Tenant accepts banker award on behalf of landowner
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
Randy Svitak's son, Shane, will be accepting a 2003 Banker Award for Richard Stika Saturday at the annual Marion County Conservation District banquet. The award is sponsored by Marion County Bankers Association and Kansas Bankers Association.
Stika lives in Lakewood, Colo., and has relied on Svitak and another tenant, Don Meysing, to help him keep the family farm productive.
Svitak had been a tenant farmer for Charles and Mary Stika of Lincolnville for several years when he suggested the need for conservation practices to preserve the land.
He said he was concerned about soil erosion that was occurring at several places.
Charles had died in 1995. Richard, the oldest son, picked up on the suggestion and received his mother's consent to initiate a long-term plan.
Stika worked with Marion County Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Services to develop plans and arrange contracts. He also made arrangements with his tenants as to the most appropriate time for the work to be done on each piece of ground.
"It was a package deal, encompassing the entire 420-acre farm," Svitak said.
By the time Stika's mother died in 2002, most of the work had been completed.
The land was divided among the four children. Conservation work on the final 80 acres was completed last fall.
Altogether, 36,344 feet of terraces were installed, including parallel tile, parallel gradient, and regular gradient terraces. The tile system required installation of 224 feet of drainage pipe. More than 21 acres of waterways also were established.
Stika is receiving the banker award for the 80 acres of ground he owns. Improvements on his property include 4.5 acres of waterways and 8,678 feet of terraces.
Svitak and his two sons, Shane and Damien, have a joint farming and haying operation. They are in the process of establishing conservation practices on many additional acres.
"We'll be doing this for a long time," he said.
Stika said he was not sure why he got the award.
"Maybe it's because it's been a process that started in 1997 and was carried through," he said. "The fact this was something my mother initiated and I was able to finish gives me a good feeling and I appreciate this award."
