Mark Mustoe, co-owner and manager of Clearwater Seed, shares the importance of good land stewardship and the possible ramifications if stewardship is forgotten.
Seed World: What are you reading?
Mark Mustoe: While I am not a big book reader, I do enjoy reading articles and stories in magazines and other periodicals regarding current events, U.S and World history and industry news.
SW: Best way to spend a Friday night?
MM: Best Friday night in the yard at the farm watching the sunset.
SW: No. 1 hobby?
MM: My favorite spring, summer and fall hobby is working in our vegetable and flowers gardens and my winter hobby is studying and writing about local history.
SW: Do you have a motto for work?
MM: Current Motto: The status quo won’t last, and it never does.
SW: How did you originally start working in the conservation/land stewardship side of seed?
MM: I was raised on a farm and ranch where land stewardship was always important. Out family since the 1950’s grew Alsike and White Dutch clover for seed and it’s nitrogen fixing ability. We started growing grasses for seed production in the 1970’s and that has taken me to Co-Ownership of Clearwater Seed where we produce, with a number of growers, some 50-plus species of grasses legumes and forbs.
SW: What’s a common misconception you hear about land conservation efforts?
MM: That it is too costly and often does not work.
SW: What should the industry know about land stewardship?
MM: Without good land stewardship, at some point, we will lose the best natural resource we have: our soil.
