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Environmental & Agricultural Success at Marshy Meadows

August 21, 2011 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Federal budget cutters may want to think twice about slashing USDA conservation programs

When most Americans think about federal dollars spent on agriculture, they envision big ticket (and controversial) items like ethanol subsidies and direct payments. Most of us don’t realize that the USDA – through divisions like the Natural Resources Conservation Service – also administers programs that allow family farmers and small producers to make improvements to their land helping them to build their business while protecting natural resources for the rest of us.

We know that the actions of some farm and livestock operators can have consequences outside the boundaries of the acres they plant or graze. Just ask the folks who live near Grand Lake St. Mary’s here in Ohio. The toxic algae problem at the Grand Lake is attributable, at least in part, to runoff from area farms.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Agriculture, Cattle, Conservation, EQIP, Mardy Townsend, Marshy Meadows Farm, USDA

VIDEO: Could programs that help small farmers invest in environmentally friendly practices get the axe?

August 19, 2011 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

One week ago I had the opportunity to spend some time at Marshy Meadows Farm in Ashtabula County. Proprietor Mardy Townsend runs a 130-head grass-fed beef program there. Over the past 20 years she and her mother Marge have turned Marshy Meadows from corn and barley production to grassland for the beef herd. Along the way the Environmental Quality Incentives Program from the USDA has helped Mardy lessen the farm’s ecological impact while building a profitable livestock business. This interview deals with the potential danger of Congressional budget cutting taking out programs like EQIP that provide sources of capital for family and beginning farmers to build their businesses responsibly.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: EQIP, Mardy Townsend, Marshy Meadows Farm, Ohio Farmers Union, USDA

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