Summer 2010 Tradewinds, Talbot Soil Conservaton District Newsletter

8/3/2019 Summer 2010 Tradewinds, Talbot Soil Conservaton District Newsletter

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$15 MILLION AVAILABLE IN COST-SHARE FUNDS TOMARYLAND FARMERS

COVER CROP SIGN-UP RUNS JUNE 21JULY 15

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overnor Martin OMalley has earmarkedapproximately $15 million for Mary-lands 2010-2011 Winter Cover CropProgram, which provides grants to

farmers who plant cover crops this fall to con-serve nutrients, reduce soil erosion and protectwater quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tribu-taries. Enrollment forthe statewide programtakes place from June21 through July 15,2010 at soil conserva-tion district offices.

Marylands Cover CropProgram is one strategyin an arsenal of toolsweve employed toaccelerate Bay restora-tion. They are amongthe most effective andefficient ways to cutdown on storm water runoff from our farms, said Governor OMalley. Providing farmers withthe investments they need to plant cover crops iscrucial to the success of our ongoing Bay cleanupeffort.

Farmers enrolled in the Maryland Cover CropProgram may plant traditional cover crops at abase rate of $40/acre and receive up to $55/acrein add-on incentive payments for using highlyvalued planting practices. Traditional cover crops

may not be harvested, but can be grazed orchopped for livestock forage for on-farm useafter becoming well established.

Farmers who choose to harvest their cover cropsreceive $25/acre with a bonus payment of $10/acre for planting rye. Farmers may fill out oneapplication to enroll in both program options.This year, there are no enrollment caps for eitherprogram option.

Again this year, farmers may choose from a listof cover crop contractors who can help them

meet planting deadlines during the busy harvest sea-son. Farmers may wait until spring to decide whichfields to retain for harvest, said Maryland AgricultureSecretary Earl F. Hance.

Cover crops are cereal grains and winter annual bras-sicas (plants in the cabbage family) that are planted

to take up nutrients that re-main in the soil following pro-duction of corn, soybeans,sorghum, tobacco or vegeta-bles. Barley, canola, rape-seed, kale, rye, rygrass, springoats, triticale and wheatplanted in the fall of 2010 are

eligible. Special incentivesare available to farmers whoplant rye. Farmers may useseed they have saved. Allseed used is required tomeet Maryland Seed Lawand Regulatory Standardsand have a minimum germi-

nation rate of 80 percent.

MDAs 2010-2011 Cover Crop Program is administeredby the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share(MACS) Program and funded by the 2010 ChesapeakeBay Trust Fund and the Chesapeake Bay RestorationFund. Applicants must be in good standing withMACS to participate and must be in compliance withthe Nutrient Management Program. Farmers shouldvisit their local soil conservation district office to enroll

during the June 21 July 15, 2010 enrollment period.When fully implemented, the full suite of 2-Year Mile-stones will preventing an additional 3.75 millionpounds of nitrogen and 201,000 pounds of phospho-rus from reaching waterways by the end of 2011.Cover crops will account for 25 percent of this reduc-tion.

Learn more at www.baystat.gov . For more infor-mation about the Cover Crop program, call the TalbotSoil Conservation District at 410-822-1577 x 3 or visitwww.talbotscd.com .

The Talbot SoilConservation District

Summer 2010

COVER CROP SIGNUP 1

NEW CStP PROGRAM 2

WELCOME CHRISTY 2

NRCS HISTORY 3

CREP PROGRAM 3

Inside this issue:

Tr a d e w i n d s

Steve Spielman, Soil Con-servation Planner, and wife

Melissa are proud to an-nounce the arrival of their

first child, Eva MichelleSpielman. She was bornon June 8 weighing 7 lbs

and 6 oz.Congratulations Steve

and Melissa!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

What would be the feeling of thisNation should a foreign nation

suddenly enter the United Statesand destroy 90,000 acres of land,as erosion has been allowed to do

in a single county?

- Hugh Hammond Bennett The Father of Soil Conservation


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NEW CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM HEYDSHA R. CORDERO-RODRIQUEZ, SOIL CONSERVATIONIST

C SP is a voluntary program that en-courages agricultural and forestryproducers to address resource con-cerns by improving, maintaining and

managing existing conservation activities andadopting new ones on their operations. Thisprogram is available nationwide and has aContinuous Sign-Up with periodic cut-offs forranking. The next cut-off date is June 25,2010.

Applications will be evaluated and rankedrelative to other applications that addresssimilar resource concerns and focuses onthose identified as a priority for Maryland. The5 resource concerns identified by Marylandare: Air Quality, Soil Erosion, Soil Quality,

Water Quality and Water Quantity .

Eligible lands include cropland, grassland,prairie, improved pastureland, rangeland andnon-industrial private forest. A new land useadded is pasture-cropland where primefarmland is used as pasture. Eligible applicantsmay include individual landowners and legalentities. Landowners interested in applying forwoodland management practices should firstcontact their local Forester for a Forest Stew-ardship Plan before submitting their forestlandapplication with us.

The program has 2 types of payments for

performance.- An annual payment for installing new addi-tional conservation activities and maintainingexisting activities- A supplemental payment that is available fora participant receiving annual payment whoalso adopts a resource-conserving crop rota-tion.

The payment rate for supplemental paymentis $12.00 per acre. NRCS will make paymentsafter October 1 of each fiscal year for contract

activities installed and maintained in theprevious year. CSP payments for joint op-erations contracts increased to an annuallimit of $80,000/FY and $400,000 for over 5year contract. Payments of individuals willnot exceed $40,000 in any year or$200,000 for contracts entered into duringany 5-year period. Participants who arelimited resource farmers, beginning farmer,or socially disadvantage farmer or ranchermay receive minimum payment of $1,000 if the contract amount in any given year isless than that amount.

To apply for the newly revamped CSP, po-tential applicants will be encouraged to usea Self-Screening Checklist to determine

whether the new program is suitable forthem or their operation. It is available onthe NRCS Website and at NRCS field offices.

After self-screening, the producers currentand proposed conservation practices areentered in the Conservation MeasurementTool (CMT), which inventory resources toestimate existing conservation performancelevel, schedule new conservation activitiesand estimate conservation performanceimprovement, determine land treatmenteligibility and ranking score and establishannual payment. Based on the ranking, theapplication is preapproved and an on-sitefield verification is conducted to check if resources inventory information was accu-rate prior to contract approval.

Applicants must meet the following CSPrequirements:- Be the operator of record in the USDA/FSA farm records management system(Owners can be participants) for the eligibleland being offered for enrollment- Have control of the land for the term of the contract- Be in compliance with Highly Erodible

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Land and Wetland Conservation Provisions- Not exceed the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)limitations set by Congress and include theeligible land in their entire agricultural or for-estry operation.

New Enhancements added to CSP are:

*Forest Wildlife Structures*Stocking Forages to extend the Grazing Sea-son*Managing Calving to coincide with forageavailability*Conifer Crop Tree Release*Patch Harvesting to improve degraded hard-wood stands

*Forest Stand improvement for soil quality*On farm Composting of Organic Waste*Protecting of Sensitive Areas on Winter Graz-ing a land.

For more information or interested to applyfor the new CSP please visit Easton NRCSField office or contact us at (410) 822-1577 x3 or the NRCS web site atwww.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/new_csp/csp.html .

THE TALBOT SCD WELCOMES CHRISTYBROWN, NRCS CNMP PLANNER

P rior to coming to NRCS, Christy was the Coordinator and Nutrient Management Advisorfor the University of Maryland's Agriculture Nutrient Management Program. Christy wasformerly with NRCS as a Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) particpant inDelaware. She will be developing Comphrensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs)

for Talbot, Caroline and Dorchester farmers.Christy can be reached at [email protected] or 410-822-1577 ext. 105.


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CREP WORKS WONDERS FOR

WETLANDS, WILDLIFE AND WATER QUALITYSTEVE STRANO, NRCS STATE BIOLOGIST

W etlands, our vital link betweenland and water, are one of Amer-icas disappearing treasures. Con-sidered among the most produc-

tive ecosystems in the world, wetlands providecritical habitat for waterfowl, amphibians, fishand mammals. Because of their high productiv-ity, wetlands can support rich and varied plantand animal life. Wetlands also play an importantrole in filtering nutrients and sediments fromwaterways and controlling flooding and erosion.

In years past, however, wetlands were seen asunimportant and even unpleasant sources of mosquitoes, flies and odors. It is estimated thatwithin the past 400 years, more than 50 percentof the wetlands in the lower 48 states were de-stroyed or converted to other uses. But over thepast few decades we have learned a lot aboutwetlands. We now recognize their value asunique and productive ecosystems and manyefforts are under way to protect and restorethem. One of best opportunities for restoringwetlands is through participation in Marylands

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Pro-gram (CREP).

Many Maryland landowners and farmersown marginally productive lands that canbe returned to thriv-ing, functioningwetlands with thehelp of CREP. Par-ticipating landown-ers receive a one-time sign-up bonusof $200 an acre plusattractive annualrental payments forup to 15 years inreturn for creatingwetlands on theirproperty. Most farmers will find the newformula for determining the annual CREPland rental payment quite attractive. Newthis year, landowners receive the local soilrental rate (SRR) plus an additional incen-tive payment that ranges from 100 percent

to 200 percent of the local SRR, dependingon the type of wetland installed.

Financial help to cover the costs of creatingwetlands is also available. Maryland CREP

pays landowners up to87.5 percent of the costof creating wetlands plusan additional practiceincentive bonus paymentworth 40 percent of thetotal installation cost.Free technical assistanceto help design and installthe wetland is providedby local soil conservationdistricts.

If you are a farmer orlandowner who is interested in these orother CREP options, visit the Talbot SoilConservation District Sign-up for MarylandCREP is ongoing and continues until acre-age goals are met.

75 YEARSA LEGACY OF CONSERVATIONTERESA KAMPMEYER, NRCS DISTRICT CONSERVATIONIST

T his year marks the 75th anniversary of the USDA Natural Resources Conserva-tion Service (formally the Soil Conser-vation Service). The Soil Conservation

Service changed its name in 1994 to more accu-rately reflect its role in protecting all naturalresources: soil, water, plants, air and animals.

It was in 1935 when President Franklin D. Roo-sevelt signed into law the Soil Conservation andDomestic Allotment Act to help combat the duststorms ripping across the southern plains theprevious two years. With the understanding thatthese storms posed a national threat, Congressestablished the Soil Conservation Service to com-bat soil erosion and to preserve our natural re-sources.

I can only imagine what it must have been like inthe early 1930s when homesteading and earlyfarming practices cleared the land and all thatsoil was worked up to plant crops. Then the lack of rain dried up all the crops that was plantedopening up the country side to high winds whip-ping up an estimated 350 million tons of soil intothe sky. People couldnt leave their homes, ani-mals and livestock suffocated on the plains.

Thank goodness for Hugh Hammond Ben-nett.

He led the soil con-servation movementin the United Statesin the 1920s and1930s, urged thenation to addressthe "national men-ace" of soil erosionthat occurred duringthe Dust Bowl, andhelped to create theSoil ConservationService. HughHammond Bennett

served as its firstchief and is stillconsidered today tobe the father of soilconservation.

His efforts led to demonstration projectsand ultimately to a conservation partnershipthat the nation enjoys today of science-based technical assistance and support

from USDA, leadership from local conserva-tion districts, and support fromstate conservation agencies fornatural resource conservation onprivate land.

We have a great partnership herein Maryland. We all love our landand care about protecting ournatural resources. I believe Mary-land farmers are going to be suc-cessful in their efforts to show theyare doing a good job of being goodstewards of the land. They careabout the land, having a healthyenvironment, clean air & water,and abundant wildlife. We see this

everyday working in the local SoilConservation District Offices.

I am glad to be a part of thisstrong conservation effort and thepartnership we have in Maryland.

For more information visitwww.nrcs.usda.gov/about/history/bennett.html

HUGH HAMMONDBENNETT

April 15, 1881 July 7, 1960


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SUMMER 2010 NEWSLETTER

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURENATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE

DISTRI CT STAFF

Craig S. Zinter, District Manager

Teresa D. Kampmeyer, District Conservationist

L. Dale Willson, Secretary

Jim Brewer, Soil Scientist

Christy Brown, Soil Conservationist, CNMP Planner

Heydsha Cordoro-Rodriquez, Soil Conservationist

Mark Mason, Soil Conservation Technician

Scott Nordhoff, Soil Conservation Planner

Levin Schwaninger, Soil Conservation Planner

Roy R. Scott, Soil Conservation Associate

Shawn Smith, Soil Conservation Planner

Steve Spielman, Soil Conservation PlannerDavid Wilson, Soil Conservation Engineer Technician

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

John Swaine III, Chairman

S. Taylor Spies, Vice Chairman

Lemmie Swann, Treasurer

Jane Ward, Member

Kyle Hutchison, Member

Shannon Potter, Secretary (Extension Service)

Phil Foster, Associate Member

Lewis Smith, Associate Member

Vicki Sump, Associate Member

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAIDEASTON, MARYLAND21601PERMIT NO. 268

Talbot Soil Conservation District 28577 Marys Court, Ste 3 Easton, Maryland 21601 (410) 822 1583 ext. 3 www.talbotscd.com

CONSERVATIONDEVELOPMENTSELF-GOVERNMENT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status,familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program.(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contactUSDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC20250-9410 or call 1-800-795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

DONT FORGE T! - The Talbot County Fair is July 7th-10th

For more information visit www.talbotcountyfair.org

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Summer 2010 Tradewinds, Talbot Soil Conservaton District Newsletter