By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
MARCELLUS – Niles' Eric Coles was named 2006 Conservation Farmer of the Year Wednesday night at Hudson Memorial Building by the Cass County Conservation District board.
Eric and his wife Anne operate Coles Farms Inc. in Howard and Milton townships.
Eric and Anne took over operation of the family farm in 1989 from Eric's mother, Deanna.
Coles Farms is a large muck farm specializing in grain production.
As a muck farm, there exist several unique conservation challenges, such as high wind erosion potential, nitrogen management, drainage and lots of surface water in both streams and ditches.
The CCCD said at its 62nd annual meeting that Eric has risen to the challenge and done an outstanding job protecting those soil and water resources while continuing to be profitable.
Eric has gone that extra mile to enhance his woodland and non-cropland resources as well, the district said.
Chris Siebenmark of state Sen. Ron Jelinek's office presented Coles with a tribute signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Beginning in the early 1990s, Coles worked with the Conservation District and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs to adopt conservation tillage, pest scouting and nitrate testing on more than 600 acres of cropland.
Nitrate leaching is a special concern on muck soils.
Later in the '90s, Coles worked with the CCCD and the Michigan Department of Agriculture to develop a forest stewardship plan and to implement forest stand improvement on 50 acres of forest land.
All timber is sold on a competitive bid basis under the supervision of a professional forester.
Coles again worked with the USDA to establish new forest lands by bidding some of his more marginal cropland into the Conservation Reserve Program.
In 2004, Coles entered into an Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) contract that helped him implement complete pest, nutrient and irrigation management strategies on nearly 1,000 acres.
In 2007, Coles Farms continues its stewardship legacy by remaining active cooperators with the Cass County Conservation District and USDA conservation programs.
These strategies not only further protect soil and water resources, but enhance profitability as well, the CCCD said.