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Already, many farmers have become aware of j the vital importance of soil and water conservation in their farm economy and have accomplished much in this field. Soil conserving grasses and legumes are crowding out the soil, depleting corn and small grains once so important in the rolling hills of Northern Virginia. Since the close of World War 11 and the availability of adequate farm machinery for harvesting green grass, the so called “grass farming” has spread over historic Northern Virginia in varying degrees.
In central Culpeper county, near the town of Culpeper and at the toe of -Mount Pony, there lies a 164-acre farm. This gently rolling 164 acres of chocolate brown and red soil is typical of so many Northern Piedmont Virginia farms. It differs, however from many others in that its production and fertility frontiers have been extended far beyond the average farm. In passing this farm the brightly colored soils are not evident as one would expect but only a dense ljsh green cover of grasses and legumes on every field. “Why, that farmer must have had a lifetime of experience and lived on this farm for many years to have it looking so beautiful,” said one passer-by. Very much to the contrary—until three years ago the up-State New Yorker who now owns the farm, thought of soil only as the foundation upon which a mammoth steel structure could be erected. B t, now, Emmett Doyle, beef cattle producer, grassland farmer and steward of the soil is conquering new frontiers in agriculture.
In 1947, Doyle purchased the farm from his brother-in-law. The farm had already received liberal applications of lime and fertilizer and had been treated according to its needs and capabilities as recommended by the Soil Conservation Service technician. The previous owner also secured assistance from the local Soil Conservation District. Since Doyle has taken over the farm it has continued to respond to additional amounts of limestone, fertilizer and good management.
Out of the total, 164 acres, Doyle figures only aoout 157 actually contributes anything to the operation. Forty-two acres are in alfalfa, 76 acres in Ladino clover and Orchard glass past-re and 39 acres in Blue Grass pasture. These are all of the crops that are grown. For the last two years the farm has carried 127 animal units during the entire period. “That's impossible,” said a prominent grain farmer in the county, what do you feed the cattle in the winter?” “That’s very simple,” said Doyle. “I graze my
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