Larry Lee owns and operates his family’s farmstead – established July 10, 1861 – with his wife Annette (a fifth generation farmer), Aaron and Amanda (Lee) Berndt, and Joshua Lee (sixth generation), and Rylee Berndt (seventh generation). Larry serves as the treasurer on the Shiawassee Conservation District Board of Directors and has been a member of the board since 1993. His family has worked with the Shiawassee CD since 1971 and are founding members of the Shiawassee County’s No-Tillers club, established in 1984. The club, Larry says, is a place for farmers to get together and talk about each other’s successes and failures. “Although we do not meet formally,” he told NACD, “we still get together for events – like the Shiawassee Conservation District’s conservation tours – to share our experiences. I actively promote no-till, cover crops, and continued education because I would like to see more farmers enjoy the benefits that I do.”

“We worked hard to get verified! Cattle needed to be fenced out of the streams, stream crossings needed to be provided, and watering sited established. At the Farmstead, we installed new fueling stations and chemical storage, among other things. But it was worth it in the end and we feel great about this accomplishment.” –Ken […]

“Farming is my heritage. My dad was a small-scale farmer like I am. Being raised that way, I always wanted to be involved in farming. MAEAP is a very good program and I encourage other farmers to join in to assure the public they care about the environment.” –Richard Janssens, Monroe Township

“We believe electively opting to participate in MAEAP… will help farmers keep up with the rapid pace of environmental and sustainability-based industry changes… The fourth generation is now learning and preparing for their future as we all try to leave our farmstead better than we found it.” –Bruce and Jennifer Lewis of Pleasant View Dairy, […]

“We’ are participating in MAEAP because we recognize the benefit to the environment, our community, and our farming operation. I encourage more farms to pursue verification in MAEAP.” –Doug Darling, Monroe County Farmer and Member of Michigan Farm Bureau Board of Directors

“I’ve been a farmer all my life. My first experience driving machinery on the farm was when I was 10 years old. It’s my goal to turn [the farm] over to my children in better than it was when I got it. Over the years my sons and I have put many [conservation practices] to […]