Where does conservation on the farm begin and end? For one Iowa farm family, it’s never ending. Jason and Sarah Russel farm in Monticello, Iowa. The two is make decisions every day that go well beyond the barn.
“I just strive to be more efficient and sustainable and regenerative, generally in the field is what I’d like to see because we’re losing soil every year and we need to regenerate it, not just sustain it,” says Jason.
It’s been a combination of hands-on learning, research and real-world trials that’s guided the co-owner of Big Boulder Farms, and his wife, Sarah. The two grow row crops and raise pigs.
“He’s able to speak to a lot of people, address a lot of issues and cover a lot of topics when people have questions,” says Sarah.
“I don’t know if it’s a good thing or bad thing because I come up with these hair-brained ideas and I start to do things differently,” adds Jason. “Sometimes, it works, sometimes, it doesn’t.”
The livestock producer, who has wean-to-finish barns, has always been conservation-minded, an effort that’s truly a family affair.
“I was exposed to no-till when I was a little boy, about 4 or 5 years old, I think” says Jason. “We were no-tilling corn in an alfalfa field.”
From wind turbines and solar panels, Jason proves being conservation minded can stretch into every piece of the operation. But his main project lies in the soil.
He uses cover crops and no-till in conjunction with livestock manure to improve soil health. He believes a winter annual cover crop should be planted in the fall ahead of soybeans to help prevent weeds, reduce inputs and increase yield.
“I think when there’s something in the soil and it’s not a hostile weed or something to hurt your crop, it really primes that soil up and gets it ready,” says Jason.
Russell typically plants a cereal rye and wheat cover crop after harvest with a drill. He does soil testing once a year to try to determine microbial life in the soil and if it’s healthy. Through testing, he’s finding an increase in yields and soil health on his acres over time.
“My goal is to tie up nutrients that might otherwise be lost in the groundwater into the surface water and keep them for my crops to use,” he adds.
“He doesn’t just say, ‘Oh, we’ve achieved this on our farm, that’s good enough,’” says Sarah. “He’s always trying to look for more ways to improve.”
He’s working toward a more diverse rotation and wants to dive into additional specialty crops. He thinks adding variety may be a benefit in the future since there are a half a million people an hour drive away from the farm.
“I grew flax in 2020 as well as chickpeas,” says Jason. “I had a lot of phone calls. They were like, why is your field that pretty blue? What is that?”
With a fearless drive to experiment and discover what works, he has a passion to share what he’s doing. Jason continues to focus on green, creating healthy soils and a healthy environment one growing season at a time.
Congratulations to Jason Russell, a regional American Soybean Association Conservation Legacy Award Winner. Jason, along with other regional winners, will be honored with the American Soybean Association’s regional Conservation Legacy Award.
