On Aug. 17th Ness Farms was honored as the St. Joseph County winner of the Indiana Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts’ (IASWCD) 2016 River Friendly Farmer Award. The Award is given to those farmers across Indiana who have shown a dedication to improving the quality of their local waterways through sound conservation farming techniques.
Ness Farms produces corn, soybeans and beef cattle. A sustainable cropping system is a management strategy that protects our natural resources and actually improves the soil. Ness Farms has a complete conservation cropping system including no-till, cover crops, filter strips, as well as irrigation & nutrient management. The conservation practices implemented on the farm also reduces the risk of nutrient and sediment runoff into the waterways, improving water quality downstream. Located just north of the Kankakee River this means improving water quality throughout the Kankakee watershed which eventually leads to the Gulf of Mexico.
Nathaniel Ness stated that conservation practices are important to their operation because they want to improve soil health and water quality for the benefit of current and future generations. They share their message of commitment to conservation not only with their neighbors but with their community through Farm Bureau.
