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No-till Indiana farm sees value on the bottom line

By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

DARLINGTON, Ind. — Sustainability, stewardship and generational farming make up the three mantras of Cain’s Homelike Farms in Darlington, Ind., a 100 percent continuous, no-till and conservation-intense farming operation in central Indiana.

“In our corn and soybean cash grain farming operation, with its constant pressure on the soil and with diverse cropping rotations, we have found that the less we disturb the soil the better our bottom line,” said Kenny Cain, 60, who farms 3,000 acres with his brother Terry, 55, and three nephews Jess, 30, Zach, 28 and Seth, 23.

According to self-proclaimed “Conservation Cain,” Kenny, the family first tested a no-till system with 200 acres of soybeans in 1980, then in 1985, the family took the entire farm to 50 percent conventional tillage and 50 percent no-till, and in 1992 Cains transitioned 100 percent to a no-till system.

During the past 28 years, Kenny indicated an estimated yield increase of 20-25 percent, averaging yields of 175 bushels per acre of corn and 55 bushels per acre of soybeans.

Certainly early adopters of no-till technology, the Cains attribute their desire to test the new and different cropping system in the early 80’s, to their trust in Crop Consultant David Swaim.

“He showed us how we could save money, fuel and labor with this system, so for us, it was a matter of total economics,” said Kenny.
“From the fuel savings, soil loss aspect, fertility boost and yield boost ... I mean why not?”

But in addition to the profitability and money-saving aspect, the Cains are big believers in the overall improvement in soil heath as a result of operating in a conservation system.

“Soil health is our primary concern and we are constantly looking for better methods of growing our soils to higher levels of biodiversity,” said Kenny.

So in addition to no-till, Cain Farms also includes 15 acres of Riparian forest buffers, which includes trees and vegetation that lines streams and creeks providing important aquatic and wildlife benefits, 30 acres of Highly Erodible Lands (HEL), that takes marginal land out of production and provides a government incentive to seed it permanently to grasses, 150 acres of warm season grass buffer strips and 30 acres of waterways.

“What we’ve noticed with our buffers is that our streams and waterways are running clearer because when water runs off our fields it’s clear,” said Kenny, also hinting at a reduced risk of erosion in a conservation tillage system and an estimated 2-3 percent improvement in organic matter. “The soil is staying put, we don’t send it and our nutrients downstream.”

The state’s no. 1 proponent of conservation tillage is Barry Fisher, conservation agronomist for the National Resources Conservation Service, who added that grass waterways reduce the likelihood of gulley erosion and provides an easier way for large equipment to cross fields.

“A lot of buffers go in marginal areas, next to wooded areas that are generally not very profitable,” said Fisher, who indicated that “there are government incentives for almost any conservation practice available,” including the much-feared transition process from conventional tillage to no-till or strip-till.

Active conservationists, the Cains also manage land under the Wildlife Reserve Program, where they are given an incentive to set aside land for wildlife habitat. Additionally, the farm is home to a special habitat for small game animals under the Pheasants Forever organization, where Kenny is a charter member of the Coal Creek chapter.

“It has worked beyond belief, the amount of wildlife increased on our farm is incredible,” said Kenny. “We get pretty excited about that.”

In addition to operating Cain’s Homelike Farms, the Cain brothers and sons also own an excavating business enabling them to build their own waterways and filter strips.

But one of the best aspects of the business, according to brothers Kenny and Terry is working together as a family.

“Each family member has specific responsibilities, but at the same time, we all share responsibilities so someone can get away from the farm to do something they want to do,” said Zach, who often serves as the family economist.

For brothers Kenny and Terry, their mantra is simple, and it relies solely on the stewardship of the present generation preparing to pass the family farm on to the next generation.

“Our father and mother passed along a respect and love of the land that is inherent. My brother Terry and I, fourth generation farmers, are passing it along to our children and to anyone that will accept it,” said Kenny. “Farming is not our birthright, but a privilege to become attached to the land and spread the conservation ethic to the world. I will not rest until society will treat land as a community to which it belongs, not a commodity to be used.”

10/1/2008