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STRATEGIC PLANNING SURVEY

Natural Bridge Soil & Water Conservation District needs your help!

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Local farmers, residents and agency partners: 

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Please click the link below to fill out the Strategic Planning Survey. Your input will help provide direction for the conservation efforts in Rockbridge County, the City of Lexington, and the City of Buena Vista. 

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https://tinyurl.com/NBStrategicPlan24

CONSERVATION FIELD DAY at JOHN HOUSER FARM

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Wednesday, June 5, 2024

60 Red Gate Lane, Fairfield, VA  24435

Agenda:

9:00 – 9:30 am Registration at John Houser’s Farm

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9:45 – 10:00 am Welcome and Introductions

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10:00 – 11:00 am Discuss Conservation Programs implemented at the farm including Solar Pumping Livestock Watering System.

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11:00 – 11:30 am Discussion of Rotational grazing benefits and Best Management practices by USDA-NRCS representatives and Local farmer(s) using Rotational grazing. Discussion of vegetation suppression and control strategies in fence lines.

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11:30 -11:50 am Travel to South River Fire Department for lunch and afternoon program. (5842 N. Lee Hwy., Fairfield, VA 24435)

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12:00- 12:45 pm Lunch Provided

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12:45-1:15 pm John Benner, Extension Agent and Rockbridge Cattleman’s Association on cattle marketing and the Virginia Beef Quality Assurance Program. Doug Horn, Extension Agent, proper use of herbicides to ensure the useful life of fences.

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1:15 - 1:35 pm Forrest Hobbs, Small Farm Outreach Program by Virginia State University College of Agriculture.

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1:35-2:00 pm Presentation of Clean Water Farm Award

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2:00-2:30 pm Questions, Discussion, and Closing remarks 

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LUNCH IS PROVIDED and sponsored by:

Riverside Family Farms, LLC and Rockbridge Kubota

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Please call 540-319-6453 to RSVP for this event by 5 pm Friday May 31, 2024.  

or email: jennifer.huffman@vaswcd.org 

LOCAL NRCS WORKING GROUP MEETING 

The Lexington NRCS Field Office will be hosting a local working group meeting on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at 5:30pm in the Lexington USDA Service Center conference room prior to the Natural Bridge SWCD regular business meeting. Please contact Charlie Simmons, District Conservationist, if you have any questions related to this meeting. charles.simmons@usda.gov 

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Click the PDF buttons for the documents related to the working group meeting. 

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SPARRING CANDY DARTERS

Congratulations to Loughran McCabe, Virginia SWCD 2022 photo contest honorable mentions winner! 

Agricultural BMP Cost-Share Program News

During program year 2022, the Natural Bridge SWCD completed 40 Best Management Practices. A total of $674,405.58 was paid to producers for these BMPs and $10,379 was issued in Tax Credits. Within these totals:

7 Stream Bank Exclusion projects protected 3.4 miles of stream bank and were paid $450,128.

2 Continuing Conservation Initiative (CCI) sign-ups ensured continued protection of an additional 1,823' of stream bank. 

29 Cover Crop BMPs involving 1,799 acres were completed and paid $66,757.

In addition, $988,956.64 has been obligated to approved practices and will be carried over into cost-share program year 2023.

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Springs Project 

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