St. Joe County Conservation District

News & Events

Coldwater, MI – The Branch County Conservation District, in partnership with the Michigan Water Stewardship Program and Michigan State University Extension, will be hosting a free evening workshop entitled “Becoming an environmentally (and neighbor) Friendly Livestock Farm”,  at the Branch Area Career Center on Wednesday, July 28^th from 6:30pm to 9:00pm.  The workshop will focus on improving small to medium livestock farm practices in regards to the environment through the completion of Livestock*A*Syst and Farm*A*Syst tools from the Michigan Water Stewardship Program.  The Water Stewardship Program provides free, voluntary and confidential environmental risk assessments to all producers within Michigan, and helps farms across the state become verified in the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program through the Department of Agriculture. 

Topics to be addressed include manure management, generally accepted agricultural management practices (GAAMPs), the Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), and the Livestock*A*Syst assessment tool.  Phase I Credit for MAEAP verification will also be offered for those interested.  A small barbeque will take place from 6:30pm to 7:00pm by the Branch Area Career Center to help raise funds for the FFA program in Branch County.   The Branch Area Career Center’s agriculture and natural resources students participated in the process of becoming MAEAP verified in the Cropping System in 2008, and have presented their work at the Michigan Envirothon regional and state competitions.  The career center is currently working on becoming MAEAP verified in both the Farmstead and Livestock Systems.

Reservations are not required, but are preferred.  To learn more about this evening workshop, or to RSVP for the event by July 26^th, please call Melanie Stoughton at 467-6336 ext.117.  An agenda and more information about the Michigan Water Stewardship Program are available online at www.branchcd.org.    

Incentive Payments Available for MAEAP Verification

Centreville, MI – The Michigan Water Stewardship Program is offering a $500 incentive payment to any producer in Branch or St. Joseph County that becomes verified by July 23^rd under the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program in either the Farmstead or Cropping systems.  MAEAP is an innovative, proactive program that helps farms of all sizes and all commodities voluntarily prevent or minimize agriculture pollution risks. The program teaches farmers how to identify and prevent environmental risks and comply with state and federal environmental regulations. Farmers who successfully complete the educational, assessment, and inspection phases of the MAEAP process are verified in that system.

A farm can be verified in three systems which include Livestock, Farmstead and Cropping.  The Farmstead system addresses environmental risks of the entire farmstead, from safe handling of fuels to proper storage of fertilizers and pesticides. It focuses primarily on protecting surface and groundwater.

The Cropping system addresses environmental risks related to nutrient and pest management, water use, and soil conservation.  Recordkeeping of fertilizer and pesticide applications, manure applications, and irrigation of fields is a key component of a cropping verification.

The Livestock system, which requires the completion of the Livestock*A*Syst tool by a Groundwater Technician, looks at all farm practices dealing with the moving of nutrients from the farm to field, storage operations, and emergency planning for the farm.

MAEAP benefits Michigan for numerous reasons.  MAEAP verified farms protect natural resources using environmentally sound practices, ensure safe storage of fuel, fertilizers, and chemicals, and protect their community and neighbors by planning for emergencies.

To learn more about the three phase process to MAEAP, or to schedule an assessment of your farming operation, please contact Melanie Stoughton, Water Stewardship Technician for St. Joseph and Branch Counties at 269-467-6336 ext. 117. You may also email Melanie at Melanie.stoughton@mi.nacdnet.net.  Additional information is also available under the Water Stewardship page on the St. Joseph County Conservation District website at www.stjoecountycd.com. 

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