Thomas Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District

Agricultural Updates

Voluntary Agriculture BMP Pilot Project: The TJSWCD was one of six Districts in Virginia chosen to address the possible discrepancy between the Chesapeake Bay TMDL Model and the true agricultural nutrient and sediment loads being produced. For questions about this project please contact Emily Nelson or call the office (434-975-0224). Results from this pilot project are due to be compiled in late 2012.

TJSWCD Agricultural Programs

The District provides technical assistance to landowners for the planning, design, and installation of agricultural conservation practices and for farm conservation planning in general.

The District locally administers the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practice (BMP) Cost Share and Tax Credit Program. Farmers: Why Participate?

These programs provide funding to exclude livestock from streams, provide alternative watering systems, plant cover crops, convert cropland to grass, convert to continuous no-till, and sidedress application of nitrogen on corn, among others.

For further details on these funding programs please click on the links below:

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Programs

The federal programs are administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The TJSWCD works closely with the NRCS to support local implementation of the federal programs listed below. This partnership allows the District to better serve the landowners seeking assistance and environmental benefits are maximized. NRCS staff also provides technical assistance to landowners for conservation planning, animal waste management plans, and grazing plans. Contact your area NRCS conservationist bby clicking on these links: Albemarle/Nelson; Louisa/Fluvanna

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) - Provides incentives for farmers to take land out of production and install riparian forest buffers and riparian herbaceous buffers.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) - Provides funding for the implementation of conservation systems such as grazing land improvement systems, waste management, and wildlife management reforestation and management of timberland projects.
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) - The Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for people who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily on private land.

Agricultural Stewardship Act (ASA)

The ASA provides a procedure by which agricultural water quality problems can be addressed by looking at each farm individually, rather than having a strict set of regulations governing every type of farming practice. The procedure is complaint-based, with complaints submitted to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Soil and Water Conservation Districts were given the opportunity to conduct the investigations to determine if the subject of a complaint is actually causing pollution. The TJSWCD, believing that local administration of such a regulation is preferable, accepted this responsibility. The TJSWCD will also provide technical assistance to the farmer to develop a plan to alleviate water quality problems resulting from their operations.

Virginia Clean Water Farm Award

Annually the TJSWCD picks farms within the District that meet the ideals of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Clean Farm Award.

2011: Corduroy Farm in the York basin and Piedmont Manor in the James basin.
2010: Rivanna Farm in the James basin.