Peace with earth

Farming without using chemicals is better for
the soil and water, but might be a financial risk.
A couple who has been doing it for
three decades says it's worth it.

By Ron Schara

Minneapolis Star Tribune Outdoors

Dec. 29, 2002

"Peace On Earth" might be rare these days, but if you're looking for Peace With Earth, it might be on a Minnesota dairy farm in southern Scott County.

"Our neighbors said we were crazy," Dave Minar, 62, recalled the other day.

Florence, Minar's wife of 38 years, chimed in, "At the time we quit using farm chemicals, we were told we wouldn't last three years."

Wrong.

Since 1974, there's been peace with earth down on the Minar farm. It's a farm trying to operate in harmony with nature. It's also a growing farming alternative to Minnesota's farming picture - a landscape of corn and soybeans, herbicides and pesticides, declining water quality, increasing soil erosion and threatened wildlife species.

"You could say when we farmed the old way we were hurting the land," said Minar. "Today, we consider ourselves grass farmers who raise livestock, milk and meat on the grass we produce."

On a mere 200 acres, the Minars operate a highly successful dairy operation, milking 150 cows twice a day. A 40-acre woodlot harbors a variety of wildlife species, whitetail deer to wild turkeys, ringneck pheasants to songbirds.

And three of the five Minar children are partners in the farming operation.

And then, there's the story of Sand Creek, a troubled country brook that empties into the Minnesota River.

When Sand Creek winds through the Minar farm where stream bank stabilization work has been done, an interesting transformation occurs. A University of Minnesota study showed, amazingly, the water quality of Sand Creek improved and was cleaner when it left than when it entered the Minar farm. How can this be?

"The Minars are real pioneers in the idea of sustainable agriculture. They were good at conventional farming years ago, but they didn't like what was happening to the land," said Brian DeVore, spokesperson for Land Stewardship Project. This is a private, non-profit organization, based in Minnesota, with a mission to help farmers improve profits along with their soil, water and wildlife conservation practices.

"What's exciting is the Minar farm is a shining example of success," said DeVore. He said about one-third of the group's membership are active farmers.

While city folks seldom concern themselves with farm issues, DeVore said hunters and anglers-more than others-understand the impact of farming methods on fishing and hunting.

"We all have a real role to play in changing federal farm policies that hurt the land," he said.

Minar, who was born in the farmhouse where he and his wife live, said their innovative farming ways ran in the family. "My father had the first hay baler in the county; he was the first to use herbicides."

But an accident with farm chemicals convinced Minar to seek alternative farming methods.

A decade ago, the Minars started a unique grazing system, rotating 45 pastures or paddocks to keep their cows (and the land) content.

"Our cows are on new grass every 12 hours," he said.

Said Florence, "We believe the food growing system on farms today is going in the wrong direction. Farmers have to get back to the way it used to be a long time ago.

"When we stopped using chemicals our crops' [yield] didn't drop that much. You can't be sloppy with your farm management, but it costs less to plant without the chemicals."

The Minars say too many farmers "are brainwashed" by the farm chemical makers.

"We take pride that every drop of rain that falls on our farm stays there," said Dave. "Our soil is 5 to 7 percent organic, and that's unheard of."

In the meantime, the farm's contented cows produce 42,000 pounds of milk a week or almost 10,000 half-gallon containers, marketed in Twin City outlets as Cedar Summit milk.

"It's the only milk sold in a glass bottle," said Minar.

DeVore said the spread of sustainable farming is a steady but slow process.

"The Minars have figured out how to make it pay," he said. "We realize none of this means anything unless a landowner is rewarded economically."

DeVore said the federal farm program recently passed by Congress has improvements in farm conservation practices, but federal farm payments still reward farmers who plant corn and soybeans and penalize farmers who chose to be land stewards.

"What should bother taxpayers is the federal government pays farmers for practices that damage the environment, at the same time paying farmers to correct the damage," said DeVore.

Once a month, Minar said, he and other farmers of like mind meet to discuss their goals and grazing methods.

Is there an alternative farming future for young farmers?

"I think it's the way young farmers can get involved," said Minar. "When you have lots of farm machinery, it depreciates. When you have livestock, the cows appreciate."

And there's peace with earth.

-Ron Schara is at ron@mnbound.com.

Copyright 2002 Star Tribune

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