Area Three - Lewis County

Updated 08/05/2008

Jacquelyn Drake, District Conservationist - Lewis County - Area 3

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM (EQIP) SUCCESS STORY

by Jacquelyn Drake, DC, Lewis County

Bonnie and Estill McCann own a small farm in Lewis County, where they raise tobacco, and beef cattle. They are conscience stewards of the land, working closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Lewis County Conservation District to solve resource concerns on their farm.

When NRCS first provided assistance to the McCann’s the resource concerns on their farm included gully erosion, stream bank erosion, livestock access to streams and woodlands, and an abundance of fescue. The Vanceburg Field Office prepared a conservation plan for the McCann family and assisted them with an application for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). In 2003 they were approved for a contract, and began implementing practices shortly there after. Through EQIP, the McCann family has been able to install watering systems to distribute grazing throughout their pastures and conduct rotational grazing to improve forage quality and efficiency. They have eradicated endophyte infected fescue, replanting with an Orchardgrass, timothy, and ladino clover mix. They’ve also installed grassed waterways to handle the concentrated flow of water from steep pastureland to prevent gully erosion. There is still more work to be done, but it is a work in progress.

Implementing all those practices may be easy for the commercial farmer or for a large farming operation, but the McCann family only farms 179 acres—105 of which they own, and 74 of which they rent or lease. In addition to being a small operation, Mr. McCann is plagued with health problems and battles diabetes. He is no longer able to work on the farm. Much of the work falls onto Mrs. McCann, who has also been plagued with health problems. She was diagnosed with colon cancer, and battled the disease for many months until she was able to overcome it through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. She now has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, and hystoplasmosis. Her ability to work on the farm has been reduced to 30 minute intervals, and yet she persists to indulge herself in her passion of farming. The McCann’s struggle to make ends meet financially, as the medical bills mount, and the cost of farming goes up.

In 2004 the McCann’s were honored at the Small/Limited Resource Farmers Conference held in Frankfort, for their conservation efforts. They received runner-up for the 2004 Limited Resource Farmer of the Year.

The McCann’s plan to continue farming, and utilize the local NRCS staff to implement conservation practices and address natural resource problems. Their EQIP contract is helping them to realize their dreams of a farm that is in tune with the environment, and protecting our nation’s precious natural resources. It is slow going, but dreams don’t come true overnight.
 

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