By Melissa Blair, Public Affairs Specialist, NRCS Texas

If you ask Daniel Quates why it is important to protect the natural resources on his 7 Fat Cows Farm in Waller County and at his family homestead cattle ranch in Bee County, he will smile and say, “it’s our responsibility as guardians of God’s blessings in our lives and my children’s future.” 

Quates, an engineer in Houston, moved his family out of the city to Hempstead where they started their own agricultural operation named 7 Fat Cows Farm, from Pharaoh's dream in Genesis 41.

“This was my oldest boy's favorite biblical account, and we strive to be the seven fat cows that feed the nation,” said Quates. 

Quates visited the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office in Waller County and learned about opportunities for technical and financial assistance to install conservation practices to improve natural resources on his agricultural operation. 

“I reached out to NRCS to learn what types of grasses and cover crops would work for my area in Hempstead,” said Quates. “I wanted to manage the property in harmony with the natural environment as much as possible.”

Quates’ good experience and success with NRCS on conservation efforts on his farm in Hempstead, Texas led him to seek the same assistance at the family homestead in Bee County.  He contacted the district conservationist in Bee County, Stephanie Hayek, and worked with her to develop a conservation plan on his family’s homestead farm. The plan recommended conservation practices to install to address water quality and quantity, erosion, plant health and vigor, soil health and livestock production limitations.

“This is family land on my mom's side, and I've been helping with the cattle, fencing, brush clearing all my life,” said Quates.  “Now with a waiting list for grass fed beef, we needed to invest in the land to expand the operation by improving the grass allowing for a rotational system for the cattle.”

Quates, who leases the land from his parents in Bee County, applied for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in 2021 to complete brush management on a 30-acre pasture along with pasture/hay planting and fence to set up rotational grazing for cattle.  The following year he applied for additional EQIP funding to complete the same conservation practices, on a 24-acre pasture for grazing management. 

“NRCS has allowed us to essentially start over with native perennial grasses in our pastures that are more drought tolerant, provide excellent winter grazing, and allow us to prevent topsoil loss during heavy rains,” said Quates.

Improving Water Quality through Conservation

The headwaters of Papalote Creek are located a mile west of Waldheim Cemetery, which is across the road from Quates’ family farm in southwestern Bee County. The creek then flows through the farm down through southern Bee and northern San Patricio counties before emptying into the Aransas River. 

The Aransas River is one of four waterbodies in Texas announced as priority areas for the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). Funded through EQIP, NWQI provides funding for agricultural landowners to install conservation systems that promote soil health, reduce erosion and lessen nutrient runoff that include conservation practices such as brush conservation crop rotation, fence, prescribed grazing, heavy use area protection, livestock pipeline, residue and tillage management, and many more.

“The National Water Quality Initiative is a partnership with NRCS, state water quality agencies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to identify and address impaired water bodies through voluntary conservation,” said NRCS Texas State Conservationist Kristy Oates. “The NWQI provides a way to accelerate voluntary, on-farm conservation investments and focused water quality monitoring and assessment resources where they can deliver the greatest benefits for clean water.”

In 2024, Quates applied for financial assistance through NWQI to install fence, livestock pipeline, and two watering facilities to help facilitate rotational grazing. In order to protect the area around the watering facilities and provide stability, heavy use area protection was also installed.
 

"We are nestled at the upper end of the Papalote Creek, and this conservation work will also aid in allowing the rainwater to absorb into the underground water system and also benefit downstream properties with prolonged drainage and less water impulse after a heavy rain event,” said Quates.  “We still cut and feed hay, however I've been able to successfully reduce the amount we feed per year. “Once we wrap up our brush clearing and fence, I plan on dabbling with winter grazing practices, which my grandfather was doing up until the early 90's.” 

Quates went on to say, “Another main goal we have is to add as much organic matter to the soil as possible. Increasing organic matter improves water storage capacity of the soil.  This, coupled with the native clump grasses that can extend roots to 10+ feet deep, provides a very efficient method of tolerating drought.”  

Quates plans to keep working with NRCS on conservation technical and financial assistance to continue improving the land and natural resources while passing on the lessons learned about taking care of God’s creation. 

“It's truly been a pleasure working with everyone on the NRCS team,” said Quates. “They genuinely care for the land, the animals, and helping the small farmers learn and grow.”