The Christian family of Naperville, IL have inspected millions of acres of Iowa farmland, all at the slow speed of a bicycle. None of it looks any better to them than their own Century Farm near the Sac-Buena Vista County line outside of Nemaha.
Think of it – the average length of RAGBRAI is 470 miles. Riding past 320 acres on each side of the road for that distance allows one to look over almost 300,000 acres each year. Dale and Barb Christian, sons Scott, Larry, and their families have ridden RAGBRAI nearly annually since 1988. That would add up to around 10 million acres they’ve ridden past at an average speed of around five minutes per mile.
The Christian’s own several parcels just east of the ridge in the Iowa landscape known as the Mississippi – Missouri River divide. One could refer to it as the Continental Divide of Iowa. Drainage from their land flows southeasterly to the Raccoon River, joining the Des Moines River in downtown Des Moines, and on to the Mississippi River at Keokuk. Water just a mile west of their “home farm” flows southwesterly to the Missouri River.
Considering this unique physical feature, the Christian’s chose the name Crestfield Farm LLC when they converted family ownership into a limited liability company. This location places their land within the glacial till region of Iowa’s landscape.
Land History
The last glaciation of this region occurred around 14,000 years ago and reached south to Iowa’s Capitol Hill in Des Moines. As climate change occurred and the glacier receded, it did so at a disorderly pace. Glacial thickness and thawing varied.
Some areas were left with gently sloping landscapes while others were left with more rolling landscape pocked with potholes. This is known as an “immature” landscape, since natural drainageways are not well formed, as you find in the older Missouri River drainage landscape to the west.
Tile Drainage Improvements
Tile drainage is one of the most important improvements one can make in this landscape. Since excess water can’t escape overland, an underground system of tile is installed.
While tile drainage has been part of cropland management for well over a century in this region, the advent of yield monitors on combines really clarified the need and return on investment of adequate drainage systems. It became obvious that a tile line here and there just wasn’t enough. Once the extent of the problem became evident, the Christian family moved forward with several tile installations across the most needy areas.
While Mother Nature can never be fully controlled, over the course of several years, the Christian’s improved their averages considerably thanks to more orderly removal of excess water. Occasionally, low-lying pockets are difficult to drain due to elevation.
One farm includes such an area. Eighteen acres were enrolled in CRP providing diversity on the landscape, as does a patch of tall evergreen trees on a small nearby hill.
This wasn’t the first time the Crestfield farms have benefited from gains in technology.
Variable Rate Fertilization
Twenty-five years ago, the advent of variable rate fertilization came about. Fertilizing at a variable rate across the field is based on soil samples taken on 2.5-acre grids. What that means is that every 330’, a collection of 10-12 soil samples are pulled, mixed, and sent to Midwest Labs for analysis. From this analysis, the appropriate blend of fertilizer can be variably applied across the field.
The Christian’s have benefited from the knowledge that their land is being optimally fertilized, which aids their yield progression in an environmentally friendly fashion. None of this occurs without good farmers tending the land.
Aging Farming Demographic
It is well known that the farming demographic is aging. When faced with the retirement of their long-time farm operator several years ago, the Christian family wanted to bring on a good young farmer. As it turned out, their land is now operated by not one, not two, but four good young farmers.
With geographic diversity of 6-8 miles between several farms, this made sense for all. With a custom-farming operation, the Christian’s are in direct control of inputs and benefit from their investment into each improvement.
Every farm operator gains acres and income without the need for additional financing. Each settles up for their contribution of machinery and labor twice a year, providing them with a reliable source of cash flow.
The Christian Family Beginning
The farms have changed in many ways since Dale Christian grew up there, son of Clarence and Emma Christian. Dale graduated from Early High School, then Culver-Stockton College and Iowa State University. He and Barbara married in 1970. Dale went on to enjoy a career with Bell Labs / Lucent Technologies. Dale passed in 2017 but left the family farm LLC in the capable hands of Barb, Scott and Larry.
When nearby Nemaha is occasionally included on the RAGBRAI route, it becomes a family affair to bike to the farms. As they await the next passage through Nemaha, the Christian’s will be able to enjoy a sip of bourbon made from their own corn.
In 2024, corn was delivered to Century Farms Distillery in Spencer to be distilled into bourbon, complete with a custom-made label honoring Aunt Maud Brown, who once owned the farm where the corn was sourced.
Stories like the Christian’s are not unique. Ownership of Iowa farmland provides the family with economic stability, but sometimes just as important is the satisfaction of continuing that long line of each family’s legacy.
Hats off to the Christian family for their interest in not only maintaining but improving their treasured inheritance.
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