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 Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a voluntary program
that protects sensitive streamside land by placing it in vegetative
buffers for ten to fifteen years. In return, farmers receive
annual rental payments and reimbursement for establishing
good conservation practices like |
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livestock fencing, stream crossings
and alternate water sources. CREP improves water quality by reducing
animal contact with stream areas and providing filtration areas
for surface water. This reduces sediment, decreases fertilizer/pesticide
runoff, and improves wildlife and aquatic habitat. The USDA Farm
Service Agency provides 50% of the cost for these practices, while
WAC uses New York City funds to match this for farmers in the New
York City watershed. The result is a very effective tool to complete
the Whole Farm Plan. The CREP team is currently implementing riparian
forest buffer plans on over 600 acres at watershed farms with a
goal of planting 2,000 acres over the next two years.
Would you like to know more about stream stewardship? Click here to download Catskill Streams, a booklet for streamside landowners providing helpful information about ways to live in harmony with Catskill streams and the beautiful landscape they support. |
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Location: Halcott, Greene
County
Type of Operation: Dairy
Total Acreage:
135
Acres in Conservation Reserve: 7.6
Permanent Hayland: 30
Permanent Pasture: 97
Forest Land: 5
Other Land: 3
No. Animals:
Mature: 65, Youngstock: 40
CREP Practices: Tree planting,
Livestock fencing, Spring development |
| Chris and Judy DiBenedetto, children
Greg and Elena |
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Have
the conservation practices changed your farm? For better? Otherwise?
Change has been for the better, since we were able to replace our
temporary fencing system with permanent perimeter fencing. This
is important for us since we are a grazing operation and fencing
helps us control the animals a bit easier.
What
tree species did you choose for plantings?
Blueberry, elderberry, locust, black cherry, redosier dogwood.
Do you have any observations
about your animals: behavior, health, etc.?
There was quite a big swampy area that is not inaccessible to the
cows now and this has helped with their health since they don't
do well in any wet conditions. Our big problem now is that beavers
are expanding the wetland.
 Do
you have any observations about water quality in the stream?
The biggest difference we see is that the cows aren't knocking down
the more fragile vegetation at the stream edge, so that's getting
a chance to establish, in addition to the riparian plantings we've
installed as part of the program.
Was
there enough financing to make up for the impact on available crop
or pasture land?
For us, the incentive was not the money but the fencing. We needed
it for our rotational grazing but couldn't have afforded to do it
that nicely or quickly if we had not had assistance. The time factor
is what we fight against the most, so having someone hired to do
it in a few days and do it well, was our biggest incentive.
Do you think this initiative
should become a permanent part of our farm policy?
If you're doing grazing like us, the benefits of this program are
greater, since the conservation practices can only help manage manure
and grass more efficiently.
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Location: Walton, Delaware
County
Type of Operation: Meadow raised chicken, lamb
and pork
Total Acreage: 80
Acres in Conservation Reserve: 4.4
Permanent Pasture: 50
Forest Land: 10
Scrub Land: 20
No. Animals:
Sheep: 80, Lambs: 100, Pigs: 6, Feeder Pigs: 40, Broilers: 1200,
Layers: 400, Turkeys: 25
CREP Practices: Fencing, spring
development, tree planting.
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Have
the conservation practices changed your farm? For better or worse?
Working with these practices has improved our operation. We had
only been in business at this farm for one year prior to the CREP
implementation. Since the watercourse runs the length of our property,
the fencing and spring water system gave shape to the plan for our
four main pasture areas, which are now used on a rotational grazing
schedule.
What tree species
did you choose for plantings?
Maple, oak, black walnut, blueberry, cranberry.
Do
you have any observations about your animals' behavior or health?
They stay healthier with the system, since they keep moving to fresh
pasture that's been rested there's less concentrated manure. They
always go to the water source, so it's good if those areas are not
overrun with constant foot traffic.
Do
you have any observations about water quality in the stream?
We can't really say, since before we moved here, there hadn't been
livestock on the farm for the last 25 years. Our animals lived only
one year at this site before CREP implementation, so stream conditions
hadn't really deteriorated much.
Was
there enough financing to make up for the impact on available crop
or pasture land?
We did lose streamside pasture areas, but the better fencing system
supported us in expanding our pastures further away from the stream.
We ended up with more usable land.
Would
you do it again?
We signed on to CREP before the incentives were enhanced with higher
rental payments, but we are seeing the benefits to our bottom line
anyway. Our fencing and watering systems let us use more land, in
more efficient ways, than before.
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Crystal
Valley Farm
