Elk Ridge Game Farms is happy to be a part of Celebrating CRP's 20th Anniversary. Dennis and Terri Courtad started their farming enterprise in 1981. The Courtads have been involved in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) within Crawford County, Ohio, since 1988.

Dennis put his B.S. Degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from the Ohio State University to good use on their farm. They have a 270 acre family farm with about 68 acres being cropped to corn and soybeans and about 87 acres enrolled in CRP. Dennis also raises about 80,000 pheasants a year on his farm that he sells around the country as chicks and adult birds.

The Courtads are involved in several fundraisers throughout the year to benefit youth groups and non-profit habitat groups in the area. Elk Ridge Game Farms also sponsors a special family youth day each year which is free to the youth. Dennis and Terri rally all the groups that use their facilities throughout the year to volunteer their time and teach about the outdoors, hunting, camping, bird dressing, cooking, and other events.

Safety is a major focus and Dennis said, "It's a nice change for young people to move from the computer and indoor activities, to step out and enter a new and different world." Dennis is happy to be a part of an activity on his farm that promotes outdoor functions for youth that may not otherwise have an opportunity to do this sort of thing. He especially enjoys the letters of appreciation that he gets each year from this special day.

The Courtads have had land enrolled in CRP since 1988.

About one-third of their 270-acre farm is devoted to CRP cover.

The Courtads also raise pheasant chick which they sell nationwide.