Conservation on the Ground –
Furgerson Family Farm in DeKalb County Incorporates
Conservation by Cecil Gant, Sand Mountain Water Quality Coordinator,
DeKalb County, Alabama
Not only is Randall Furgerson steadily upgrading
his investment and involvement in farming, he is
also improving the quality of his operations.
“Ours is a family business,” Furgerson said.
Randall’s son, Joey, helps with the beef cattle
enterprise and his wife Freda runs the poultry
houses.
Starting in 1986, the Furgersons now operate
three poultry houses in which broilers are grown
for Gold Kist. Also in 1986, Randall purchased
beef cows from his dad and since that time, the
Furgersons have built two purebred cattle herds—
one of Horned Herefords and one of the Charolais
breed. The breeding stock numbers 45 head. The
Furgersons produce market beef from a
commercial herd with 50 head.
This Sylvania, AL, family recently purchased a
60-acre tract of land with pasture and timber to combi
Besides the land they own, the Furgersons lease 150
expanding their beef production.
Working closely with the DeKalb County Soil and Wat
technician James Huber and Walker Williams, former
Resources Conservation Service in DeKalb County, t
cost-share project through which funds are made ava
with on-the-ground conservation practices that lessen
The first conservation/water quality improvement prac
dry-stack/composter to store litter and dispose of dea
two years, approximately 150 acres have been cross-
concrete pad has been installed to complement the ca
for pursuing conservation improvements came from h
Program sponsored by Auburn University.
A watering trough, complete with a
concrete pad is one of the lastest
conservation/water quality
improvement projects of Randall
Furgerson. The trough will facilitate
the availability of fresh and clean
drinking water to cattle on the
Furgerson farm. Also, water will be
accessible from several pastures.
ne with the 60 acres they already owned.
acres of pasture in anticipat