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Pork council presents first environmental stewardship award
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Pork Council has chosen the Luthi Family Farm, LLC, owned by Chuck and Wathina Luthi of Fargo to receive the first OPC Environmental Stewardship Award. Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach, said the award recognizes the family's commitment to environmental protection and improving wildlife habitat.
"This award showcases a new era in the advancement of environmental protection and stewardship by Oklahoma pork producers," said Peach. "By embracing new technologies and techniques the industry has raised the bar for natural resource protection. The Luthi family's operation is a perfect example of a diversified farming operation that is using new technologies developed by industry to not only enhance their production, but also to protect the environment."
The Luthi family operates a 3,600 head, farrow-to-wean operation on land that has been in the family for three generations. Family members say they are continuing the family tradition of protecting their land for future generations.
"We believe using state-of-the-art waste management, preventing soil erosion, preserving water quality and providing wildlife habitat are all keys to successful environmental stewardship," said Wathina Luthi.
Their operation has brought wildlife, native grasses, and productivity back to land that suffered from erosion and neglect, adds her husband, Chuck Luthi. "We purchased nearby farmland that was wind-blown and non-productive. Then we used the best production practices to prepare the land for cultivation."
Today, native grasses cover the rolling hills and the land produces hay for their cattle operation, he said. Wildlife and the family agricultural operation benefit mutually from the improvements.
The family and their neighbors benefit from their progressive practices as well.
In their swine operation the Luthi family use an innovative management system to reduce odor and improve air quality with the patented HOG WASH system. This system incorporates a carbon material and bacterial product that breaks down manure solids. When the digestion process is complete, the end product--effluent--is used for irrigating farmland.
The family uses this processed effluent from their waste management system to irrigate their farmland.
A tree-belt area near the swine operation provides shelter for the wild deer, turkeys and quail while helping improve air quality, said Chuck Luthi. This is an important part of their management system, because the area of the semi-arid climate. Food and shelter sources for wildlife animals can be scarce in this often dry environment.
Date: 7/22/04
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