Dairy farmers honored
By John Henderer, The Chronicle, 1/25/99
OAKVILLE - Jim Austin's dairy farm along the Black River sits at an ideal location for farming - and for polluting.
But measures he and his sons have taken to protect water quality of the Chehalis River tributary won notice and accolades from the state Department of Ecology.
Ecology announced Friday it would honor the Austins' farm and two others in the Chehalis River Basin with the Dairy Contribution to Clean Water Award.
Conservation districts in Thurston, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties helped the dairies plan and find funding to develop and implement waste management plans. Ecology will present the
awards at the conservation districts' next meetings.
The Austins won notice for a fencing project designed to keep cow manure out of waterways.
The Chehalis Indian Tribe, with cooperation from the Austins, fenced off 10,000 feet of sloughs around the farm, blocking cows' access to the critical areas. The project removed 7 acres of pasture from production.
Two years ago, the Austins fenced off other waterways with 10,000 feet of fence as well.
Ecology also honored the DeYoung Dairy Farm of Onalaska, owned by Peter and Lulamae DeYoung.
The DeYoungs have installed a 340,000-gallon manure tank, manure separator, gutters and downspouts. Ecology said this dairy is ''extremely clean,'' and its pasture is in good condition.
Odie's Acres Dairy Farm of Olympia, owned by Bob and Judy Odermann, was also honored for an intensive pasture-management plan using rotational grazing and forage and soil analysis.
This dairy suffered a setback last year and made headlines when 38 cows gorged themselves to death on grain after a cow broke loose a feeding pipe.
''These dairies are outstanding examples of farms that are managing their dairy waste to protect surface and ground waters,'' said Megan White, Ecology's water quality manager, in a prepared statement. ''Family farms like these prove that some of the best allies of the environment can be found in the dairy industry.''
Ecology issued just one fine last year - $7,000 against Onalaska dairy Deskins Farms - as part of a compliance sweep of 54 dairies in the Chehalis River Basin.
Owner Jim Deskins appealed the fine, asking Ecology to allow the farm to spend the penalty money on making farm improvements.
Austin's farm has been in the family since his great-grandfather Joseph Mauermann bought it July 28, 1878. His grandfather, Phillip Austin, and his father, Ted, started the dairy operation in 1939.
He runs the farm today with his sons James M. and Ron Austin.
''There were a lot of things that happened in the past that we just kind of took for granted till we started thinking about it,'' Austin said. ''We used to put manure out (on fields) year-round.''
Now, they pump manure through a buried pipe from barns 1,000 feet to a 2.4-million-gallon lagoon. Once temperatures rise enough to cause pastures to grow, they begin applying manure to the fields as a fertilizer. The grass takes up nutrients from the waste rather than leaving the manure as a hazard to water quality.
''Any farm with water running around it or through it has got problems,'' Austin said.
Jim Austin said his 185 milking cows eat 30 pounds of grain, 35 pounds of silage and 20 pounds of hay a day. They produce 70 pounds of milk, and generate manure to spare.
To help protect water quality, Austin said, beginning about April 20 each year, he rotates his cows from pasture to pasture on about 100 acres. He cuts and applies manure to fields where cows have just grazed.
His dairy barns are covered to prevent rainwater from carrying off manure.
Austin serves on the board of the Chehalis Basin District Alliance, a regional group of dairy farmers and environmental regulators.
He said he supports Ecology's efforts to improve water quality in the Chehalis River Basin, where environmental studies determined the river cannot withstand more pollution.
''I guess in life, any time you can be honored for something, you'll take it,'' he said. ''Living on that water, I appreciate that water, and I have for years.
''We're going to do on the farm what we have to to keep that water clean. I think Ecology's just helping farmers get to that point a little quicker.''
John Henderer covers county government and environmental issues for The Chronicle. He can be reached by e-mail at jhenderer@chronline.com or by calling 807-8239.
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