Farmers: ââ¬ËDon't miss this opportunity' by james jacenich • staff writer
MONTEREY - Due to a looming deadline, farmers may take advantage of conservation programs recently funded by the state. After years of languishing efforts and a lack of dollars to protect water resources, some improved opportunities have opened up for those in the agricultural industry.
"We've had better management practices for 20 years," but there hasn't always been the money to fund them, says Chris Swecker.
Swecker is a conservation specialist at Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District; his office provides resources and information to farmers on how to improve profits while preserving farmland.
It's all about conservation, he says, and while previous programs left farmers spending more than they saved, this year might be different.
The state has $14 million for agricultural cost-sharing programs. That's up from $10 million the year before and it looks like there will be another $14 million next year.
With so many unfunded mandates handed down from the state and federal governments in recent years, this appears to be one with some dollars behind it. The programs involve cost-sharing between farmers and the government, but the benefits can be accrued in things like improved livestock value and using less expensive fertilizers.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation statistics indicate thousands of pounds of top soil per acre are lost each year. Less topsoil results in less grass to feed livestock, less soil to grow corn, more money spent on soil enhancement, and less money going to the family farmer's bank account.
But farmers are, by nature, skeptical of deals that seem to be too good to be true. Blue Grass Valley farmer Jim Cobb said the incentive programs can work, but he has some reservations. Cobb tried to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, for example, but found the regulations governing the program too restrictive. He said the agents he worked with were unable to compromise on fencing. He already had a fence in place which met the requirements and wanted to be reimbursed for a cattle guard (the program reimburses for up to 50 percent of the cost of fencing). The program representative was unable to negotiate, so the deal fell through. Another problem is that land conserved by CREP can't be used for farming, so a farmer has to be willing to sacrifice some land, losing potential revenue from grazing the land, Cobb said.
A new marketing campaign, targeted at farmers in the Shenandoah Valley region, is alerting farmers to the programs out there with money to put them into action. "He's of a mind to make a profit and he's of a mind to protect the land," says one advertisement.
Programs targeted at pasture and water quality improvement will save farmers money in the long run, said Joseph Maroon, director of DCR. It's all voluntary, but it's a partnership between farmers and the government that benefits everyone, he added. "It's not just a Chesapeake Bay issue," said Maroon. "It's also a local water issue. Help keep rivers in good condition and you are doing local water preventive maintenance. It's more about improvement."
For those concerned about clean water in Virginia, the state of the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and the southern rivers, conserving soil is essential. But Maroon said it's more than a regional issue - soil conservation should be a local issue as well. Local water may be good now, but what about in the future? Conservation now will prevent water problems later, he said.
Baldwin said there is a push to meet a bay clean-up goal in 2010. Only a few years away, the seven-year-old agreement between Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania is falling behind in meeting its goals.Virginia legislators have now upped the ante, putting more money into the program and supporting farmers who can make a difference.
Non-point discharge refers to runoff from farmland and backyards, through storm drains and into rivers. Runoff contains toxins, nutrients, sediments and pathogens that concentrate downstream and change the state's rivers and the Chesapeake Bay in ways that are harmful to native wildlife and to people who rely on the water for drinking, recreation and agriculture.
"The intent of the ad campaign is to reinvigorate interest in cost sharing programs," Maroon said. Farmers may not be aware there are a full range of available practices. Fluctuations in funding put people off in the past, but now there is more money and the funding stream more stable.
"In the past there wasn't enough money available, but now we will have $14 million this year and $14 million next year," he said.
Maroon said the department conducted a market research study with 80 farmers and found that farmers complained they were putting out more than they took in from the programs. They also complained about the paperwork burden. "We recognize that farmers are good conservationists," said Maroon. "But they are also focused on the bottom line."
Maroon acknowledges the problems, but he hopes farmers will give DCR a chance to make it work this time. Farmers need good water. If water is good now, common sense conservation will help ensure water is good in the future, he said. "Thirty to 40 percent of all farm land is using conservation practices," he said. "But the goal by 2010 is to have 90 percent participation to further reduce runoff."
Conservation isn't only the responsibility of farmers, Maroon said. DEQ is looking at sewer treatment plants, and homeowners should be concerned about runoff from yards.
Farmers have 40-50 practices to choose from that fall under five broad categories:
n Plan for managing fertilizer
n Stabilize highly erodible land
n Grow year-round cover crops
n Install streamside buffers, and
n Fence streams and provide alternative water sources.
The cost of the programs is shared - roughly 75 percent by the state and 25 percent by the landowner.
But there are additional benefits to landowners. They might see savings in fertilizer uses, he said. "Excluding animals from a stream costs substantial money. But the herd will be healthier because the water they will drink is better. There are fewer hoof disease problems, and fewer veterinary visits, says Maroon.
The 2010 deadline for improving water quality is part of the Chesapeake 2000 agreement in which Virginia, along with Maryland and Pennsylvania, pledged to permanently protect 20 percent of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by that year.
Gov. Tim Kaine said last year, "The other states that made the same promise … have already met that goal. Virginia still has 358,000 acres to go … In the last five years, we've protected an average of 54,000 acres per year statewide, counting both private and public efforts. We need to protect about 72,000 acres per year, just in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, in order to meet the goal.
Gary Waugh, public relations manager for the DCR, said the government is asking for a comprehensive report, and the Kaine administration has provided the money to pay for it.
"Local SWCDs provide a great deal of expertise and hands-on experience," Maroon said. "They are vital to the success of this program."
Waugh said, "Let farmers know that local experts are right in their back yards. They will come out to the farm and (work) with the farmers."
"Don't miss this opportunity," Maroon added.
For more information call the Mountain SWCD at (540) 839-4616 or go to the DCR Web site at: www.dcr.virginia.gov.
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