CONSERVATION FARMER 2007
Baehl Family Farm, LLC
The Baehl Family Farm LLC consists of two sons, Michael and Russell, and daughter Linda, children of James and Mary Baehl. They are the 5th generation to farm the 132 acres on Hwy 65 near Armstrong. Anton and Genevieve Baehl moved to Armstrong Township in 1855. When Anton died in 1901, he set up his 3 sons with farm ground. Adam Baehl took over our present farm. In 1942, Adam retired to Evansville and son Wilfred took over the farm. In 1968, Wilfred retired and Jim and Mary Baehl presently own the farm ground. In 2005, Baehl Family Farm LLC was formed and Mike, Russell and Linda have taken over farming the ground.
They sent Jim to a no-till conference in St Louis in fall of 2005. There he met the Martins, Martin Industries LLC, who sell no-till equipment. Jim traveled to Elkton, KY to visit them and purchased the equipment to convert to no-till.
On the 132 acres they have 2 Waterways, 6 WASCOBs that are completed and a seventh is in the process. They have done 100% no-till for the past two years and partial no-till for the 5-6 years before that time.
Michael Baehl resides in Evansville and works at Fehrenbacher Wood Specialties; Russell Baehl resides in Poseyville & works at Fehrenbacher Wood Specialties and is on the board of Armstrong Recreation Center. Linda (Baehl) Russell resides in St. Wendel, is an RN at Women’s Health Care PC and is Vice-President of the Mater Dei Band Boosters.
CONGRATULATIONS BAEHL FAMILY!
Ludwig’s receive Conservation Farmer for 2006
The Vanderburgh County SWCD is proud to announce that Eugene and Gary Ludwig have been selected for the Conservation Farmer of the year for 2006.
Eugene and his son Gary farm 320 acres in Vanderburgh County and 1200 acres in Illinois. Of the 320 acres in Vanderburgh County, 90% is highly erodible soil types of 8% or steeper land slopes. These types of soils add a greater challenge to continuing a crop rotation of corn-soybeans-wheat/double crop soybeans.
The Ludwig’s have installed several water and sediment control basins and a
grass waterway to control gulley erosion on hill slopes. Gary has implemented a
new type of grade stabilization structure along streams that transect their
property which is called a Buffered Riser. This practice is installed along
stream banks to eliminate a gully erosion problem and grass is established around the riser portion of
the practice to filter sediments,
Eugene, Gary and Gladys Ludwig nutrients and pesticides before they enter the
stream.
All highly erodible soils are planted to a crop using the no-till method which does minimal disturbance of the previous year’s crop residue which in turn reduces sheet and rill erosion.
Eugene has slowly turned over control of the farming operation to his son Gary, passing on the conservation ethic to the next generation. Eugene and his wife Gladys are active members of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ (German Township). Eugene and Gary are both members of Farm Bureau.
The Ludwig’s will receive their award at the SWCD Annual Meeting on February 27, 2007.
CONGRATULATIONS!!