Caledonia Argus

Runningens chosen Soil Conservation Farmers of the Year

Posted: 9/16/03

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

Wayne Runningen of rural Houston was raised to conserve the soil.

ìDad always worried about losing topsoil, and I was taught from day one to conserve,î said Wayne. ìIf he saw a ditch, it drove him crazy.î Since it takes 100 years to create one inch of topsoil, his concern was understandable.

Wayne is the third generation to farm the family farm. His father, Dale Runningen, put many soil conservation practices into use, and Wayne continued the tradition.

His efforts recently earned him recognition as Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year for Houston County.

ìI was pretty much always a farmer,î said Wayne. He did try other areasóhe worked at a factory for a day, and for two years he built silos. But he knew he would eventually come back to the farm.

The Runningen farm consists of 500 acres of beans, 200 acres of hay, and 45 acres of oats. Itís a lot of land for one person to take care of, but Dale helps and Wayne has a round baler for hay and some of the straw.

ìWith the right equipment, one person can do it all,î said Wayne.

Wayne also raises beef cattle and pigs.

There are nine ponds on the Runningen property, which are getting pretty dry this year. Wayne has planted trees around the ponds, and has built diversions and waterways. He rotates two years of corn or oats with two or three years of hay, depending on how the crop looks after two years. He uses rotational grazing on pastures, and on 100 acres allows no grazing at all.

Wayne has begun to implement some no-till practices on 40 acres, which has worked wellóuntil this yearís drought. He said heís glad the no-till fields are at the back of the farm.

Timber management is important to Wayne. There are 180 acres of forest on the farm and wood is harvested in tracks. Only mature trees are taken.

ìIf itís even questionable, donít cut it,î he said.

The Runningen live on a ridge, and enjoy the benefits of a mature windbreak to protect them from cold winds in the winter and provide shade in the summer.

He also has a two-acre pine planting to use for wildlife enhancement, another important issue for him.

Throughout the year, there is adequate cover for wildlife along the fence lines, and some pieces on crop acreage are left for nesting. Road ditches are not mowed until the critical nesting period has passed. Wayne also leaves about an acre and a half of corn each year for wildlife.

For 15 years, Wayne has raised pheasants. He releases them at between 6 and 8 weeks, and if the habitat is there, about half survive. If they are able to get out of the wind in the winter, their chances are good, said Wayne. His location, surrounded by CRP land, provides a good environment for wildlife.

Wayne is a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Whitetails Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, and treasurer of the Sheldon Valley Sportsmans Club. There are various opportunities for hunting turkey, deer, squirrel, and raccoon. Wayne also enjoys hunting of a different sort, including morel mushrooms and ginseng.

Wayneís wife, Patti, is a secretary at Caledonia High School and his daughter Laura is a freshman at Minnesota University at Mankato. Son Kyle is in seventh grade at Caledonia High School. Wayne doesnít believe either will end up farmers, but feels that they will want to have some connection to the land when they grow up. Kyle has a large garden, and both were previously involved in 4-H.

Wayne is also involved in MADD, and was a state representative to the national organization. He speaks at victim impact panels about the dangers of drinking and driving, something that hit close to home five years ago when the Runningens lost their oldest daughter, Angela, to a drunken driver. Patti is also involved in MADD, although she doesnít participate in public speaking.

The car in which Angela and her friend, Lorelei Schultz, were killed, is displayed at various events as a warning.

ìWe try to convince kids not to drink and drive,î said Wayne. Although the dangers of drinking and driving and soil conservation may seem miles apart, the idea that one individualís actions can have a far reaching impact is a common thread.

The Root River Soil and Water Conservation District assists producers in managing their resources so that future generation can also reap the benefits of the land, whether for farming, recreation, or preservation of wildlife.

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