Some might say that Doyle Derrick's vision for his Doniphan County land is "nuts" and it is - walnuts. "Trees are ideal," says Doyle, "and Doniphan County has some of the best soil for growing them." Doyle actively manages 2,700 acres of farmland in Doniphan and Brown Counties in northeast Kansas, approximately 40 miles from Kansas City. The remarkable item to note is that Doyle Derrick turned 95 years old this year.

Since 1970, Doyle has planted over 100,000 black walnut trees on over 200 acres, and he does not appear to be slowing down.

In 2003, Doyle planted 93 acres of Riparian Buffers, including approximately 20,000 black walnut trees, in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). He started by hand-planting a row of black walnuts along the top edge of a field bordering Wolf River. Bare-root seedlings purchased from the Kansas Forest Service at Kansas State University, along with thousands of locally grown walnuts nurtured and transplanted by Doyle, were part of this project. In 2004, he planted another 53 acres of Riparian Buffers, which included another approximately 8,000 walnut trees.

The Riparian Buffers are adjacent to streams and provide numerous water quality benefits by removing nutrients, sediment, organic matter, pesticides, and other pollutants from surface runoff; thereby reducing pollution and protecting surface and subsurface water quality while enhancing the ecosystem of the water body. The landowner also enjoys the many varieties of wildlife that find habitat in his forest.

Doyle has a total of 217.6 acres enrolled on seven contracts under the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP). Many of these contracts are 15 year contracts, including 192.6 acres of Riparian Buffers in Doniphan County, and 25.0 acres of Hardwood Tree Plantings in Brown County. Ninety-nine acres are located in the Wolf River Watershed and are also under contract with the Kansas Water Quality Buffer Initiative Program.

Doyle works with not only FSA, but other Federal and State government partners and private environmental organizations that make CRP successful in Kansas. And to help with these projects, Doyle has hired some high school students and borrowed a small tree planter from the Kansas Forest Service. Doyle's' son-in-law, Bill Miller, also helps him with the trees.

In 2004, Doyle was recognized as Tree Farmer of the Year by the American Tree Farm System. He also received the award in 1991. Doyle was recognized in 1992 by the Kansas Wildlife Federation as Forest Conservationist of the Year. In 1994, he received the State Forest Stewardship Landowner of the Year award and, in 2003, the Kansas Banker's award for his riparian forest buffer plantings. In 2004, Doyle hosted the Kansas Forestry Fall Field Day on his property. And Doyle's walnut tree plantings were featured in the December 2004 edition of the National Association of Conservation Districts Buffer Notes newsletter.

Doyle's roots were as a farmer, he grew up in Kansas. But the Depression era took Doyle to Alaska, where he spent more than 40 years mining gold, fishing for salmon, and working on the pipeline. When he decided to retire to warm Arizona, Doyle found that kind of living didn't suit him, so he moved back to Kansas in the late 1970's and began buying land to plant trees. Doyle also grows corn and soybeans, but fancies his walnut trees as much as anything else.

Doyle Derrick enjoys his accomplishments. Doniphan County, KS.

Doyle Derrick walks through his walnut tree plantings.

Doyle Derrick stands out in his walnut trees.

Doyle Derrick, Doniphan County, Kansas, Farmer.

Doyle Derrick's walnut tree plantings.