass, plus three legumes – red clover, sweet clover and lespedeza,” Long explained. “It resembles the prairie system Mother Nature designed to be self sustaining. Legumes provide the nitrogen needed drive the system, where the combined nitrogen is released slowly, as the plants can use it. Therefore, no nitrogen escapes into the environment to pollute the nation’s water systems.” Long estimates that his pasture mix includes about 50% fescue, 25% brome and 25% orchard grass complemented by primarily red clover.

“I have divided this area (between the white arrows in this picture) into 8 pastures which my cows graze in rotation,” described Long. “I pasture this area in the spring, during calving season, starting in May and ending in July. As I daily check my cows I check the pasture condition and my cows never fail to inform me when they think it is time to move. Sometimes I follow their advice. Sometimes not. They have only one consideration. I have many.”

Long speaks to farm tour visitors.

The western area of the farm around the new pond was stockpiled grass for winter grazing. (See the farm map at the back.) The smaller photograph on is a close up view of the vegetation.

These two large fields below were summer pastures. All these fields border a small lake, a dependable water supply, even during a severe drought explained Long. “I pasture the fields around my farmstead in the spring while the red clover in these fields (pictured on this page) are going to seed,” said Long. “Then sometime in July I move the cows to these fields and graze this area while the pastures around farmstead are making a seed crop. This way I never have to reseed red clover, and 50-100 pounds of seed added yearly guarantees a heavy stand. “This system eliminates the need for purchased nitrogen, for an average red clover stand will supply 100-150# of free nitrogen to the soil. This system also provides plenty of forage for at least 10 months grazing. Usually 11 months grazing, and sometimes even year round grazing. Last year I fed only 85 big bales to 60 cows, some calves of late calving cows and two bulls. “Since fertilizer and hay are the two major operating expenses for any cow-calf enterprise, cutting these expenses is a dependable path to profitability,” concluded Long.

NewPond

“One management practice I use is to harrow every pasture in the spring with a flexible harrow, to destroy the cow piles, to make all the forage available for grazing,” pointed out Long. “I do this usually in April, after a light rain to soften the droppings, and after the new first year clover has become established. I use a 16 foot harrow weighted with logs, and I double harrow for best results. “I see my farm as a complete ecosystem, where each field has a best use within that system. That’s why I chose this field (see the photograph below) to plant burr oak trees, the field most in need of long term restoration. Not only has this field been the victim of erosion and

over cropping, there used to be a big hill here which the state ‘borrowed” to build the highway intersection you see in the distance. In removing the hill, they left a lot of damaged soil.”

Concerned about global warming, Long planted the trees to “soak up the carbon” for future generations. Long plants acorns and nurtures the growth of the young oak trees. Recognizing that cattle naturally will rub young trees, he only flash grazes for one or two hours. Since the cattle enter the pasture hungry, they don’t get a chance to loaf leaving them with little time to injure the trees.

A manure pile being overgrown by grass in June.

Oren Long stands by one of the trees he has planted in the past

twenty years.

“When we bought this quarter section in 1970,” described Long, “these fields were full of gullies and hedge trees, a few patches of blue grass, and lots of cheat. We had to use much of the remaining top soil to fill the gullies. This left primarily subsoil to support our grassland program. “I try not to take a hay crop from any of these upland soils, those most eroded and over cropped of nutrient reserves. One reason I prefer grazing to feeding hay is because the old literature tells us there is no quicker way to ruin a field than to hay it year after year. You remove not only organic matter, you deplete the nutrient reserves, including the trace elements, those difficult to replace to maintain soil balance, those essential to maintaining healthy soils capable of producing nourishing foods. “Another reason I minimize feeding hay is because removing a hay crop exposes the soil to the drying effects of sun and wind. Research shows a half inch rain on bare soil will be gone in 2-3 days, but that same half inch rain on that same bare soil that is protected by a mulch, that half inch rain will last up to 6 weeks. So the more cover you maintain on even sod ground, the more you will conserve soil moisture.” Referring to the publication “Conquest of the Land through 2000 Years,” Long warned that the long term consequences of poor farming practices are devastating to human civilizations. “It is a prophetic tale,” cautioned Long, “and its message is largely ignored.

“Not only is conservation farming more profitable, it allows me to leave behind a more healthy resource base, more able to feed the many generations who must follow in my footsteps. The more I learn about the biology of my soils, and the many life forms that live on my land, the more I am moved to use practices that support their needs. “Perhaps the most important thing I have learned from

studying soil science is that soils are living systems. A 4% organic matter soil for example, like this field before us, contains 150-180 million kilocalories of stored energy in each acre furrow slice, the equivalent in heat energy to 20-25 tons of coal. “This is important to remember for organic matter provides the food and energy for almost all soil life. It is the stored energy that drives a soil system. The level of stored energy is often used as a measure of a soil’s fertility. The more I learn about the biology of my soils, and the many life forms that live on my land, the more I am moved to use practices that support their needs.

“Red clover is the legume I most depend on to support my grassland system, the legume I manage to obtain good seed production. To accomplish this, I manage my grazing schedule to fit the bumble bee cycle. The bumble bee population is at its height between the middle of June and the first of August, so I manage each pasture to be in full bloom some time during that period, so that each clover bloom will be pollinated to produce 20-30 seeds.

“Also to help achieve this level of seed production I have found it necessary to control spider milkweeds, for their blooms are more attractive to bees than the red clover blooms I depend on. “Mulching is still another practice I find useful in building soil fertility. Sometime around the first of August, during the new

Alfalfa interseeded in pastures.

Red clover is the main legume interseeded on Long View Farm.

One of twenty bumble bee nest boxes Long uses to attract bumble bees.

moon phase, I mowed this field of stockpiled winter grass. I moved it six inches high, and let it lay, not only to help conserve what soil moisture was there, but to feed the soil what it needs – to maintain its health by conserving, and perhaps even adding a bit to its stored energy reserves.” In the spring, Long pastures fields closer to the farmstead like the one pictured below. “By May the second year red clover is 18 inches high,” describes Long. “Second year red clover is very productive, so it is ready for a second grazing by July.” By late fall it was 18 inches high again and ready for grazing.

“I don’t try to mulch these fields (picture on the left) by mowing,” explained Long. “My cows do that. Cows like to walk while they graze so after a few days much of the grass is flat, which makes them walk some more looking for the sweet grass that used to be there. By the end of the second year, after three grazings, they have left a good crop of mulch and spread enough clover seed for a new crop in the spring. Nothing is wasted.”

“My philosophy is to take care of your soils and they will take care of you,” concludes Long who signed his farm pastures into the Conservation Security Program (CSP). CSP identifies and rewards those farmers who are meeting the highest standards of conservation on their operations. His farm received a tier III rating, the highest level of participation in the CSP program. In addition, his pastures received a score of 50 points, the highest score available. “Now I must learn if I can keep it,” cautioned Oren as he referred to his CSP scorecard. “It won’t be easy!”

Summer pasture grows on bottom land on the Longview Farm.

A livestock restricted wildlife habitat planting.

Fall stockpiled forages for winter grazing.

Tying farming together with his values, Long explained “another way my view of farming differs from the modern view is my belief that conservation farming and religion are just two sides of the same coin. Spiritual knowledge tells us that helping others is one way to help ourselves. Traditional agricultural knowledge tells us that taking good care of our soils will help them take good care of us. The knowledge that all things are connected in a web-of-life has taught that farming as a way-of-life is man’s most redemptive profession.” “I can think of no better way to describe my attitude toward farming than to quote the words of John Burroughs, one of the great naturalists,” reflected Long.

One of the hardest lessons we have to learn in this life, and one of that many persons never learn, is to see the divine, the celestial, the pure in the common, the near at hand – to see that heaven lies about us here in this world. The lesson which life repeats, and constantly enforces is - look beneath your feet.

- John Burroughs, “The Divine Soil” A Financial Perspective “When we began farming in the 1960’s, Joe Shrader was the District Conservationist,” Long explained. “Joe believed in telling farmers, “conservation pays.” Since our farm was in dire need of conservation, we were willing to try this belief. Then this year, in 2006, we had an opportunity to put this belief to the test, to see if conservation really does pay. We took advantage of an offer by the Kansas Rural Center to do an independent study of our financial situation, to learn how conservation farming had affected our bottom line.”

Donn Teske, a farmer and financial advisor from Onaga, visited the Long farm. He conducted a FINPACK Analysis of the Long farm and also conducted a cow-calf enterprise analysis. Comparing the Long farm with the K-State MF-266 cash flow budgets, Long grossed $626.55 per cow which includes a Conservation Security Payment of $63.67 per cow. His total costs per cow were $543.47 which leaves a net of $83.08. The MF-266 average is $32.70 per cow and the highest column is $70.90 per cow. His variable costs per cow (total minus dollar opportunity value) is $457.07. His variable expense per pound of beef raised is $0.92 and his total expense per pound raised is $1.09. The calculations behind this study follow.

Long focuses on how his management impacts soil quality

and microorganisms under ground.

Long reading his tour comments.

A Beef Cow-Calf Enterprise Analysis of the Long Farm The right column represents an estimate of the costs and returns for the Long beef enterprise. An explanation of the assumptions and calculations Teske made to come up with these figures follow this table.

Oren Long’s 2005 Beef Cow Operation My analysis and explanation of the transfer of data to KSU form MF:266

Donn Teske 5-8-2006

1: Sold 45 calves for $30,473 / 60 cows = $507.88 (See additional sheet for calf sales) 3: Sold $3,300 of cull cows / 60 cows = $55 4: Conservation Security Program: It seems weird to enter a government payment into a beef cow operation, however if this ground would be farmed instead of sowed into grass a farming operation would certainly include it. By environmental stewardship the compensation for it needs to be included in the efficiencies of an enterprise. Here I would argue it is the beef cow operation and so the $3,820 payment is divided by the 60 cow herd. = $63.67 5: This is a tough one to figure for Oren. He uses an extended grazing season and claims that he only feeds for 2 months of the year at most. The KSU summer pasture figure of $122.74 is for a six month grazing season. I divided the total cost by the six months then multiplied it by 8 months to reflect Oren’s extended season. = $163.65 6: Oren grazes his own pasture residue the rest of the year. I am putting in a 0 dollar figure and will reflect 2 months of supplemental feeding in #7. 7: K-State calculations are for 60 days of winter feeding. I am using their figures. = $85.75 9: Purchased feed costs from Schedule F are $1,647 / 60 cows = $27.45 10: K-State estimate for herds over 120 cows 5 hrs per cow and uses $50 for this figure. Oren’s herd of 60 cows should be 11 hours according K-State calculations. Considering Oren’s mostly grazing and management style I am using the 5 hours per cow figure. 11: Schedule F is $1,006 for Vet and $223 for supplies. $1,229 / 60 cows = $20.48 12: $770.84 sale barn commissions + freight and trucking from Schedule F of $150 = $920.84 / 60 cows = $15.34 13: Schedule F; Utilities $790 + Fuel $483 = $1,273 / 60 cows = $21.21 14: I am estimating. Oren has pretty low tech operation. $20

15: A: On calf sales (#1) I only used the actual calves sold instead of the weaning

%. This shows a lower figure than the average because of it. However now I am NOT putting in heifer calf replacement $ because the heifers are already out of the calculations. Oren usually saves back 10 replacement heifers as he did in this batch.

B: $1,700 bull less $1,050 salvage value allocated over two years = $650/ 2 years / 30 cows = $10.83

C: KSU calculations. (Reflects dollar opportunity value) = $70.72 D: Schedule F doesn’t reflect insurance on breeding stock. (I think)

16: KSU numbers. 17: KSU numbers. 18: KSU numbers. 19: Again, this figure reflects dollar opportunity value. 20: KSU numbers. 21: Oren doesn’t borrow operating expense, however this again reflects dollar opportunity value. F: I estimated Oren’s investment probably low for today’s cow values, however I feel the figures I used are a good average for long term evaluation. 60 cows x $750 = $45,000 Infrastructure = $5,000 Total; $50,000 / 60 cows = $833.33 I could not get a calculation to correspond with this line. I am leaving it blank.

Oren and Vera Long Long View Farm Map Valley Falls, Kansas

Farmstead

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Calving near farmstead. 8 pastures. Spring grazing through June. Rest through rest of summer for clover

reseeding.

Wildlife habitat.

Songbird bundle

plantings.

Summer mowing and stockpiling for winter grazing.

Oak trees planted in pasture. Limited flash grazing.

Highly productive bottom land.