Short Lane Ag wins conservation award

Company is first retailer to earn honor

Craig and Matt Oehmichen come to work at Short Lane Ag each day with a sense of purpose. That’s a rarity in today’s fast-paced world, but that’s because they can see the difference their work makes in the lives of their customers.

What separates their business from others is their willingness to try new things, to be innovative and resourceful. And for the last several years, the two brothers from Colby have been at the tip of the spear in conversation advocacy.

These days, they’re proving conversation is not only vital, it can be profitable.

“For me, it shows me that you can have these systems and do these kinds of approaches and it doesn’t constrict,” Matt says. “If anything, it opens more opportunity.”

It’s been a hard road to get people to buy into new concepts in a business as old as agriculture, but as food demand increases, the Oehmichens know that this creates more demand on the land.

They remember the words of their father, Larry Oehmichen, who began Short Lane Ag over 30 years ago.

“In our earliest beginnings, our dad has always emphasized the importance of our natural resources,” Matt said. “He always reminded us while fishing, hunting, or being out in the woods, that the natural splendor of things [cannot] be taken for granted. It could easily be gone if not cared for.”

That mission drives the Oehmichens forward as they work to usher agriculture in Wisconsin into a new age. Those efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Short Lane Ag, under the leadership of Matt and his older brother Craig, was chosen to receive the 2020 Wisconsin Land & Water Conversation Stewardship award several weeks ago.

“It is humbling to receive this recognition because we have growers that are making these things happen on their acres. For that we are very thankful for them,” the Oehmichens said. “This is their award as much as ours, because without their effort, honestly, we wouldn’t be able to continue our pursuits progressively.”

Wisconsin Land and Water is a nonprofi t, membership organization that supports the efforts of around 450 Land Conservation Committee (LCC) supervisors, and 350 conservation staff in 72 county Land Conservation Departments.

They represent all the state’s land conservation offices, and for the last 68 years, they have celebrated conservation, and recognizing those who excel in improving Wisconsin’s natural resources.

The Oehmichens have done a little digging into past recipients, and it is quite possible that Short Lane Ag may very well be the first ag-retail company to receive the prestigious Conservation Steward award.

It’s for that reason the Oehmichens are quick to deflect praise, preferring to call attention to their customers and their willingness to try new things.

“It’s a nice pat on our back. It shows that somebody notices and appreciates what we are doing, and what the farmers in this area are trying to do.” Craig says. “This award isn’t just for Short Lane Ag, it’s for all the good things farmers in this area are doing in this community.”

Sustainability and profitability sometimes struggle to live side by side, but those who work at Short Lane Ag take pride in the knowledge that with each sale they conduct, they’re making a lasting impact on not just their customers’ lives, but on the land itself.

The roots for this award go way back, the two brothers say, pointing to their father, Larry, for starting the business.

Short Lane Ag Supply LLC is an independent ag-retail business in rural Colby that was started in 1987. A family-owned operation, over the years it has brought innovation, product knowledge, new technologies and competitive pricing for its customers.

In the years since its founding, it has opened locations in Mishicot and Pigeon Falls, both in Wisconsin.

It was a vast undertaking for Larry, who started the company in his 30’s, in between milking 48 cows, managing 450 acres and helping to raise his three sons.

“I was two years old when he started the company,” Matt says. “He felt our area was lacking knowledgeable, timely service at an affordable price, so he decided to begin his own company. His first year he sold 100 bags of seed corn. Now we are a Crop Life 100 retail business.”

But it wasn’t until an NRCS agent named Brian Briski requested to visit their offices in the winter of 2017 that the Oehmichens threw their support into the ag-conservation movement. At the time, they viewed Briski with reluctance.

They gave him just 30 minutes to deliver his information. Little did the Oehmichens know how impactful his demonstrations would be. “Giving a slake-test on conventional soil versus no till, my brother and I suddenly went through a renaissance and enlightenment,” Matt said. “The issues that have been plaguing farmers were explained: high input applications, poor fertility, trafficability issues, standing water, dried out ground…it all started to make sense.”

From there, they moved forward, never once looking back or reconsidering. They understood immediately that soil health concepts such as minimizing tillage, residue cover, living roots and diversity were going to make a difference.

“I still remember when we first tried interseeding crimson clover, dwarf essex, and ryegrass into corn,” Matt says. “Our dad didn’t want us to do it. Period. Fortunately he had to travel out of the area for a fishing trip with his friends, so we waited until he left to do the interseeding.”

That undertaking was not without some early hiccups, however. But the two brothers soldiered on, certain that this was the best foot forward in farming.

“Even though interseedings can challenge your understanding of agronomic logistics, it is undeniable their lure towards good land stewards,” Matt said.

Nonetheless, Larry remained skeptical, but he has since been becoming more open to the idea, especially after last year. Weeks before harvest, he would take a ride on his UTV and bring back a plant to Matt and Craig bigger than the one before.

“There was a spark in his eye and excitement in his voice as he said, ‘Look at this!’” Matt recalls.

Short Lane Ag truly took off when Matt and Craig met with Jason Cavadini of the UW Ag Research Station.

“If I didn’t have the opportunity to work with his research, and call him a friend, I do believe we would not be where we are today,” Matt said.

Their next step was getting farmers in Clark and Marathon counties to agree to try no-till, cover crops and interseeding techniques. They quickly discovered farmers in the two counties are very progressive when it comes to new ideas.

“I think progressive farmers — and there’s a lot of them in this area — they want to do better. Deep down, just about every farmer wants to do better, and be more efficient and be stewards of the land,” Craig said. “We’re just doing as much as we can to help them be successful and help agriculture remain an important part in this area.”

The Oehmichens are proud to receive their award, but this won’t change what they do by one iota.

“Dad always told us when we were little that the worst thing you can do is nothing,” says Matt. “We’ve seen that implementing conservation into agriculture works. I feel like this is just going to push us along further and to new heights.”

Short Lane Ag’s mission will always remain the same, regardless of accolades or awards, no matter how prestigious they may be.

“It’s always been our mentality with our company, and even with our family,” Craig says. “If you know something has to get done, you do it right.”