Mark Quinn and Family

Diversified Beef Operation Wins Regional Environment Award

Stoney Point AgriCorp of Melissa, Texas, is a 2009 Environmental Stewardship Award winner.  Representing the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Region IV, the South Central region, the multi-segmented operation was recognized at the 2009 Cattle Industry Summer Conference for its commitment to stewardship, conservation and for protection of natural resources.

Stoney Point AgriCorp Inc. is a family-owned corporation with diversified companies involved in cattle feeding, dairy heifer growing, byproduct utilization, innovative feed processing, environmental waste management, turf grass farming and composting.  Owned and operated by Mark Quinn and family, as well as financial partner Clark Willingham, the “whole-farm” approach has enabled them to be sustainable.

The family of companies include Stoney Point Melissa Feedyard, Lazbuddie Feeders, Owl Livestock, Lazbuddie Calf Ranch, and Roswell Calf Ranch.  The company also possesses a turf grass operation and composting in Melissa, and a reclaimed milk processing plant in Dallas. To date, Stoney Point has produced over 600,000 calves.

The Environmental Stewardship Award – now in its 19th year – is an initiative of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation, with funding from Dow AgroSciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

“Mark and Stoney Points’ collective experience, leadership, initiative and cooperative spirit have been invaluable to our development and evaluation of sustainable nutrient management systems and practices,” said Donald Vietor, professor, Texas A & M University and AgriLIFE Research. To that effort, Mark and Stoney Point have implemented a number of practices aimed at protecting and improving the land upon which they make a living. These include:

• Formed Alternative Feeds in 1999 to actively research and develop sources of “alternative” feeds that can be utilized in feeder cattle rations and in calf ranches to replace more traditional commodities. Alternative Feeds is responsible for the utilization of “waste” from the food industry, that would have gone into landfills, and converting it into feed for the various cattle operations.
  
• Developed run-off lagoons around the feedyard that provide habitat for a number of waterfowl species
  
• Partnered with a turf-grass company to use nutrient-rich water from its retention ponds to irrigate 35 acres of turf-grass. A portion of the nutrient-rich manure is also used to improve top soil
  
• Use manure in a joint venture with Hope Agri-Products to compost and bag organic matter for sale in many retail stores
  
• Implemented grass filter strips to reduce sediment run-off
  

Stoney Point AgriCorp Inc. was nominated for the Environmental Stewardship Award by the Texas Cattle Feeders’ Association, with which the operation has partnered to host several educational and best management practices tours. In addition, Mark and his team have partnered with Texas Center of Environmental Quality; Southern Region Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education Program (SARE); Texas A&M University System Agriculture Program; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Tri-Texas Turf Grass; Hope Agri Products; OK Foods; Dean Foods; Bordens, Dannon Yogurt, Daisy Brands, the Texas “Adopt A Highway” program; local FFA and 4-H programs; community schools; the Blue Ridge Rodeo and the U.S. Grains Council.

“Stoney Point AgriCorp represents a large segment of the beef industry in how they are implementing innovative and environmentally sustainable practices,” said Petty. “Mark and his team have built a successful business model while also doing their part to protect and enhance the natural resources that sustain the beef industry.”