Benjamin and Shannon Ellis are the perfect examples of what happens when best-laid plans come together.
Thanks to the stewardship of their forefathers who were ahead of their time, the Champlain, Virginia, husband and wife team built upon a conservation legacy amid farming in the environmentally sensitive and highly regulated Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Building a conservation legacy
Operating as Thomas Neck Agricultural Enterprises, the Ellis operation is a culmination of two multi-generational family farms. Shannon represents the 10th farming generation in her family, which is designated as a Virginia Century Farm. Production there includes mostly soybeans, corn, wheat and beef cattle. The couple’s son, Tripp, works alongside his mother, and helps manage the commercial cow-calf operation.
Benjamin’s home family farm has been in operation since 1683 and includes soybeans, corn and wheat production.
“Our farming venture spans four counties,” Shannon Ellis explains. “We believe in taking care of the land that has provided for both of our families for generations.”
Shannon and Benjamin developed a love of the land and a passion for agriculture early in life. The two were active in FFA and agricultural education, where their Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects helped jump-start their careers in agriculture.
Prioritizing conservation is nothing new to Shannon’s family. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, her father began using minimum and mostly no-till practices in the farm’s management plan.
Goals for the operation include improved soil health and structure while reducing soil runoff and erosion. The Ellises also work to reduce crop expenses through less use of protectants and fertilizers, minimize weed pressure and improve water quality and infiltration. They keep wildlife and pollinator habitats at the forefront of their minds, and they work to improve yield and profitability while stepping up the overall environmental and economic resilience and sustainability of their family farm.
Because the operation is about 90 miles southeast of Washington, D.C., Shannon says urban sprawl and development pressure are serious threats to the farm.
“In addition to the pressure of housing and industrial development, productive farmland is currently vulnerable to data and solar centers,” Shannon notes. “Our production challenges include highly erodible soil that is drought-prone due to its texture. Soil fertility is a challenge and must be intensively managed to be productive.”
Because of development activity, soil health and water quality are top priorities for the couple.
“Conservation is top of mind when making both short- and long-term decisions,” Shannon says.
Realizing profitability must be a part of realistic family farm sustainability, Shannon adds that their conservation efforts positively impact their bottom line through improvement in yields as well as animal health and in the reduction of crop inputs.
“Responsible stewardship of the land and conserving our valuable natural resources of soil and water is the future of our family farm, American agriculture and the economy,” Shannon points out.
Navigating a myriad of challenges
The Ellises are much like their peers when it comes to managing weather and climate extremes on the farm.
“We have seen higher prolonged temperatures and less precipitation during the growing season,” Shannon explains. “Fortunately, we are seeing the benefits of conservation practices. We are protecting and enhancing the soil so that it is providing healthier crops and livestock, which in turn creates higher quality and yield.”
Extreme weather events can be challenging for the East Coast farmers, especially during hurricane season. Because of their fervent conservation methods, the Ellises have noticed a reduction in environmental impact while they continually work to feed more people.
Because their operation falls within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, farming production practices must comply with nutrient management requirements outlined in the Chesapeake Bay Act.
“The first step we take in improving the health of the soil on the farm is keeping it in place,” Shannon says. “[As a result] this prevents runoff and improves water quality. Next, we use the best strategies for improving the soil health through increasing biomass and organic matter through practices like cover cropping.”
The Ellises rely on cover crop mixtures based on crop rotation as well as soil type and structure to help them accomplish their stewardship goals. Approximately 90% of their fields are seeded in covers annually. Cover crop varieties include cereal rye, black oats and clover mix. Plus, a blend of black oats and hairy vetch.
“This year, we’re experimenting with new variety blends of cover crops and will continue to research and evaluate the best varieties to use on our acres,” Shannon says. “We hope to continually improve biodiversity, increase biomass and suppress weeds with cover crops.”
Another tool the Ellises have seen positive results from is switching a portion of acres from no-till to strip-till. Doing so has allowed the couple to maintain the principles of reduced tillage, Shannon says. As a result, the strip-tilled land benefited from a 20% reduction in fertilizer rate because of in-furrow fertilization.
“We strive to create a legacy that includes continually researching and implementing the most effective conservation practices for our farming operation,” Shannon says.
Staying true to their roots
Shannon Ellis knows strong relationships with community partners are key to the success of their operation. While they participate in traditional activities of snow and storm debris removal, mowing, vegetable and meat gifts, spraying and traited crop alerts, the Ellises are also firm believers in educating others about agriculture, specifically about their operation.
“We encourage questions and offer ride-along opportunities during planting, harvest and calving seasons,” Shannon says. “Transparency has encouraged even more support for our operation and goals.”
Shannon has taken their message online, too, with her AbSOYlutelyShannon social media handle on Facebook and Instagram. She uses the tool to provide agricultural education and promote sustainable production methods. She and Benjamin speak at a variety of community and education events and are heavily invested in on-farm research opportunities.
As part of their mission to increase awareness and improve agricultural education, Shannon also wants others to know how critical it is to conserve natural resources and create opportunities for family farms to thrive.
“My father was an early innovator, progressive in his willingness to research and experiment with new methods and technologies, and a faithful Christian who believed that it was his calling to farm the land,” Shannon says. “We believe that it is a privilege to farm and steward this land.”
As Conservation Specialist Hunter Gravatt notes of the Ellis family in his ASA Conservation Legacy Award recommendation letter, “Their approach of always learning and always growing provides for continuous improvement. Their shifts in production methods, willingness to take risks and adoption of conservation and production practices set them apart from other producers.”
While it isn’t always easy to find those with steadfast dedication, the Ellises are the exception. Consistency in their stewardship activities leads them down a conservation journey marked by true passion and commitment to bettering the land entrusted to their care.
“Our families have relied on the soil and water for their livelihoods for hundreds of years,” Shannon says. “We are humbled and honored to receive this award and feel like it is truly recognition for my early innovator- and progressive-minded father. He modeled what conservation farming should be and shared his passion for farming, servant leadership and life-long learning with us.”
