Olingers Are The 2022 Conservationists Of The Year | News

Pictured, cattle grazing at the Olinger farm.

Pictured, one of many ponds on the Olinger farm.

When it comes to taking steps to reduce erosion and increase soil health, Tom and Brenda Olinger have improved their farm in many ways over the years.

The Olingers bought their farm in 1971 after Tom returned home from serving his country in the Navy during the Vietnam War. When Tom and Brenda took over the farm it was being managed as a typical crop and livestock enterprise, with dairy, hogs, corn, small grain and hay.

Of the roughly 120 acres, 100 acres were under crop production. Since that time, the Olingers have transitioned the farm to a 100% grass/forage based grazing operation.

Neighbor and tenant Mike McCormick leases the pasture from the Olingers and nominated them for this year’s “Conservationist of the Year” award through the Root River Soil and Water Conservation District.

McCormick grazes cow/calf pairs, makes hay on the farm and sees first-hand the results of Olinger’s hard work to improve their farm. McCormick grazes cattle on several farms in the area and will attest to the quality of the grazing paddocks on the Olinger farm.

Tom is a perfectionist when it comes to noxious weed (thistle, parsnip, multiflora rose, etc.) control and takes steps to reduce populations of weeds several times during the growing season. One would be hard-pressed to find a cleaner pasture anywhere in the county.

Noxious weed control, coupled with improving forage stand and growth are also important to note. Tom interseeds red clover and ryegrass, as a way to improve forage species. The pasture is comprised of an excellent mix of forages including orchard grass, fescue, clovers, and ryegrass.

In addition, the Olingers utilize managed rotational grazing to maintain forage quality and quantity, while keeping a high plane of nutrition for the cattle.

In order to keep forages high in nutrition and utilize forage growth, a cutting of hay is taken off some of the paddocks in the spring and early summer. This allows good utilization of the fast-growing forage, while providing a high quality feed for the cattle to graze during the balance of the summer.

The principle idea behind managed grazing is to keep good quality feed available for livestock, but not allow continued access to the whole pasture. Instead, cattle are rotated through fifteen individually-fenced paddocks on the Olinger farm and are allowed to graze only the top, most nutritious part of the plant in each paddock before being moved to the next. This allows quick regrowth of the forage, while providing very nutritious feed for the grazing livestock.

Pictured, cattle grazing at the Olinger farm.

By operating a managed grazing system, the Olingers have all but eliminated soil erosion on their farm.

On a typical crop farm, soil is exposed to the elements at times when no crops are being grown in early spring or late fall/winter, following crop harvest. Uncovered soil is prone to soil erosion due to rain and/or wind. On a grazing system such as the Olinger’s, the soil is covered by forage every day of the year.

This keeps an armor on the soil and protects it from the harmful effects of erosion. In addition, organic matter levels in the soil increase over time, thus creating a situation where rain water infiltrates into the soil profile at a higher rate.

Increased water infiltration provides more available water for the forage and increased growth during the growing season, which then provides more forage for cattle to graze. This means that soil health and water quality benefits of managed grazing are compounded over time.

Lastly, the Olinger farm contains five grade stabilization structures that have been built in areas of gully erosion. These structures stabilize the gully and have a dual purpose of providing water for the grazing cattle.

Houston County is in the Karst region where steep slopes are common and shallow soils over bedrock can be prone to erosion if not managed correctly. The Olinger farm is a prime example of one that is being managed to reduce the chances of erosion, while increasing soil health.

Pictured, one of many ponds on the Olinger farm.

The Olinger grazing system is one that mimics nature. Before human settlement, Houston County was home to open prairies that were grazed by thousands of bison, deer and other types of wildlife. The way the Olingers manage their farm is very similar to the way nature intended. That is why Root River SWCD is proud to announce that Tom and Brenda Olinger are this year’s “Conservationists of the Year.”

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