From Dreams to Reality – Their Ancestors Dreams

By: Jennifer M. Griffin, Urban Conservationist (A4)

Francis Flowers & Herbs Farm, LLC Lexington, MS Meet Earcine and Mark Evans, founders of Francis Flowers & Herbs Farm, LLC. They inherited their farm from Earcine's grandmother, Ms. Francis, an Herbalist and Midwife in the Mississippi Delta. Mark and Earcine moved home to honor her legacy, grow healthy foods, create products with integrity that heal the Earth and our bodies, as well as educate and elevate farmers on two continents.

Through the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) along with the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the Evans were eligible to receive technical and financial assistance to improve their farming operation. The Evans have been Farming in Holmes County more than 20 years. They have utilized NRCS Cost Share Programs totaling up to $47,000.00 Practices ranging from Conservation Crop Rotation (328), Nutrient Management (590), Cover Crop (340), Mulching (484), Pest Management Conservation System (595), Pollinator Habitat Plan (146), High Tunnel Systems (325) and Conservation Plan Supporting Organic Transition (138), Irrigation Water Management (449) and Diversions (362) to help mitigate erosion on their property.

Through the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) the Evans were able to implement the following enhancements to improve their farming operation: Resource Conserving Crop Rotation (E328A), Reduced Tillage to reduce energy use (E345E), Improving nutrient uptake efficiency and reducing risk of nutrient losses (E590A), Reduce risk of pesticides in surface water by utilizing precision pesticide application techniques (E595A).

The Evans worked with Harrison Wilkes, NRCS District Conservationist and Tobias Bruce, NRCS Soil Conservationist. Earcine and Mark are very pleased with the conservation assistance they have received from NRCS and highly recommend the agency to their fellow farmers: "Thankful, NRCS has helped us tremendously.

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