Dan and his two sons, Matt and Mike, farm approximately 1,850 acres of irrigated land in Pierce County, where they also run 400 head of commercial Red Angus cows on 1,800 acres of pasture. Their operation is built on a philosophy of flexibility that takes into account factors such as field location and land ownership, however the use of practices such as cover crops, no-till, crop diversification, livestock integration, and prescribed grazing remains a top priority.
When it comes to the implementation of regenerative practices, Dan points to multiple motivating factors: improved soil health, increased profits, decreased erosion, and increased wildlife and insect habitat, in addition to making “farming and ranching more interesting and fun!” He has also used support from programs such as CSP, EQIP, and CRP, and the families’ efforts to care for the land have earned them conservation awards from the Lower Elkhorn NRD and NRCS.