Monacan Soil & Water Conservation District
Annual Report 2023-2024
Pick up a copy from our office or click on the image for an online PDF.
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The National Association of Conservation Districts
2024 Poster Contest 7-12th grade categories Theme is: "May the Forest be with you always." State winners receive recognition and a prize from the VASWCD. The 1st place poster in each category will be submitted to the National Association of Conservation Districts’ Poster Contest. The top three posters in each category of the national contest will receive monetary prizes. First-place winners will receive $200, second-place winners will receive $150 and 3rd place winners will receive $100. Monetary prizes at the national level are sponsored by the NACD Auxiliary from their quilt project and the Albert I Pierce Foundation. For more information click on the link vaswcd.org/poster-contest/ |
Read an article about:
Cover Crops
Cattle Exclusion
V.C.A.P. Fact Sheet
(scroll down for now, anchor links coming soon)
Cover Crops
Cattle Exclusion
V.C.A.P. Fact Sheet
(scroll down for now, anchor links coming soon)
Cover crops
By Ken Carter,
M.S.W.C.D. Associate Director
M.S.W.C.D. Associate Director
The use of cover crops in Virginia is at least a century old, but continues to have a vital part in modern agriculture. Basically, cover crops are usually a simple grain, grass, or clover crop planted and grown during the resting period between major cash crops harvested on the land. They provide a variety of benefits to the land and to the farmer’s annual profit. This continues to be true today, and recent agricultural research has shown far more economic and environmental benefits than previously known.
The following is a brief list of the benefits a simple cover crop can provide:
• Erosion control. This is one of the historical uses of cover crops, especially by dairy farmers in the past who, after cutting corn silage to feed their herds, had virtually a bare field. A small grain cover crop was sown in the late summer/early fall and provide a cover to prevent erosion over the winter. Cover crops for erosion control were also used by past generations where fields were idled or left fallow to “rest” for year or more as part of a rotation. Often crops such as clover were added to help enrich the soil. Various planting methods have been used for establishing cover crops such as broadcasting, disking, drilling into the previous crop stubble or other no-till or minimum tillage methods that allow for quick germination and rapid growth.
Cover crops for erosion control is having renewed interest to help control water runoff and surface erosion in low residue modern crops such as soybeans. A cover crop can be planted by broadcasting seed by helicopter or airplane while the crop is still in the field and once the soybeans are harvested the cover crop is already established.
• Nutrient Cycling. As a result of recent agricultural research dealing with nutrients and water quality, it has been found that cover crops can be a major practice to stop the loss of nutrients (primarily nitrogen) into ground and surface water. Planting a small grain cover crop (rye, wheat or other small grain) can take up nitrogen and other soil nutrients from the root zone and prevent them from being lost to ground and surface water. Species such as Abruzzi rye have shown excellent ability to scavenge soil nitrogen and make it available to the next crop grown on the site. Research has shown roots going as far as 5 feet into the subsoil to trap lost nitrogen. Another historic use of cover crop for nutrient cycling is the use of annual clovers such as crimson clover that provides erosion control overwinter yet fixes nitrogen from the air and makes it available for the next year crop. It may not make enough nitrogen available to meet all of the needs of the next crop but can provide measurable amounts. Whenever cover crops are used, soil testing and proper nutrient management should be used to account for the nutrient recycling these cover crops can provide.
• Soil health. In modern agricultural research, soil health has become a new and major area of interest in improving crop yield, nutrient and pest management, and water quality. Cover crops are a major contributor to improving soil quality in the following ways. First, they add organic matter to the soil surface and subsoil layers. Increased organic matter (soil carbon) in the soil profile leads to better aeration, soil tilth*, and improved water movement. Cover crop, as mentioned above, can send roots down 3 to 5 feet. As these roots die, they leave spaces for air and water to reach for down into the soil profile. Secondly, they can help to break up hard pan and traffic pan layers in the soil profile that have develop through years of farm machine compaction. Increased organic matter in the surface leads to better growing conditions for germinating seeds, helps warm the soil in the spring, increases water holding ability, and increases the number of earthworms found in the profile (indicator of healthy soil). Cover crops along with long term no-till cultivation have shown tremendous advantages to soil improvement, crop yields, and reductions of chemical inputs (both fertilizer and pest control chemicals). By developing a strong organic cover on the soil surface (cover crop and crop residue) research and many farmer testimonials have shown lower fertilizer need and much lower amounts of weed killer and insecticide having to be applied. This can lower input costs significantly. It may take a few years to become established, but a healthy soil situation is much more profitable and less input dependent than conventional system.
This can be especially helpful in intensive agricultural crops such as vegetables. Cover crops and green manure crops can return tremendous amount of organic matter back into the soil and aid in water management. This is especially true in organic agriculture were the selection of soil amendments is limited. Species selection in cover crop can also be beneficial to these specialty crops. The use of clovers and/or winter killed oat cover crops can provide erosion control, soil amendments, and soil health improvements without chemical inputs.
• Supplemental grazing. For farms that have cropland agriculture as well as livestock, cover crops can provide benefits to both systems. The crop fields will benefit from all of the items listed above, and the stand of vegetation can be used to provide late spring grazing when hay supplies may be limited or too costly to purchase. Turning cattle into a cover crop can provide days or weeks of early grazing in the spring. Manure from the livestock can also help the fertilizer needs of the next crop.
Cover crops, through many years of use have been and continue to be a major conservation practice that provides multiple benefits to the farm operation and to the basic soil resource.
*Soil tilth: soil suitability for crop growth.
Ken Carter has had a distinguished career as a State Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Services (N.R.C.S.). Ken Carter now volunteers as an Associate Director for M.S.W.C.D.
Cattle Exclusion
By Ken Carter,
M.S.W.C.D. Associate Director
M.S.W.C.D. Associate Director
“Why would I want to fence my cattle out of the creek? That’s their only water.” That’s a comment heard all too frequently by conservationists all across Virginia when the subject of stream exclusion comes up. The truth is, it is better for the cattle not to drink from the creek and is more profitable for the farmer not to let them drink from the creek. The solution can be accomplished by stream exclusion and the implementation of an alternative water system.
A stream exclusion system can have a number of component conservation practices that enable a producer to provide better water for livestock, reduce erosion and improve water quality. These practices also can improve herd health, serve as a means to improve grazing efficiency, and improve stream habitat.
• Benefit to the livestock – Studies have shown tremendous benefits in herd health when clean water is provided to livestock. Most streams, where livestock have traditionally watered, have high levels of suspended sediments, fecal bacteria, urine, and traces of other water borne bacteria that are ingested by the livestock. Studies in the Shenandoah Valley with dairy herds have also shown great reduction in cases of mastitis in herds that do not have access to surface streams. Drinking clean fresh water is simply better and healthier for the livestock.
• Benefits to the farmer – Farmers who implement these practices have saved money on many farm expenses and improved their profitability. First and foremost, farmer’s economic returns will improve with lower veterinarian bills, improved cow and calf health, higher weaning weights and improved weight gains through drinking clean water. In addition, a stream exclusion system can lead to the implementation of improved grazing rotations and providing alternative water sources in several fields or paddocks. A new water source (well, spring development, etc.) can often provide water to the entire grazing operation.
• Benefits to the environment – Much of the water quality improvement work being carried out in Virginia and nationwide stresses the benefits provided by the exclusion of livestock from stream and the creation of a riparian buffer along the stream. Excluding livestock reduces the amount of manure and urine that is directly deposited into the stream. It is a general understanding that someone downstream will eventually be drinking this water. In addition, excluding the livestock reduces the amount of streambank erosion and sediment that enters the stream. Planting a forested or grassed riparian buffer improves the habitat of the stream and can provide shade to the water and restore the stream to a much stronger biological community of invertebrates, fish and other aquatic animals.
• How it works - Stream exclusion is basically a system of conservation practices as mentioned above. In most cases this involves building a fence 35 to 100 feet off of the stream bank to exclude the livestock. This area between the fence and the stream becomes the riparian buffer that can be left in grass or preferably planted to trees. These are high priority practices in Virginia and financial assistance in the form of state and federal funds are available both for the installation as well as long term incentive payments for establishing these buffers. In addition, and more importantly for the farmer, these programs can provide financial assistance to cover most of the cost of a new water source. Wells are the most common, but spring developments and other sources may be utilized. Once a water source has been developed, pipe lines are then needed to run water to a series of water troughs where the livestock will now drink. This could be one trough or a series of troughs depending on need. This process can be planned out to provide for future pasture subdivisions to provide better forage and provide necessary water in each. In cases where heavy or periodic flooding occurs and stream fencing would be damaged on a regular basis, alternatives may be explored. In a number cases, flood prone pastures can be converted to unfenced hay land and the water systems and fencing is provided to other non-flood prone pasture areas.
Assistance in planning these practices is available from the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District. The staff there can assist you in signing up for the various financial assistance programs that meet the producer’s needs.
A stream exclusion system can have a number of component conservation practices that enable a producer to provide better water for livestock, reduce erosion and improve water quality. These practices also can improve herd health, serve as a means to improve grazing efficiency, and improve stream habitat.
• Benefit to the livestock – Studies have shown tremendous benefits in herd health when clean water is provided to livestock. Most streams, where livestock have traditionally watered, have high levels of suspended sediments, fecal bacteria, urine, and traces of other water borne bacteria that are ingested by the livestock. Studies in the Shenandoah Valley with dairy herds have also shown great reduction in cases of mastitis in herds that do not have access to surface streams. Drinking clean fresh water is simply better and healthier for the livestock.
• Benefits to the farmer – Farmers who implement these practices have saved money on many farm expenses and improved their profitability. First and foremost, farmer’s economic returns will improve with lower veterinarian bills, improved cow and calf health, higher weaning weights and improved weight gains through drinking clean water. In addition, a stream exclusion system can lead to the implementation of improved grazing rotations and providing alternative water sources in several fields or paddocks. A new water source (well, spring development, etc.) can often provide water to the entire grazing operation.
• Benefits to the environment – Much of the water quality improvement work being carried out in Virginia and nationwide stresses the benefits provided by the exclusion of livestock from stream and the creation of a riparian buffer along the stream. Excluding livestock reduces the amount of manure and urine that is directly deposited into the stream. It is a general understanding that someone downstream will eventually be drinking this water. In addition, excluding the livestock reduces the amount of streambank erosion and sediment that enters the stream. Planting a forested or grassed riparian buffer improves the habitat of the stream and can provide shade to the water and restore the stream to a much stronger biological community of invertebrates, fish and other aquatic animals.
• How it works - Stream exclusion is basically a system of conservation practices as mentioned above. In most cases this involves building a fence 35 to 100 feet off of the stream bank to exclude the livestock. This area between the fence and the stream becomes the riparian buffer that can be left in grass or preferably planted to trees. These are high priority practices in Virginia and financial assistance in the form of state and federal funds are available both for the installation as well as long term incentive payments for establishing these buffers. In addition, and more importantly for the farmer, these programs can provide financial assistance to cover most of the cost of a new water source. Wells are the most common, but spring developments and other sources may be utilized. Once a water source has been developed, pipe lines are then needed to run water to a series of water troughs where the livestock will now drink. This could be one trough or a series of troughs depending on need. This process can be planned out to provide for future pasture subdivisions to provide better forage and provide necessary water in each. In cases where heavy or periodic flooding occurs and stream fencing would be damaged on a regular basis, alternatives may be explored. In a number cases, flood prone pastures can be converted to unfenced hay land and the water systems and fencing is provided to other non-flood prone pasture areas.
Assistance in planning these practices is available from the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District. The staff there can assist you in signing up for the various financial assistance programs that meet the producer’s needs.
Ken Carter has had a distinguished career as a State Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Services (N.R.C.S.). Ken Carter now volunteers as an Associate Director for M.S.W.C.D.
Monacan V.C.A.P. Fact Sheet
By Betty McCracken
Conservation Specialist II & Community Education
Conservation Specialist II & Community Education
The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (V.C.A.P. , pronounced "Vee Cap") is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing Best Management Practices (B.M.P.'s) in Virginia’s participating Soil and Water Conservation Districts (S.W.C.D.). These B.M.P.'s are primarily designed to manage storm-water coming from a source on the property, such as a roof, driveway, or lawn. Sites with contributing offsite runoff can be addressed with the practices in V.C.A.P., but may require more extensive planning and engineering. Sites are to have an identifiable water quality issue or resource concern. Practices are designed to capture, treat or reduce storm-water runoff.
*Addresses erosion, poor vegetation, or excess runoff.
*Practices designed for 1-inch rainfall event and up to 2,500 square feet drainage area.
*Reimbursable up to 80% of the total actual cost, after completion invoices have been
submitted.
*Minimum ranking score of 65 for consideration of approval.
*Contractors must bid and install a practice according to its specifications. Staff
will hold a pre-construction meeting with the owner and installer. It is the
applicant’s responsibility to share the specs with contractors.
*Approval required before installation.
*Contract length is 10 years and owner responsible for maintenance.
*Sites less than 1 year old and major flooding issues are ineligible.
*Practices are transferable.
*Approved practices during a given calendar year must be completed by June 1st of the
following calendar year.
