From Crane to Tractor, Meet Cattleman Producer Cedric Steele.      

Article by: Deidre Lindsey, Public Affairs Specialist

Many farmers begin their journey in agriculture at a young age, often alongside parents, grandparents, or other family members, each with a unique tale to tell. Such is the case for Cedric Steele, a first-time cattleman producer from Neshoba County, Mississippi. Cedric's agricultural beginnings began as a little boy who watched his dad's love of farming ignite his enthusiasm for agriculture as a farmer. He always had animals and fields to tend, so Cedric followed in his father's footsteps.

Pursuing a Career in Farming

Pursuing a career in agriculture is his dream come true. "I knew I had found my true calling, and I was determined to continue a legacy and make my father proud. I couldn't wait to start my own farm and carry on the traditions that had been instilled in me since childhood. The smell of fresh soil and the feeling of accomplishment after a long day's work were all I ever wanted." -Cedric Steele.

In 2017, Cedric talked with a neighbor who was in the cattle business. He always explained that whenever the time came, he would support him in starting a farm. After waiting for the right time and finding the right piece of land for sale in 2017, he bought it with the goal of starting his cattle business.

Meeting the man behind the farm

Cedric owns a 40-acre state-of-the-art beef cattle farm in Stallo, Mississippi, a small town of just under 400 residents outside Philadelphia. His day begins as others end theirs at 5:00 p.m. A Weyerhaeuser employee for over three decades, Cedric operates a crane unloading logs, working at least 12 hours daily. After a brief rest, he puts on his work boots and heads to his farm to feed and care for his cattle. Despite the demanding work and extended hours, he finds tranquility in the serene practice of tending to his animals. This daily ritual allows him to connect with nature and recharge before returning to his night job for another shift. 

When asked how he does it, Cedric says, "It is easy to incorporate my love of farming with my full-time job; the income is necessary to support me for the things I have planned."

Next stop: Your local NRCS office

Like many beginning farmers, Cedric had a plan but needed to figure out how to start. Seeking help, he visited his local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office, where he met and spoke with Soil Conservationist Jeff Fortenberry and Soil Technician Bill Stalcup. They listened to Cedric's concerns and discussed his expectations for his land. Jeff and Bill advised Cedric that he would need to go to the Farm Service Agency's (FSA) office next door, where he would set up a farm and tract number.

Required steps and documents:

1. A copy of your land deed that has been notarized and filed at the courthouse.
2. Copy of plat map to your property (with property marked or highlighted by Tax Assessor), which can be obtained from the Tax Assessor's Office or your surveyor.
3. Names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and phone numbers of all property owners. Form AD-2047 to record this information can be obtained from the FSA Office.
4. For entities such as corporations, LLC's, trusts, etc., provide entity ID numbers, articles of incorporation, trust agreements, partnership agreements, etc.
5. To initiate the eligibility process, provide the above information to your local field office.

After submitting all the required documentation to FSA and having his record and tract number created, Cedric returned to his local NRCS field office to work on his application. During this visit, he learned about eligibility, the NRCS 5-step assistance, the nine steps of conservation planning used by NRCS staff, and the conservation planning for the Farm Bill Conservation Program from Jeff Fortenberry and Bill Stalcup.

After conducting an onsite field visit to Cedric's farm and speaking with him, it was determined that he was initially ineligible for any NRCS programs because he didn't have existing fencing or livestock, only land. However, they provided Cedric with free technical advice that would help make him eligible for NRCS programs.

Within six months, Cedric was back and ready for several of the NRCS programs. He finished installing perimeter fencing on his farm and now had a head of livestock.

40 Acres and a Dream: The 5 Steps of Assistance.

Receiving assistance from Natural Resources Conservation Service can be simple as a 5-step process. Here are the steps as follows:

Step 1: Planning. Planning involves contacting your local NRCS office via telephone, stopping by the office, email, and/or scheduling a time for a field office representative to come out and meet with you to start the conservation planning process.

Step 2: Application. You will complete an application with a NRCS representative if you are interested in applying for some type of financial assistance. However, remember you do not have to apply for financial assistance to receive help from NRCS to develop a conservation plan on your farm. Fact: All NRCS applications are taken on a continuous basis, you can sign up at any time. Also, be sure ask what the ranking cut-off period are is for your application.

Step 3: Eligibility. An NRCS employee will check your application to make sure that all requirements will be met. As part of the eligibility process, you will need to bring the following documents:

1. An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID); if applying under an employer ID number, then a DUNS number and current CCR registration are required.
2. A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property.
3. A farm tract number. If you don’t have a farm tract number, you can get one from the USDA's Farm Service Agency. This is only necessary if you are interested in financial assistance.

Step 4: Ranking. NRCS will review your application and rank it based on local resource concerns. The reason NRCS has ranking process in the steps is because our programs can be very competitive, and ranking is a way to establish priority on the application that we have on hand. The ranking process basically involves measuring the applications conservation benefits to local resource concerns.

Step 5: Implementation. When you get approved, now you put conservation to work by signing the contract and installing the conservation practices on the plan. Once you sign the contract, your local conservationist will work with you and provide you with the standards and specifications for the practices in which you were approved. 

Implementing Practices

Now that Cedric has taken the necessary steps to receive assistance from NRCS, he has implemented conservation practices to improve his farm's sustainability and productivity further.

Cedric has one completed contract with NRCS, and it is through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which helps farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands. Through this program, he has divided his acreage into four grazing cells using cross-fencing. Cross-fencing is a method that involves dividing pastures or fields into smaller sections with fencing to allow for prescribed grazing. Prescribed grazing involves moving livestock through a series of paddocks, so when they have finished grazing the last paddock in the series, the first paddock has recovered to allow the rotation to recommence.

In addition, Cedric has implemented two water facilities for his livestock, two heavy-use areas, and a livestock pipeline. These practices provide year-round, clean, free-flowing water for his livestock. Cedric also implemented critical area planting to treat the bare spots due to erosion concerns. Pasture and hay land Planting is used to enhance grasses for livestock grazing. "Overall, Cedric is a goal-oriented individual. Although he had a plan and was uncertain where to begin, Bill and I collaborated to achieve his goals. Cedric is also a wonderful individual who has fulfilled his contract within three years and is prepared to participate in additional practices." -Jeff Fortenberry & Bill Stalcup. 

"I was able to obtain resources and funding to assist in the pursuit of my objectives through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). I was able to establish new practices that ultimately transformed my farm into a sustainable agriculture model. I am exceedingly satisfied with the FSA and NRCS agencies. I encourage all new or beginning producers to contact their local field office to receive the same level of support that I received from.” -Cedric Steele.

For more information about conservation practices, programs, and assistance offered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, visit us at www.nrcs.usda.gov/ms