Cooneys focus on Angus, conservation, community
By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 07/29/2010 10:38 AM
E-mail article | Print version
LE CENTER, Minn.— Le Sueur County's Farm Family of the Year, Jerry and Peggy Cooney, have decades of memories of life on their farm.
On a visit to the pasture where some of their registered black Angus cattle graze this summer, they remember family trail rides and picnics they had while their three children lived at home. Rolling hills overlook crops and a nearby lake.
Jerry and his brother John grew up on a dairy farm, but switched to raising registered black Angus after getting support from their uncle, the late Bob Cooney. He supplied funds for them to buy top quality cows and bulls.
"Costumers have been coming back for years to buy seed stock," said Jerry.
They keep top percentages of their cows, heifers and bulls each year. Cows that don't make the cut may be sold by private treaty and bulls and heifers are put into feedlots. Their beef is sold directly to consumers by word of mouth, marketed as natural to emphasis they don't use antibiotics or growth hormones on the cattle.
JRC Angus is a relatively large purebred herd, Jerry said, with about 140 cows, and a total herd count of approximately 300 head.
Their cows calve around Feb. 1 so that calves can efficiently gain once they get on pasture.
It used to be calves would reach 500 pounds by Sept. 1, now their calves can get up to 800 pounds in the same time.
"We've come a long way with genetics," he said.
Other things have changed in Jerry's farming career. They use less fertilizer than his father, John, ever did, but they get better crops. That's partly due to crop rotation and improved crop genetics.
It's also partly because they've been working on improving their soil, through no-till or minimum-tillage practices to reduce compaction. They haven't plowed in 25 years.
Taking care of natural resources has always been a priority in their family, whose members were avid hunters and fishermen.
"We put in every program that there is," Jerry said, including the Conservation Reserve Program, terraces, buffer strips and filter strips. Water from crop fields drains through a tile line into ponds to water the cattle on pasture, and to keep the cattle out of nearby lakes.
"We want to leave this soil in as good, if not better condition, when we leave it," Jerry said.
Their land has also been used for research. University of Minnesota Extension entomologist Ken Ostlie came on the farm to study performances of transgenic traits in corn against northern corn rootworm.
"There's a growing corn rootworm problem in that part of the state," said Ostlie. "They've adapted to crop rotation."
Jerry a member in the Le Center Sportsman Club, a group that, among other things, releases pheasants every year. He is also active as a volunteer reserve police officer for the Le Sueur County Sheriff's Mounted Posse. He helps on horseback in search and rescue missions, crowd control or natural disaster response. They also partner with 4-H members during June to run a program that helps handicapped children ride or pet horses. Seeing their faces light up on horseback is a touching experience.
"It'll bring a tear to your eye," he said.
Other groups Jerry is involved with include Le Sueur County Cattlemen's Association and Minnesota State Sheriff's Mounted Posse.
Peggy's community involvement includes activities in St. Mary's Catholic Church. She likes to keep her spare time open for grandmother duties.