Farm Description
The Paul and Diane Dicke farm is located 14 miles north and 2 miles east of Columbus, Nebraska. It was established in 1976 when Paul and Diane were married and move to this 160-acre farm that Paul’s father had purchased in 1963. Since then Paul and Diane have purchased 430 additional acres that either adjoin or are within 2 miles of the original 160 acres. They also rent 70 acres of cropland from Paul’s brother. This land is part of the farm that Paul was born and raised on.
The total operation covers 660 acres. Paul and Diane raise about 300 acres of high yield corn which is fed to the hogs. They have 200 acres of soybeans and 25 acres of oats, which is used for oat hay. All fields are fertilized on a five year rotation using the hog manure from the 5500 hogs they raise every year. The balance of the land is pasture, trees and the farmstead.
The Dicke’s have raised a family on their farm. Nathan was deceased at age 14 in 1993; Waylan is 19 and a student at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska; and Karissa is 4 and in preschool at Christ Lutheran School. About 95% of the labor on the farm is supplied by family members.
Environmental Policy
The Dicke Farm and Ranch tries to grow the healthiest and most nutritious pork possible.
We believe that the environment has to be protected not only for our benefit but also for the benefit of generations to come. We intend to comply with all environmental regulations and strive to improve on our environmental performance. By polluting less we will be producing a more consumer friendly product.
The significant environmental aspects of the farm are the use of electricity and fossil fuels.
2002 is our first year in the IERE program, so we have no report on previous environmental goals.
The Dicke Farm is subject to noxious weed and Nebraska land application regulations. To the best of our knowledge, we are in compliance with these.
Paul Dicke
14817 415 St.
Creston, NE 68631
402-285-0376