When we announced plans to build the first Progressive
Farmer Idea House and Farmstead, we realized the property
for the home posed some conservation challenges. Our 8-acre
farmstead in Blount County, Ala., sits between two ridges of
hardwoods and pine in the Sand Mountains. The land falls
quickly from the top of the property down to a 15-acre lake.
And the soil is sandy and prone to erosion.
We knew that we would need help from the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (an agency of the USDA) when it came to
removing trees and brush to make room for the home,
outbuildings and pasture. But we did not get in touch with
them soon enough.
Large landowners know a good deal about the conservation
programs managed by the NRCS. But what many small landowners
don't know is that the agency can provide technical
assistance-and sometimes money-to them as well.
The programs are designed to be "size neutral," says Bill
Hughes, resource conservationist with the Alabama NRCS.
"Larger landowners should not have a greater chance of
getting an approval over smaller landowners."
In addition to programs that offer financial incentives for
conservation, the federal government through the NRCS offers
planning assistance to private landowners who want to
improve the environmental quality of their property. And
that brings us back to our place in Blount County.
While our Idea House and Farmstead were under construction
this spring, the area in which it is located received
near-record rainfall. Even though we left a thick screen of
trees and brush below the pasture and installed an erosion
fence (which holds back the soil while allowing water to
drain), our site suffered severe erosion in the pasture and
around the home.
We contacted Murray Griffin of the Blount County NRCS. He
said, "Normally, (the landowner) comes in and asks for help
before he starts construction. We talk about his plans for
the property."
For those who contact Griffin before embarking on their
project, he will walk around their property and consult
topographic and soil maps to get a full understanding of the
land. Then he asks a series of questions, including:
Does the landowner want pastureland? Livestock?
Wildlife?
Is there cropland? Are there trees?
What about drainage, driveways and roads?
Does the homeowner plan to install a pond?
Where's the best place for a septic system?
When these questions are answered, Griffin puts together a
plan that meets both the owner's desires for the property
and conservation goals. "We point out the pros and cons of
what they want to do," he says.
The most common problem for Griffin involves ponds. People
put them in before consulting him then discover that they
don't hold water.
Griffin says the NRCS can save landowners a good many
headaches with ponds. The agency will help landowners design
the levy; check the soil type to see if it will retain water
or if a liner is needed; and look at the amount of water
flowing into the pond.
In the end, to save headaches, time and money,
landowners-small or large-should consider contacting the
NRCS ahead of construction. The services provided by the
agency are free, and if you take their advice, the work on
your land will be based on good science and engineering.
Just be sure to call early enough.