Conservation on privately owned working land is usually accomplished one field at a time. NRCS employees and programs help landowners solve conservation problems. In most cases, the benefits of installing a conservation practice extend beyond the individual farmer. The following “success stories” highlight the conservation efforts of a few West Virginia landowners.
In an effort to improve air quality and to better cycle nutrients, Hardy County poultry producer Tom VanMeter is planting tall grass windbreaks near two of his poultry house exhaust fans. The windbreaks or `hedgerow plantings’ of mature switchgrass were transplanted from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Appalachian Plant Materials Center in Alderson, West Virginia, to the site in an effort to transfer this conservation technology. These warm season grasses reach a height of 6 feet and will form a living screen that will help retain nutrients associated with the poultry operation.
During the past decade, the Preston and Monongalia County Commission, the Monongahela Conservation District, the State Conservation Committee, the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation, the Division of Natural Resources, and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have cooperated to develop and implement a plan to decrease the impact of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) on scenic Deckers Creek.
Upon first meeting Joshua Frye, a farmer from Wardensville, WV, you will quickly notice there is something different about him. Josh represents a new generation of producers; a generation bent on uncovering every bit of knowledge that may give them “an edge” on production. This new age of farmers not only value the acquisition of knowledge but are likewise concerned with educating the public about their efforts to contribute to a healthier environment.
