Credibility through Leading by Example
It’s no secret that trusted advisers are critical in the continuous improvement stories of countless producers across the country. Nor is it a secret that in order to play their role well, producers need to feel that these advisers have the credibility to help them make sound decisions on their operation.
For Carter Morgan, a six-year Soil Health Consultant at the Vermillion Park Soil Health Alliance, that credibility came from just being himself – an Indiana corn and soybean farmer whose family has been implementing conservation practices since the early 1990s.
Morgan farms 2,700 acres with his dad, uncle and brother in a 100% no-till system with a majority of their acres receiving cover crops. In 2006, when they switched to a complete no-till system, the family even built their own planter.
For six years, Morgan was able to utilize his conservation expertise to assist farmers in Indiana’s Vermillion and Park Counties with soil health management practices. The two grants that funded his six-year tenure with the Alliance, each for three years, were awarded by Clean Water Indiana and the National Association of Conservation Districts to boost sustainabilty practice adoption in the area.
“As a soil health consultant, I worked with growers to help them implement management practices that would be beneficial for them – such as no-till and cover crops – and used my personal experiences, as well as the experiences of others, to try to help them minimize risks and mistakes,” Morgan said. “That included meeting them, building relationships, and giving them technical assistance in the field.”
Throughout those six years, Morgan was able to assist over 150 producers along their sustainability journey, with a reach of over 200,000 acres in his area.
“While his impact cannot be fully quantified beyond those numbers, his impact is also felt in the amount of increased participation in events, federal programs and overall interaction with the soil and water districts from producers,” recalls Eric Shideler, Conservation Director at the Vermillion County Soil and Water Conservation District.
It was no surprise that he was successful, given the trust that he established with these producers.
“Farmers like to talk to farmers and learn from other farmers,” Morgan said. “My farming background allowed me great access to understanding where these producers were coming from, and why they had the views or concerns they did in relation to logistics, costs, market impacts, and more.”
Carter Morgan
Soil Health Consultant
Vermillion Park Soil Health Alliance
Morgan would also try practices on his own farm, to see what would work or not work in his area, sharing that back with the producers he worked with. One example is the use of a roller-crimper the Vermillion County Soil and Water Conservation District had purchased for mechanically terminating cover crops. Morgan quickly adopted this technology on his operation so that he could provide guidance to other producers who wanted to try out that new method.
When asked about the most notable benefits he and the producers he assisted saw from these practices, he immediately pointed to the minimization of soil erosion.
“By implementing no-till and cover crops, we can visibly see that the water coming off our farm is clearer than those on a conventional farm nearby,” he explains. “That’s probably the biggest success story I’ve seen, and I can tell you that for my farm, and the next guy’s farm, and the next guy’s farm after that has done these things.”
"My farming background allowed me great access to understanding where these producers were coming from, and why they had the views or concerns they did in relation to logistics, costs, market impacts, and more."
Carter Morgan
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