Secretary Visits Virginia Farm, Announces Progress on Effort to Reduce Farm Sediment Runoff into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Barbara Bowen, Public Affairs Specialist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Virginia, on December 6, 2013 at 2:00 PM

NRCS Illustration showing a substantial reduction in farm runoff entering the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited a Virginia Century Farm in Stafford County to release a new report that shows how farmers like Gerry Silver are helping make significant progress in reducing sediment and nutrient runoff into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The Secretary lauded Silver Ridge Farm as a gold standard for conservation because the owners have implemented voluntary conservation practices such as cover crops and no-till planting to control soil erosion and prevent the release of nitrogen and phosphorus into area waterways.  Though the family has kept the land in continuous agricultural use for more than 100 consecutive years, he called the operation a “farm of the future” because the family has continued to evolve their operation over time to maintain productivity and diversify income opportunities.

The farm was the perfect setting to spotlight USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) report, the only regional effort that scientifically and statistically matches farmers’ actions with soil, landscape and climate to quantify agricultural impacts on water quality.  The report estimates that conservation practices applied by farmers and landowners in the region since 2006 are reducing nitrogen and phosphorus leaving fields by 48.6 million pounds each year (26 percent) and 7.1 million pounds (46 percent) respectively.

In addition, the report said the use of cover crops nearly quadrupled from 2003-2006 to 2011, with adoption increasing from only 12 percent of acres to 52 percent of acres with a cover crop at some point in the rotation.  In 2003-2006, 19 percent of cropped acres had a high need for conservation treatment; by 2011, only four percent of acres were in that category.

Importantly, conservation practices adopted by Bay producers since 2003-06 have reduced average annual edge of field losses of sediment by 15.1 million tons (60 percent).  This amount of sediment would produce enough dirt to fill 150,000 railroad cars on a train that would stretch 1704 miles, or further than the distance from Washington, DC, to Albuquerque, New Mexico, every year.

Visit to Silver Ridge Farm in Stafford County, Virginia: with Secretary Vilsack (left) are Edward Gerald "Gerry" Silver, Sole Proprietor of Silver Ridge Farm, and Alexa "Lexi" Clark, Soil Conservationist with the NRCS Fredericksburg Service Center. USDA photo.

Richard Street, At-Large Member of the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board, highlighted the need for partnership efforts to improve Bay health. “USDA, NRCS, and state agencies need to work together to assist local jurisdictions and governments to improve the health of the Bay,” said Richard Street.  Street, who is also a Senior Environmental Engineer with Spotsylvania County, added, “In Spotsylvania County, we took our cue from farmers in using a voluntary approach to conservation activities in urban settings with low impact development.”

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) released a statement saying it was pleased by the CEAP report findings. According to NACD, “The report, which demonstrates a reduction in runoff of nutrients and sediment in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, reflects the focused approach on implementing voluntary, incentive-based conservation practices in the Bay through the partnership of conservation districts, producers, state and federal agencies including NRCS and the Farm Service Agency.”

“This is a great day for agriculture,” said NACD President Earl Garber. “The CEAP report clearly demonstrates that producers’ proactive, voluntary use of good conservation practices is paying off in a big way in the watershed.”

Sean Garvin, Region 3 Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency said, “Farmers have stepped up their efforts to implement conservation practices to clean up the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the progress reported by USDA in its CEAP report today is consistent with the rates reported through the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Partnership.”

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed touches six states (Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia) and the District of Columbia. The area is home to 17 million people.  More than 150 major rivers and streams flow into the Bay, the largest estuary in the United States.

The full report, along with a fact sheet, summary and infographic, is available here. Learn more about USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project.

Edward Gerald "Gerry" Silver, Sole Proprietor of Silver Ridge Farm, discusses conservation efforts with Secretary Vilsack on the farm on Thursday. USDA NRCS photo.

Secretary's Column: A New Report Shows the Critical Benefits of Farm Bill Conservation

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on December 6, 2013 at 12:00 PM

America’s farmers, ranchers and landowners have led the way in recent years to conserve and protect our soil, water and wildlife habitat.

With the help of Farm Bill programs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has worked with a record number of producers since 2009 – more than 500,000 of them – to get this important work done.

Ever since the Dust Bowl, we’ve known that investments in conservation on working lands and other wild areas is important. And this week, a new report amplified our understanding for the critical importance of the Farm Bill in protecting natural resources in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The report showed that over the past seven years, conservation efforts have reduced the amount of nitrogen leaving fields by 48.6 million pounds each year – about 26 percent – and reducing phosphorus by 7.1 million pounds, or 46 percent.

These conservation practices are also preventing soil erosion, helping to ensure that our farm fields across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed remain vibrant and productive in the years to come. Conservation practices have lowered the estimated amount of eroded soil by about 15.1 million tons every year, or 60 percent. Put another way, that’s enough soil to fill about 150,000 railcars.

In addition to ensuring healthy cropland and clean water, these programs strengthen wildlife habitat that boosts outdoor recreation. From hunting and fishing, to camping and hiking, outdoor recreation adds more than $640 billion in benefits to our economy each year.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed initiative is just one of many landscape-scale initiatives undertaken by USDA in recent years. From the Mississippi River Basin to the Ogallala Aquifer, USDA has worked with producers to enroll millions of acres in targeted landscape initiatives – and today’s report once again highlights the positive impact this work can have across the nation.

From clean soil to healthier water, the benefits of conservation impact every American – and they’re one reason why USDA is pressing Congress this fall to provide a comprehensive, multiyear Food, Farm and Jobs Bill that continues our record conservation efforts.

A new Farm Bill would continue targeted conservation efforts on working lands that ensure soil quality, water quality, erosion control, forest restoration, and wildlife habitat.  It would continue major working land programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program, through which USDA has provided more than 190,000 landowner contracts since 2009, as well as the Conservation Reserve Program under which we have held a signup each year during this Administration.

A new Farm Bill would also ensure that tens of millions of acres remain in conservation practices by linking crop insurance compliance to conservation program participation.

Across the nation, our farmers, ranchers and landowners are stepping up to protect our natural resources. They deserve our support – and the most important thing that can happen today is for Congress to achieve passage of a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill that stands by producers and continues our long legacy of conservation.