To be honored at local banquet
Dan and Crystal Ley of Richmond were named Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District?Äôs 2016 Outstanding Conservationist last summer. They will be honored at this year?Äôs Stearns County Pheasants Forever Banquet Saturday, March 4.
The Leys own and operate a dairy farm consisting of 54 cows, 48 heifers and calves, and 20 beef cows. They grow corn, soybeans, and alfalfa on 257 acres that have been completely no-tilled since 2007. Every acre in corn or soybeans is followed with a drilled or aerially seeded cover crop. Dan and Crystal are recipients of MDA?Äôs Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant where they are comparing four different forage cover crops following corn silage and soybeans. The Ley?Äôs have hosted numerous field days on their farm highlighting the benefits of no-tilling and cover crops. Other conservation practices implemented over the years include field borders, grassed
waterways, nutrient and integrated pest management, rotational grazing, buffer strips, and becoming a certified farm through the MAWQCP. All of these practices have a positive effect on wildlife, by creating additional habitat, and improving water quality.
The Stearns County Pheasants Forever Banquet is open to the public. The banquet will be held at ElmerZ in Sauk Centre, Saturday, March 4, 2017. For more information about the banquet, please visit www.stearnspf.org/banquets/.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the traditional ?Äúcrowing hour,?Äù dinner and prizes begin at 7:30 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome. The evening?Äôs festivities include a live auction, silent auction, and a variety of raffles.
?ÄúThe banquet is a fun way to spend an evening, sharing hunting stories, eating an excellent meal, raising money for local conservation and maybe even winning a gun,?Äù said Steve Sellnow, president of the Stearns County Chapter.
Dan and Crystal Ley were named Stearns County 2016 Outstanding Conservationists. Submitted photo.