Success Stories

Stanton Farms

Mark Stanton, from Stanton Farms is very pleased with the results he is experiencing through the use of Nutrient Management practice. Mark said, "the practice has helped us to learn how to use manure." Mark went on to say that he has seen a measurable difference in the amount of fertilizer purchased, and that this year, all things being considered that it is a wet year, that his operation has not utilized all the dollars that were allocated for fertilizer.

Pest management is another practice that the Stanton Farms rely on. The incentive dollars provided by the Environmental Quality Incentives program helps pay for the scouting services provided by Albany County Cooperative Extension. Mark said, "this program makes it possible to watch different crop varieties." Varieties that really work for them, that yield will and provide resistance to disease or pests can be identified and used in future cropping plans.

As a result of the EQIP program, Mark said, "overall our rotations are shorter, that works for us, we are getting better yields, lower input costs in growing a crop, and less weed pressure."

Author: Mark Franze (518) 765-2326

Nichols Family

Overview

In FY 2000, New York received $26,500 in FIP funding. Contracts were developed with 31 forest landowners who overwhelmingly selected FP-2 (timber stand improvement) as the needed practice.

Accomplishments

FIP resulted in forest improvement on 376.4 acres in 13 counties during FY 2000. Tree planting and site preparation for natural regeneration practices were employed by three landowners.

David and Elizabeth Nichols of Argyle, New York, have been practicing good stewardship on their property since they purchased 155 acres of land in 1989. In their first year of ownership, they built a pond, and worked with the local New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) forester, to develop a forest management plan.

What had started out as a few recreational hours in the woods cutting firewood during summer vacations evolved into a year-round family affair. Since 1998, recreational trails, wildlife habitat enhancement, small selective thinning, a Christmas tree plantation (for family use), and wildlife feeding areas have been established.

In 1998, the Nichols purchased a contiguous 50 acre parcel of woodland. In 1999, the Nichols family tackled their most aggressive project, ten acres of Timber Stand improvement. The tree thinning was completed with the assistance from the Forestry Incentives Program, administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The NYSDEC assisted by marking trees to be culled, reducing competition for more desirable species. The Nichols had decided that enhancing their woodlot to produce high quality veneer logs would be a primary objective of their forest management plan. After spending numerous hours toiling in the woods, the Nichols have come to the realization that, their land, with the trees, is a long-term financial asset, and should be managed as an investment portfolio. The investments in forest management practices (using sweat quality) today, will will pay large dividends in the future.

The Nichols have gained vast experience and request for the environment during the past 11 years. They are now leaders in the local chapter of the New York Forest Owners Association, and the New York Tree Farm Association.

Author: Scott Fitscher (518) 692-9940

Timothy Fessenden 

Heavy summer rains have convinced Cayuga County dairy farmer Timothy Fessenden, a EQIP participant, that a recently installed cropland terrace, underground outlet and a diversion ditch, in combination with field strips, are conservation practices that work. Before the installation of this resource management system, this particular field had a series of gullies that were removing valuable topsoil from the field after every rainfall.

Now that the system is in place, Tim says that the gullies are gone, the field is more efficient to work and that it was a cost effective installation. In fact, he would not hesitate from doing it again if there was another field on his farm that needed this type of treatment.

 Author: Robert Ingham (315) 252-5832

Charles Truman Jr.

Charles inherited the family farm from his father in 1998, and also inherited his sense of stewardship of the land. The farm consists of 654 acres of which 400 is woodland.

Charles Sr. committed the woodland into Section 480-a of the New York State Real Property Tax Law years ago, and Charles Jr. has continued with this program. He works with consulting forester Robert Moore of Forestate in Waverly, NY to implement his forestry practices.

Charles Jr. has completed 110 acres of timber stand improvement of which 31 acres has been done with assistance from the NRCS Forestry Incentives Program. He has also done a 50 acre managed harvest of hardwood and softwood.

The dairy farm and cropland are leased to a farmer who has a 1997 EQIP contract (initiated by Charles Jr.) which has done various barnyard improvement projects, with more scheduled, and has a Food Security Act plan implemented on highly erodible cropland.

Charles Jr. is very enthused about the conservation programs he has, and will continue to participate in these programs. He is also very appreciative of the assistance the NRCS and other partners have provided him. This is a third generation farm, and Charles's goal is to maintain its productive viability while preserving and enhancing its natural resources.

Author: Maurice Hinchey (26th Congressional District)

Rodney Aldrich

Trade Winds Farm owned and operated by Rodney Aldrich has been selected for the Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District's Farmer of the Year Award. Rodney and his wife Janet purchased the 225 acre Town of Oxford dairy from his father Elmer in 1994. Since then Rodney has carried on the same stewardship tradition as his father had done since his purchase of the farm in 1960.

The farm, located five miles south of the Village of Oxford on Chenango County Route 32, is a combination of river bottom and upland fields, all of which have been converted to rotational grazing. Rodney's forty-five cow milking herd of Jerseys, Holsteins, and Shorthorn was one of the first in the county to adopt grazing with the assistance of USDA's Grazing Land Conservation Initiative planners. In fact the young stock, including calves, are full participants in the seventy-five acre grazing system. Milking has become more efficient with the conversion of the barn from a pipeline system to a flat barn milking parlor. And recently Rodney has opted to go to seasonal milking from March through December.

In 1997 Rodney applied for funding under the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) to make improvements to the farm to eliminate any agricultural pollution problems. Because of the farm's proximity to the Chenango River funds were allocated for practices to treat milk house waste, barnyard runoff, and manure spreading. Under EQIP a concrete barnyard with temporary manure store, a milk house waste filter field, and a comprehensive nutrient management plan for fertilizer and manure application have been implemented. Spin-offs from the project have been more efficient management, improved herd health, and improved esthetics.

In the jargon of natural resource management planners, the Aldrich farm is referred to as a completed "resource management system". This means that all components of the farm that are potential sources of agriculture pollution have been eliminated. Although not the largest farm in Chenango County, Trade Winds Farm has been and continues be innovative and an outstanding example of soil and water stewardship.

Grazing Land Conservation Initiative (GLCI)

Overview

A $70,750.00 grant was secured through the New York Environmental Protection Fund for the purposes of installing prescribed grazing and associated Best Management Practices within the New York portion of the Chemung River Basin.

Sponsored by the Chemung and Steuben Soil & Water Conservation Districts and administered by the Sullivan Trail RC&D Council, this project has benefited 10 various livestock operations within the River Basin. These farms contributed an additional $30,291.00 of cash and in-kind services toward the project.

Local NRCS staff David Dupont, Al Horwath, and Tom Lasater as well as Steuben County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) provided technical assistance in planning and installing the grazing systems and associated BMPs. A number of these farms have served as demonstrations during pasture walks/field days for other livestock producers to witness first hand the benefits of prescribed grazing.

The participating producers were:

What was the benefit to the conservation of our natural resources?

Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D)

Wood Products Industry Development

Overview

The Finger Lakes Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council with the assistance of a $20,000.00 grant from the U.S. Forest Service's "Rural Development Through Forestry" Program has helped 15 wood products companies from throughout New York State with marketing their respective products via the Internet.

The project has also included the updating of the "Allegany Highland Forest Industry Directory" which provides a listing of more than 325 wood products companies, located across New York's Southern Tier.

The grant allowed the Council to hire a consulting firm, Resource Consulting of Wellsville, New York, to design and manage the New York Woods Web page, update the Allegheny Highland Directory, and assist the 15 companies with the development of new Web pages, domain accounts, or spotlighting their respective products.

Participating Companies include:

What was the benefit to the conservation of our natural resources? This Project has been targeted to developing or maintaining technical assistance to companies interested in sustainable, forest based activities in New York. The "World Wide Web Project" is aimed at business retention, expansion, and/or creation as well as improving wood product companies marketing strategies.

Author: Richard Winnett (All of New York State)
Congressional District: 31; Congressional Name: Amory Houghton, Jr.
 

Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D)

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning and Certification

Overview

Funding made available through the New York State Environmental Protection Fund has resulted in the completion and certification of ten Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP) within the Seneca Lake Watershed.

This cooperative effort has involved Cornell Cooperative extension's Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team, CCE's Finger Lakes Grape Specialist, NRCS, the Seneca County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), and the Sullivan Trail Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council.

The $65,880.00 grant, sponsored by Seneca County SWCD and administered by the Sullivan Trail RC&D Council, resulted in four vineyards and six livestock operations having CNMPs completed on their farms.

The funding partially reimbursed the grape specialist, Tim Martinson, and the CCE NWNY Team consisting of Beth Claypoole, Nate Herendeen, Martha Wright, and John Hancher for their services in preparing the plans. Technical assistance was provided by NRCS employees Neil LeRoux, Al McGuffie, and Dave Pinkney.

Fred Gaffney, NRCS State Agronomist, reviewed the plans for completeness and approved them as complying with CNMP standards. Dick Winnett provided administrative coordination of the project while interacting with Cornell Cooperative Extension, Seneca County SWCD, Fred Gaffney, and the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee.

Participating farms included:  

What was the benefit to the conservation of our natural resources? This project resulted in the successful completion and approval of ten CNMPs covering more than 2500 acres within the Seneca Lake Watershed. Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning is a new process that the agricultural community (both public and private) must face. This cooperative effort demonstrated the importance of different agencies collaborating together for the common good of addressing an enormous undertaking, which faces agriculture.

Author: Richard Winnett (Ontario, Seneca, Schuyler, and Yates Counties)
Congressional Districts: 27 and 31; Congressional Names: Thomas Reynolds and Amory Houghton, Jr.

French Creek (Chautauqua County, New York)

French Creek, with headwaters in Chautauqua County, New York, is the most biologically diverse aquatic system in the Northeastern United States. A unique partnership has developed between local farmers, The Nature Conservancy, and agricultural agencies that seeks to protect water quality in French Creek while maintaining agricultural and forest productivity. The partnership is led by the French Creek Watershed Management Group.

The French Creek Product Brochure is a product of the partnership. It is being used as an educational tool to develop an enhanced appreciation for the watershed and the work of the Watershed Management Group.

This document requires Adobe Reader.

French Creek Project Brochure (PDF; 182 KB)
 

Contact Information

If you encounter any problems with files provided on this page, have questions, suggestions, or find a broken link, please contact Gary Vandawalker at 315-477-6546.

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