Soil and Water Conservation Districts across New York state will be able to
address soil quality
in their counties, and develop initiatives that will encourage greater
crop yields and protect water resources from pollution with a new state grant.
Counties can
apply for grant funds of up to $25,000 per district for these plans
through the Ecosystem Based Management Soil Health
Mini Grants program.
Soil
quality has become a leading concern for the agriculture industry on a
national level. Healthy soils hold the potential to produce greater crop
yields while protecting
water resources from polluted runoff. In addition, crops growing in
healthy soils require less fertilizer and are better able to withstand
both floods and droughts.
Through
the Soil Health Mini Grants program, local Soil and Water Conservation
Districts can develop their own programs to increase the adoption of
healthy soil practices.
These programs can range from soil health testing to farmer equipment
loan programs. The Soil Health Mini Grants are designed to allow the
flexibility needed to establish programs that will have long-term
residual impacts on the adoption of soil health practices.
Improving
soil health can be accomplished by reducing tillage and keeping a
living crop on the field all year.
Farmers interested in soil health
should contact their
local Soil and Water Conservation District to learn about the many
opportunities available to improve soil quality in New York at http://www.nys-soilandwater.
The deadline to apply is June 15, 2015. Money is being being made available from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund.
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