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N E W S L E T T E R MADISON COUNTY SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Serving to Conserve Madison County’s Natural Resources Since 1941

The Madison County Soil Conservation District does not discriminate on the basis of a person’s race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political

beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. The District is a recipient of taxpayer funding. If you observe an agency director or employee engaging in any activity which you consider to be illegal, improper, or

wasteful, please call the comptroller’s toll free hotline: 1-800-232-5454.

Thanks for making our banquet possible!

Board of Supervisors Allen Verell Don Johnson Joel Haynes Don Pearson Alan Ewell Chairman Vice-Chairman Secretary-Treasurer Member Member

Madison County SCD e-newsletter Summer 2016

Madison County Soil Conservation District

313 N Parkway Jackson, TN 38305

Phone: 731-668-1544 ext. 3

FAX: 855-584-5847 www.madisonscd.com

Chairman, Allen Verell

Vice-Chairman, Don Johnson Sec. –Treas., Joel Haynes

Member, Don Pearson Member, Alan Ewell

Serving to Conserve Madison County’s Natural Resources

Since 1941

313 North Parkway Madison County Soil Conservation District (731)668-1544 x 3 Jackson, Tennessee 38305 Serving Madison County since 1941 FAX: 855-584-5847

www.madisonscd.com

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Newsletter Volu me 17, Issu e 1, S umm er. 2016

Annual District Awards and Appreciation Banquet 2015

Over 100 guests attended our Awards & Appreciation Banquet where our guest enjoyed a steak dinner. General John Castellaw, USMC (ret.) President and CEO of Farm Space gave an informative presentation on Farm Space and the use of drones in Agriculture.

G. E. Hazlehurst - Outstanding Cooperator of 2015

Dr. G.E. Hazlehurst of Jackson was recognized by the District's as our Outstanding Cooperator of 2015. Dr. Hazlehurst has worked closely with the District and NRCS for several decades to protect and conserve his cropland and to improve wildlife habitat. His crop land is no-tilled and has been for years. He has had several conservation practices installed to control erosion including two large ponds to control storm runoff and to provide water for wildlife, a pipe outlet diversion, and five pipe drop grade stabilization structures to control head cuts along stream banks. Four of these structures were built in 2015 with technical assistance provided by the

District and NRCS, and cost-share provided by the District through a Tennessee Department of Agriculture Resource Conservation Fund grant.

Dr. Hazlehurst has a keen interest in wildlife, particularly Quail. He has devoted several acres of his less productive, more erosive land to plantings that protect the soil and provide food and shelter for quail, rabbits, and other wildlife. He has over 25 acres enrolled with FSA in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) including 5 acres planted to Native Warm Season Grasses (NWSG) as field boarders on upland to control erosion and to provide food and cover for birds. He has another 8 acres of NWSG planted along streambanks as filterstrips to control erosion, to improve water quality, and to provide cover for wildlife. We commend Dr. Hazlehurst for his commitment to conservation and his efforts to care of his land.

Bob Bryant – Earns his second Distinguish Service Award from the District

After 15 years of service to the Madison County Soil Conservation District Bob Bryant of the Beech Bluff Community decided to give it up. Bob served the District and Madison County admirably as a District Supervisor between 2001 and 2016 where he was elected to the board for 5 consecutive 3-year terms.

Bob is a true wildlife enthusiast, conservationist, and leader. With Wood Duck boxes, Bluebird boxes, native warm season grasses, clovers, legumes, timber, and ponds, Bob has

made a wildlife haven out of his 300 acre farm in Beech Bluff where one can find an abundance of wildlife including White Tail Deer, Bob White Quail, Wild Turkey, and occasionally a rabbit. Bob has allowed individuals and groups to tour his farm for informational and educational purposes. He has allowed local 4-H members to establish wildlife food and cover plots projects on his farm, and he has allowed church youth to use his farm to discovery nature and to work on merit badges. Bob has been instrumental in organizing and conducting workshops, seminars, tours, and demonstrations on quail habitat management, native warm season grasses, and prescribed burning.

Bob has held leadership positions in the conservation of our natural resources at the local, state, and national levels. Bob founded, and served as president of the “Forked Deer” chapter of Quail Unlimited. He is former chairman of the Tennessee Council of Quail Unlimited and he severed on the Quail Unlimited National Board of Trustees. Bob is a past recipient of the Tennessee’s Mr. Quail Award presented by Quail Unlimited. Bob not only is enthusiastic about Quail, he served as a fishing guide for five years on Pickwick & Kentucky Lakes and is past secretary/treasurer of the Tennessee Bass Federation. In 1998 the District presented Bob with a Distinguished Service Award in recognition for his never-ending work and commitment to wildlife conservation. In 1999 Bob earned a statewide Distinguished Service Award from the Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts. Bob’s leadership and enthusiasm earned Bob his second Distinguish Service Award from the District.

District Election – Alan Ewell Elected to his First Term

The District has a governing board consisting of five supervisors. Two are appointed by the State Soil Conservation Committee for three year terms while every three years the District holds an election for three supervisors. The most recent election was this past March when Allen Verell was elected to a 8th term, Don Pearson was elected to a 2nd , and Alan Ewell of the Brown’s Church community was elected to his first term, replacing Bob Bryant who decided not to run. We appreciated Alan for committing to serve on the board as your District

supervisor. We know he will serve you well. We also appreciate the interest from the slate of qualified candidates, the interest of those who voted, and those businesses that served as polling places including the FSA office, Tennessee Tractor, Rush’s Phillip’s 66, Mitchell’s Grocery, and Mid-South Farmers Co-Op in Jackson and Mercer.

Conservation Cost - Share Programs Available

NRCS & TDA - provide funding for conservation work to address erosion and water quality under the EQIP and ARCF programs. Practices include soil health-winter cover crops, gully control structures, livestock watering facilities, grass establishment, cross fencing, and others. It is best if you sign-up before October 1st, contact the district office, 668-1544 ext. 3.

WRE – NRCS has an on-going sign-up for purchasing easements to convert certain cropland back to wetland through the establishment of bottomland hardwoods. Easement acquisitions for Madison County are currently $2,400/acre for crop and pasture land and $1,480/acre for woodland. For details contact the NRCS field office, 668-1544 ext. 3.

CRP – FSA has an on-going sign-up for certain CRP practices. These practices include filter strips, riparian forest buffers, bottomland hardwoods, upland bird habitat field boarders, and SAFE. The CRP program provides funding to take land out of production and to establish it to soil conserving wildlife friendly plantings, including grasses, forbs, and trees. Funding includes cost-share for establishment and an annual rental payment of up to $185 per acre. For questions concerning CRP contact the FSA office, 731-668-1544 ext. 2.

Profiting More by Planting Less

Soil Conservationist Kenneth Williams discuss benefits of Field Borders with Ken, Joe, & Chris Couch

Yield monitors tend to spike down around the edge of fields where trees compete with crops for sunlight, moisture, and nutrients. Ken Couch estimates that their yields can be as much as a third to 40% less in these areas. When commodity prices are high these areas may provide marginal returns but when commodity prices tank these areas can really cut into a farm’s bottom line. Last spring Chris talked with his father and uncle about these areas and discussed using the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as a tool to take these areas out of production to improve profitability. Couch Farms encouraged their landowners to enroll these areas in CRP field borders where CRP payments, of as much as $185 per acre, would offset the landowner’s loss in rent revenue. Last spring Couch Farms and their landowners established nearly 150 acres in CRP field borders and will establish another 250 acres next spring. By eliminating land rental costs and input costs on these marginally productive areas Couch Farms expects their farming to be more profitable. All together farmers and landowners in Madison County have enrolled 695 acres in CRP field borders and it is expected that several hundred more acres will be established next year. These borders were 40 feet wide and established to several wildlife friendly plants including Switchgrass, False Sunflower, Korean Lespedeza, Partridge Pea, and others. Kenneth Williams, soil conservationist with NRCS, encourages others to consider enrolling in CRP field borders; noting that farmers, landowners, and wildlife can profit from CRP field borders.

Shaded low productive Areas taken out of production & Established to Field Borders through CRP Increases Farm

Profits & Improves habitat for birds & pollinators