lf_headerA Whole Farming Plan (WFP) is what is utilized by the program to identify and prioritize water quality resource concerns on a farm. These WFPs are developed to solve specific issues on farms to protect the NYC drinking water supply that serves 9 million people. As a part of the WFP, Best Management Practices (BMPs) are prescribed to solve the resource issues and are implemented following a prioritized methodology. BMPs are placed within 11 pollutant categories which include animal waste storage, concentrated feeding areas, pathogens, erosion, nutrient management, and other farm related resource concerns (Guideline for BMP Prioritization).

Nutrient Management and Precision Feed Management are specific BMPs within a WFP that require specialized planning and dedicated team to implement.

How Does It Work?
Creating and Implementing a Whole Farm Plan:

  • Each participating farm (landowner and/or producer) will be assigned its own Conservation Planner. The planner visits the farm to identify and assess potential sources of pollutants, using the NYS AEM Process (https://agriculture.ny.gov/soil-and-water/agricultural-environmental-management).
  • The planner and participant(s) evaluate all alternatives to address the resource concerns and the BMPs to solve them. Final BMPs are selected based on the technical and financial impacts to both the program and the farm.
  • The WFP is vetted to check for adherence to program policy and standards. It is presented through several groups that include other program planners, managers with final approval completed by the Agricultural Program Committee.
  • After the WFP has been approved the BMPs within the plan are placed into the annually developed prioritized workload and implemented as funding is available. (link to Implementation tab?)
  • Program staff provides continued support to the participant(s) to ensure the Plan’s long-term success through farm visits such as the Annual Status Review (ASR). WFPs are updated through the revision process as needed.

If you want more information or have any questions contact the Whole Farm Planning Coordinator, Nate Townsend ([email protected]) (607) 865-7090 ext. 240