http://magissues.farmprogress.com/MDS/MS04Apr13/mds001.pdf

I recently had the opportunity to visit with Cecil Yancey a freelance writer for Farm Progress Publications. He asked me what our land meant to my family?  As a Family Farmer that is a deep question. I spent my time as a young boy wandering in the woods and fishing in the ponds and rivers throughout the land our family owns and rents from neighbors.  I can remember from an early age my father and grandfather teaching me how precious the land is and how everything we do as farmers begins and ends in the land.  I was taught that we are only the caretakers of the soil that has been entrusted to us during our time on earth.  I quickly understood how the decisions we made daily on our farm could have positive or negative impacts on our bottom line and future generations of Jepson Family Farmers.

Not only were we tasked with improving our land, some of which has been in our family for over 200 years now, but friends and neighbors had entrusted their most valuable asset to our family.  My father told me to never treat any acre of rented ground different than if we owned it ourselves. He taught me   what it meant for others to put their faith in our abilities and stewardship of their soil.  Today I feel as connected to rented farms adjoining our farm as the land my family owns. I don't remember not farming many of our leased acres.  I have worked these fields, picked up rocks, cut and removed blown over trees, mended fences, and repaired barns on most of these farms just like we have done on our own land my whole life.

My high school ag teachers taught me we were the original environmentalists before it was considered  a social status or green lifestyle. I began to understand how our farm practices affected our environment as much or more than the crops in our fields. I began to appreciate how no-till helped reduce erosion and prevent loss of nitrogen, phosphorous and potash into surface and ground water.  Today we have technology to manage our inputs and soil fertility down to sub inch accuracy to care for the environment even more.  GMO crops have helped reduce pesticide and herbicide use greatly.

Cecil quoted one of my first blog posts in his article:  Our land holds our family together, bound with our past as it provides for our future.  I can honestly say the memories of  my past and hearing the story of how our family has worked in our community for 7 generations is a pleasant reminder of where I come from.  I hope my boys look back and recall that I taught them to appreciate and value the land in the same way my father and grand father did for me.  My boys are learning why we do the things we do.  Just today I had the opportunity to explain to our 5 year old about managing woodlands as he put it, "So the Little trees will have a chance to be big trees." The best part of my work today is teaching my boys and watching them roam the fields with their dogs just like I did when I was their age. That is what our land means to me.

http://magissues.farmprogress.com/MDS/MS04Apr13/mds001.pdf