POTTS CREEK N.C.,– Tucked away, in a quiet part of central North Carolina, Marine veteran Justin Halama along with his wife Samantha, tend to their farm, The Wandering Lamb. The farm itself is generational, starting with Samantha’s great-grandfather's Black Angus cattle herd. The cows are still there, just fewer of them and now with the addition of hair sheep. These animals comingle in a large pasture that, with the use of temporary fencing, is separated into different paddocks, allowing the farm to rotationally graze their animals.  

Farming for Justin and Samantha was not the original plan. At the time, the main farming operation was managed by Samantha’s mother, whose job as a long-haul trucker required her to be away five to six days a week. Justin, who had no prior experience in farming, and Samantha, initially a physical therapist, would take on the farm duties while Samantha’s mother was away. By filling in, they quickly discovered that things needed a change. 

“The reality of the situation was we either step up and farm the property or it wouldn’t be a farming operation much longer,” Justin said. 

Recognizing they might be out of their depth, Justin sought training about how to farm from the North Carolina Farm School (NCFS). The NCFS is a unique strategic business planning program for aspiring, new, or transitioning farmers, whose mission is to increase the number of successful farms in the state. They are a network of extension specialists, extension agents, and local farmers. Because of this school, Justin was able to learn how to run a successful farm and make valuable connections along the way.  

A major issue was the infrastructure that Justin and Samantha were managing. The pasture the couple relied on had been heavily overgrazed. Additionally, the animals were using a nearby creek for water. This also resulted in heavy erosion around the banks of this water source. Justin knew he had to address these two resource concerns and fast. Luckily, Justin knew where to go thanks to his training at the NCFS.  

He began working with Soil Conservationist Kay Anderson from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 2022.  

Part of that collaboration between Kay and Justin was a conservation plan. A conservation plan is a written record of resource concerns and conservation practices and systems a producer plans to implement and maintain on their property. This plan is free of charge to the producer, and should a producer choose to move forward with this plan, they may be eligible for financial assistance.  

Thanks to Justin’s interest in addressing natural resource concerns, he has implemented several conservation practices including fencing, heavy use protection, livestock pipeline, watering facility, pumping plant, water well, and access control. These practices combined are being used to address concentrated erosion, field sediment, and livestock production limitation. By implementing these conservation practices, Justin will be able to address his two main concerns for long-term viability - water and fencing. Throughout this process, Justin has shown something invaluable when it comes to a partnership, and that is an eagerness to take what is recommended and get to work. 

“He is easy to work with, wanting to get things correct which makes communication is easy.  He has taken several of the ideas I gave him and incorporated them in his operation.,” Kay said. 

There have been bumps, bruises, and learning curves along the way, but the conservation efforts are slowly coming together. Throughout the process Justin faced the weather, broken machinery, supply chain issues, and application challenges. However, with Kay’s help, they were able to work together and push through.  

While progress has been slow and practices are not fully installed, there are already some visible impacts. The pasture is now green and once heavily eroded banks are now starting to stabilize. The Wandering Lamb farm is a prime example of how farmers can implement conservation, and in relatively short order have a lasting and positive impact on the environment.  

To get started, please visit your local USDA Service Center. To find the nearest center visit USDA Service Center Locator.  

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