10 / www.DakotaFarmer.com - February 2010
Around Dakota Ag
BIG ADVANTAGES: Standing stubble conserves moisture, lowers summer soil temperatures, increases organic matter and improves soil health for Henry and Elaine Roghair.
Diversifying
means ‘no
vacation’
By LON TONNESON
Key Points
ENRY and Elaine Roghair
have a good problem.
They are producing
more grain than ever before on
their Okaton, S.D., farm.
The couple began no-tilling
and adding crops to their operation in 1995. They used to
grow only wheat in a wheatfallow system. Now they plant
as many as 10 or 11 crops
each year. They include winter
wheat, spring wheat, field peas,
alfalfa, lentils, barley, corn,
millet, milo, oats and sunflowers.
As no-till and crop diversification have improved soil health
and conserved more moisture,
their yields have soared.
“We’ve done nothing but
build more bins since we
started no-tilling,” Henry says.
The Roghairs also have a
seed cleaning plant to condition the common and certified
seed they produce. They sell
produce from their vegetable
garden, asparagus from their
asparagus patch and honey
from their beehives.
No-till and diversification
have one drawback.
■ No-till has made a big
difference in productivity.
■ Production has risen with
improved soil health.
■ Diversification leaves little time
for taking a vacation.
H
Master at
a glance
Henry Roghair
Okaton, S.D.
Family: Spouse, Elaine.
Achievements: Has
significantly increased grain
production on their West
River farm by no-tilling and
diversifying their crop rotation; is a member of the
Okaton Evangelical Free
Lutheran Church; longtime member of the Murdo
Volunteer Fire Department;
served in various capacities
on the boards of the South
Dakota Crop Improvement
Association, South Dakota
Wheat Inc., South Dakota
Pulse Council and Jones
County Crop Improvement
Association; named South
Dakota Premium Seed
Grower in 2007.
“No vacation,” Henry says.
They have planted and harvested field crops in every
month but January.
Civic leaders
The
Roghairs
keep busy off the
farm, too. They
are
members
of the Okaton
Evangelical Free
Church.
Henry
serves on the
Murdo
Volunteer
Fire Department, is
a South Dakota Crop
Improvement Association state
director, is president of the
South Dakota Pulse Council;
and is a member of the Jones
County Crop Improvement
Association and South Dakota
Wheat Inc. In 2007, he was
named Premier Seed Grower by
Best farming advice he’s
received: Diversify crop rotation to improve profits and the
health of the soil.
HENRY ROGHAIR
the South Dakota
Crop Improvement
Association.
Henry
is a lifetime member of the
National Rifle Association and
National Trappers Association
and provides all of the family’s
meat by hunting or fishing.
How they got started
Henry started farming in 1971,
after graduating from South
Dakota State University with
a bachelor’s degree in wildlife
and fisheries management. His
father loaned him money to buy
his first tractor, and his uncle
rented him land.
In the late 1970s, Henry
bought his first piece of ground
and has now purchased or inherited nearly all the land that
Advice he offers: Farm
the land, not the farm program.
he and Elaine farm.
“Henry is considered one of
the best farmers in that part of
the state,” says Gary Erickson,
former South Dakota State
University Extension educator,
Jones County. “I have been told
by several producers in that
area that they should emulate
what Henry does as he always
raises a good crop.”