Mill Creek Dairy Farm: HASP Return on Investment

Gregory has been intrigued by wildlife ever since he was a kid exploring the creek that ran around his family’s farm. Since he started farming, he has been motivated to use conservation practices to bring biodiversity back to the land. He also knows that traditional farming practices get nitrates into the water and he aims to adopt practices that improve nutrient application and water quality. He first experimented with cover crops in 2012 at the encouragement of his son. His continued commitment to conservation practices will leave the land more productive and naturally abundant for his children and grandchildren.

Practice Impacts

• Stacking slab: Gregory built a stacking slab to prevent leeching from manure into the groundwater. The stacking slab has capacity for more manure than he needs on his farm so he can supply manure to other farmers in the area.
• Minimal till: Gregory aims to reduce tillage as much as possible, using just one pass with a chisel plow and digger. The ground is somewhat rough, but still has the necessary soil-seed contact.
• Manure application and management: Using manure as fertilizer has improved soil health and allowed Gregory to reduce the use of herbicide and insecticide. He also notices that his soils don’t dry out as quickly and crops are less affected during a dry period.
• Cover crops: Gregory uses cover crops to hold the soil in place through the winter and grow feed for the cattle in the spring. He grows oats or winter rye and plants corn directly into the cover crop after harvesting.
• Filter strips, grassed waterways, and sediment control basins decreased the annual soil erosion by 0.16 tons per acres and increased the soil carbon score by 0.04 based on modeling assessments. “We are probably spending close to the same amount of money [as before adopting conservation practices] but we are getting more bang for our buck. We are getting nutrients [from manure] that you can’t get with commercial fertilizer.”