Date:
8/4/2003 12:00:00 AM
Title:
Oklahoma Operation is ESAP Region IV Honoree
Canyon View Farms Wins NCBA Environmental Stewardship Award
Washington, D.C. (August 5, 2003) – Frank and Shirley Austin, owners of Canyon View Farms, have been named a regional winner of this year’s Environmental Stewardship Award, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced today. Canyon View Farms is one of seven regional winners nationwide, and represents NCBA’s Region IV, which includes Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) recognizes cattle producers whose stewardship practices are inventive, cost-effective and contribute to environmental conservation. The recipients of this top U.S. beef industry environmental award are selected by a committee of representatives from university faculty, federal and state government agencies, and conservation and environmental organizations.
“We’re so proud of our ESAP winners and the philosophies they embody,” says NCBA President Eric Davis. “Ranchers like Frank and Shirley Austin have an innate love for the land that benefits the environment, their communities, their businesses, and serves as an example for all of us.”
Canyon View Farms is located in Central Oklahoma near Geary, in Canadian County. The Austins own and rent 1,680 acres, used for the production of grass, hay and wheat. In addition, they run a cow/calf operation with 170 mother cows. Micah Unruh of the Oklahoma Beef Council says the Austins have “a strong history and a promising future. In our eyes, Canyon View Farms is the perfect example of well-practiced stewardship.”
The central Oklahoma landscape has the unfortunate heritage of being prone to erosion. The Austins have recognized the importance of maintaining the soil, and have arduously labored for 50 years to turn the land from farmland to grassland. Their grassland flourishes and has provided the basis for improved grazing for their cattle.
“All practices implemented on this farm work to save time, energy and money, increasing the bottom line for the business,” says Unruh.
Frank and Shirley believe it isn’t how much you work, but what you do with the resources you’re given that matters. With that in mind, they try to maximize the productivity from the land while managing it in a sustainable manner. They do this by utilizing rotational grazing and no-till methods of soil management, and controlling water runoff from pastures. The Austins have a system of pipes and ponds that help control runoff, conserve water, and prevent soil erosion.
Wildlife protection is equally important to the Austins. Two hundred of their acres are in the Conservation Reserve Program and are planted with native grasses and forbes for wildlife. They recently cleared 60 acres of eastern red cedars, which benefits the quail population.
The Austins feel strongly about investing in the future, and educating themselves and others on new methods of cattle management and taking care of the land. “Our passion is spreading the word about conservation of our natural resources and its effect on everyone’s life, no matter where they live,” says Frank. “Without young farmers, clean air, and productive land, we are like a church with no youth involved.”
The Austins, over their many years in the farming, dairy and cattle business, have established and maintained many lasting relationships with the Central North Canadian River Conservation District, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Agricultural Research Service (especially the ARS Research Station in Ft. Reno), and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation for the Wildlife Incentive Program.
Canyon View Farms will be formally recognized as a regional ESAP winner at the 2004 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show in Phoenix, Ariz., next January, when the national award winner will be announced.
~ visit our web site at http://hill.beef.org ~
Editor’s Note: For additional information, news releases and fact sheets on individual winners, contact NCBA’s Washington office at 202-347-0228.
Producer-directed and consumer-focused, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is the trade association of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers, and the marketing organization for the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.