COOPERATIVE FARMING

Cultivating Crops And Wildlife

BY JESSIE SHOOK

Every winter, over 50,000 waterfowl and 20,000 sandhill cranes visit Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (WWR) located in Decatur, Alabama. Hundreds of acres of flooded grains are required to feed these large populations of wintering migrants. To fulfill this need, WWR utilizes a program called Cooperative Farming.

Cooperative farming is a mutually beneficial arrangement and management tool. Local farmers enter into an agreement with WWR to farm refuge land under certain guidelines and restrictions, including location of crops and techniques and type of crops planted. Essentially, the refuge provides the land, and the farmer provides all the necessary farming components.

“The cooperative farmer leaves a percentage of the total crops planted in the field unharvested, for the refuge’s share,” said

Nick Wirwa, WWR wildlife biologist. “In turn, the cooperative farmer will harvest the percentage of standing crops as their share or payment for their work.”

Of its 35,000 acres, about 3,500 acres of WWR are planted annually. The goal of this program is to provide habitat and forage for migrating birds – the wintering waterfowl, geese and cranes.

“The program supplements natural foods with grain foods, such as corn, milo and small-seeded millets,” Wirwa said. “Corn is usually chosen for refuge shares, although milo and millet are planted in areas that remain wet too long for corn production.”

The cooperative farmer must enter into an agreement with WWR that has guidelines that the farmer must follow. This agreement usually lasts five years, in which the farmer provides labor, equip- ment, expertise and material to cultivate a crop. The farmer harvests their percentage of the crop share, typically 75-80%, and leaves the remaining crop for wildlife. “Additionally, certain guidelines, including crop location, management practices and pesticides are more restrictive than on private lands because of the 'wildlife first' mandate,” Wirwa said. “The National Wildlife Refuge System has a wildlife-focused mission and legislation that mandates our conservation efforts.”

Refuge staff work closely with the farmers throughout the year. WWR staff meet with each farmer to plan the type of crops and areas that will be planted. This is included in the signed agreement. “Throughout the year, refuge staff work with the farmer on any amendments or changes that deviate from the agreement,” Wirwa added. “Refuge staff and each cooperator knows exactly where each crop and share will be planted.”

Many variables are evaluated through an in-depth planning process to determine how many acres of unharvested grain is necessary to support WWR’s wintering waterfowl population. “Just to put things in perspective, one acre of corn will provide enough energy for a day for 28,000 ducks,” Wirwa said. “Nature will only provide enough for 2,000.”

During the 1930s, when waterfowl populations were in steep declines, WWR was originally established as a migratory bird refuge to protect and provide habitat for wintering waterfowl. Many of the wildlife refuges in the Southeast, like WWR, support a large number of wintering birds. “Due to the extensive loss and degradation of wetlands and changing agricultural practices which limit an abundance of waste grain on the landscape, national wildlife refuges in the Southeast are integral in providing food for waterfowl in support of conservation objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan,” Wirwa explained.

Cooperative farming has been a long-standing practice on national wildlife refuges across the nation. It is used on refuges only in situations where the Fish and Wildlife Service cannot meet its resource management objectives through maintenance, management or mimicking of natural ecosystem processes or functions. “Typically, the refuge workforce is too small and doesn’t have sufficient expertise to farm large acreages,” Wirwa explained. “Cooperative farming is a win-win for local farmers and the public who get to enjoy the benefits of all the migratory birds on the refuge or surrounding lands.”

Matt Clark of Clark Farms is a local farmer and Morgan County Co-op customer that participates in the program. “We are very fortunate to farm on the refuge. It gives us a chance to bring in wildlife while farming,” Clark said. “The Co-op helps us with this process. We shop at the Co-op because it’s very convenient. They know our fields and are very quick at getting it done.”

Alan Marsh of Marsh Farms also participates in the program and is proud of the partnership between farmer and refuge. “As a third-generation farmer, it has been a well-respected tradition to jointly work refuge land for a common goal,” Marsh explained. “Year after year we plant and harvest crops, always leaving a portion behind for wildlife nutrition and welfare.

Sharing profits and benefits that contribute both to the farmer and the refuge.”

Marsh Farms utilizes Tennessee Valley Farmers Cooperative, Athens, for most of their agricultural needs. “Fair prices and loyal service contributes to good farming skills,” Marsh explained. “The connection between the farm and the Co-op is a strong relationship. They assist us in many ways. They secure supplies that are needed to help a farmer achieve success and consult with us on problematic issues.”

Some of the earliest records of cooperative farming at WWR date back as early as 1940. This long-standing partnership between farming and nature is as important as ever to the wildlife that call WWR home. For more information regarding Wheeler Wildlife Refuge or Cooperative Farming, visit https:// www.fws.gov/refuge/wheeler/about-us.