Minority
Landowner
Magazine

Rupert Burrows
Kingstree, South Carolina

Rupert Burrows, a native of Kingstree, South Carolina, grew up on a family farm but decided to begin farming on his own in 1998. He attended North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University where he studied agronomy and plant science, which grew his interest in soils and soil health, changing his perspective and the way he farmed. He began to seek a better way to increase crop production without increasing inputs.

On Burrows’ farm, BCR Farms, LLC, his rotation of corn, soybeans and wheat were ideal for venturing into planting cover crops. After converting his farm from conventional tillage to strip/no-till tillage, he began to experiment with rye as a cover crop. In 2014, Rupert began participating in the soil health initiative project headed by Research Associate Professor, Buz Kloot from the University of South Carolina, to study the benefits of his conservation practices, with the addition of cover crops and conservation tillage.

Burrows has worked closely with NRCS to implement conservation practices on his operation through both the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Several practices installed include: no-till on cropland, multiple species cover crops, nitrogen management and wildlife habitat enhancement.

Burrows is a great promoter of soil health and the benefits of cover crops, and he often shares his experiences with other farmers at workshops and field days. He currently serves as an associate commissioner at the Williamsburg Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and was awarded the L. Claude McClary Conservation Achievement Award in 2017.

Selected by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – South Carolina
Sabrenna Bryant

Sam Cobb
Blythe, California

From the age of three years old, Sam Cobb of Sam Cobb Farms envisioned himself as a farmer. Cobb’s grandfather farmed 240 acres in Mississippi, and every since seeing his dad’s tractor in the front yard, Cobb said, “Farming has been a pleasant recurring dream in my life. It just never left me.” Cobb, who started farming four different times in 1982, 1989, 1998 and in 2002, defines perseverance.

Cobb holds two degrees in agriculture: an Associate Degree in Agronomy from Reedley College and a Bachelor Degree in Ag Education from Fresno State. He is the only African-American date farmer in the United States.

Cobb Farms has seen many economic and partnership trials, which Sam ultimately overcame by making the hard decision to use sales of the family home to start again. He has also used the NRCS conservation programs to overcome water conservation and erosion issues, and he will soon tackle air quality.

Since selling the family home to purchase 5-acres, which he planted with dates in 2002, Cobb has expanded his operation to 11 acres of seven varieties to include his very own variety 'black gold dates.' Cobb continues to develop the farm one parcel at a time and looks to engage additional conservation practices.

Selected by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Victor M. Hernandez

Margarita Munoz
Perkins, Oklahoma

Margarita was born in 1938 in Michoacan, Mexico, where her family farmed as a means of survival. She came to the United States in 1957, first living in California. Here, she picked cotton and grapes for 14 years. She then went on to work at Foster Farms Poultry for another seven years. Her proudest moment came when she achieved her goal of becoming a US Citizen in April of 1982 after she arrived in Oklahoma in 1977 and worked for Swans, Barta Dairy, Mercury Marine for 15 years and Vassar Equipment for 12 years. In 1994 she paid cash for her first 120 acres and started with 20 head of Brangus cows. Her successfully managing to raise a family, work full-time and run a thriving and growing land and cattle business is the reason she is being nominated.

Margarita now owns over 800 acres of land and over 200 head of Angus cows. Margarita has done a superior job of taking conservation practices and making them work for the land and her cattle operation. Grass planting, erosion control with the use of grade stabilization structures, fencing off a riparian area to ensure good quality water and an aggressive rotational grazing system are just a few practices she has implemented.

Margarita and her son, Eddie Ware, who helps on the farm as well as works full-time with the City of Stillwater, his wife, Teresa, who works full-time at Payne County Bank, two wonderful grandchildren, Sara and Jared, all play a role in managing the farm. In her words, she is "really proud of those kids." She encourages her children, grandchildren and anyone who will listen to her to save every penny, and tells them the most important thing in life is "to try.”

Margarita is and should be an inspiration to anyone, but she should especially be an encouraging figure to young girls and women. She takes great pride in her heritage and becoming a US citizen, but most of all, she is proud of the hard work and determination that allowed her to become the shining example that she is to everyone who meets her.

Selected by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service – Oklahoma
Gilbert Guerrero

Magazine

Events

Resources

Services

News & Deadlines

Latino Producers Explore Sustainable Practices in Missouri

The Power of Data: Improving the Management of Rangeland Ecosystems

Virginia Cooperative Extension Events

AgriTrek/SciTrek and AgDiscovery Summer Programs for High School Students