Burlin Findley

Jay, Florida

Blackwater Soil and Water Conservation District

Burlin Findley and his wife Ann have been married 43 years.  Together, they have a daughter, Kelly, a son, Levi, and four grandchildren. Findley started farming in 1972 with Findley Farm and now, he and his son’s operation is called Wild Boar Farms. Findley and his son Levi farm 260 acres of land that have been in the family over 90 years, as well as lease 350 acres of crop land and 900 acres of woodland for hunting. Over the past 20 years, Findley has been serving on the board of the Blackwater Soil and Water Conservation District, and currently, he holds the position of Vice President. He is also the Past President of the Association of Florida Conservation Districts, serving his term as President in 2017 – 2018. Findley also serves as the Vice President of Three Rivers RC&D located in Santa Rosa County, Florida.

Soil Health Practices:

Findley farms cotton, peanuts, corn and wheat-oats for cover crops. He uses no till, strip till, and precision farming in our tillage, spraying and fertilizer applications. In the last few years, Findley has incorporated clover into his cover crops as well as a cover mix of ten different seeds for cool season mix. He started 20 years ago with a ripper-leveler and no till and then added to the operation as he learned more about different concepts. His main concern was in the spring with wind erosion where dust became a problem for the entire community. And with an average of 60 inches of rain per year, water erosion was also a problem.

With each new practice he has to learn how tillage, planting and harvests will work. Most of his endeavors have showed great benefit, but it has been a learning experience.

Challenges:

With invasive plants getting worse in his area, Findley is afraid that some operators might drift away from soil health practices to combat invasive species. As for Findley’s operation, he continues to research and try out cover crop combinations that increase the soil health and profitability on our land.

Updated November 2020