Story by Jeffrey Miller, Director Cass County Soil Conservation District
Photo credit: Phil Faught

Phil grew up on the farm and has been farming his entire life. He has a college degree in sports medicine and worked in that realm during the winter months. He’s officially been farming for 10 years, and Ali and he took over the family operation 5 years ago. They have three children, 11-year-old Kaldor, 9-year-old Kai and 6-year-old Liddie. Even though his parents, Mike and Ann are “retired” they continue to work on the farm and live just down the road. 

The Faught family currently farms 1,700 acres, with roughly a third each in spring wheat, corn and soybeans. They have also added alfalfa and oats to some fringe acres to help repair the soil along with adding additional revenue. Cover crops, following spring wheat, and poly crops, planted in between the soybean rows, have become very important on the farm. The Faught family have also planted an acre of popcorn for their kids to tend, harvest and sell, along with pumpkins and legumes. 

Conservation has been a focus in the Faught family for generations. Phil’s grandfather, Roy Faught, was a Cass Soil Conservation District Supervisor for 40 years. His uncle, Richard, not only served as a District Supervisor but also was a president for the North Dakota Soil Conservation Districts. Roy, Richard and Phil’s father, Mike, are all past Cass County Achievement winners. Conservation is in Phil’s blood, and he and his family are committed to not only continuing the conservation efforts of the past but also pushing forward with new techniques.  

The Faught family have a current CSP contract and are also in the second cycle of the Alliance to Advance Climate Smart Agriculture program. They have also used the SCD’s tree planting and grass seeding services. 

Phil’s philosophy is best summed in a mission statement he has for their farm. “Follow the five soil health principles to the best of my ability to leave the soil healthier than I received it and in doing so strengthen our economic resiliency.”  

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