A tour of farms and flood-mitigation projects in Delaware County last week gave state agricultural officials a look at how conservation funding is being used to address farm safety, water quality and environmental challenges.
The Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District hosted representatives of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the Soil and Water Conservation Committee Sept. 16 as part of a two-day conservation project tour. The visit followed the committee’s monthly meeting in Oneonta Sept. 15.
The tour highlighted projects supported by the state’s Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution program, which provides funding for agricultural and environmental conservation work.
The first stop was Ritz Farm in Franklin with Jay Czerniak, Susquehanna program coordinator for the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District; Kyle Buel, watershed agriculture program technical coordinator; and Brian LaTourette, watershed agriculture council program operations coordinator, discussed a recently completed waste storage facility and manure transfer system.
Farm owner Mike Ritz discussed the benefits of improved manure storage, including safer and more efficient handling of manure. The group also reviewed other conservation practices implemented at the farm over the years, including livestock heavy-use areas, riparian forest buffers, cover crops and measures to manage stormwater runoff.
The presentation also included the use of gas meters to monitor manure gases and improve safety around waste storage areas.
The group then visited Van-Tag Farm in Franklin where Paul Cerosiletti of Cornell Cooperative Extension led a discussion on enhanced manure management, an agricultural and climate-resiliency initiative.
Cerosiletti was joined by Kirsten Workman of Cornell PRO-DAIRY, Helen Solecki of Cornell University’s Ph.D. SPEAR program, Nate Townsend of the Watershed Agricultural Council, Gideon Frisbee, a former DCSWCD watershed agriculture program technical coordinator who now works as an agricultural environmental management and comprehensive nutrient management planning specialist, and Frank Albano of Albano’s Precision Application.
The group examined precision manure application and management strategies, including custom equipment designed to inject manure into grassland soils. The approach is intended to improve the efficiency of manure applications while addressing environmental concerns.
Other conservation practices at the farm, including a waste storage facility, riparian forest buffers and cover crops, were also discussed.
The final stop was in Walton where the group gathered on Water Street to discuss stream and flood-mitigation work.
Graydon Dutcher, a former DCSWCD stream program coordinator and the district’s current executive director, and Jeff Russell, the current stream program coordinator, discussed the district’s memorandums of agreement with municipalities throughout Delaware County.
They also reviewed the district’s work addressing flooding and flood risks, including projects carried out through partnerships involving the county, state and New York City.
The tour brought together state officials, conservation district staff and representatives from partner organizations to examine projects supported by state funding and discuss their results.
The Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District said it plans to continue to pursue state agricultural and environmental funding to support conservation projects throughout the county.
