Agriculture
Farmers Install Record On-Farm Conservation Practices in 2007
Pasture and Manure Management Information for Horse Owners
Best Management Practices
Click on photo above to read more
Technical Assistance
Cecil Soil Conservation District provides technical assistance in Cecil County for the installment and maintenance of conservation practices. Best Management Practices (BMPs) aim to reduce erosion, improve water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, and improve agricultural nutrient and livestock management. Technical assistance includes survey, design, and construction inspections.
Conservation Planning
The District writes Soil Conservation and Water Quality Plans (SCWQ), or Conservation Plans, to help farmers manage resources and protect soil and water quality. A Conservation Plan is customized to meet the needs of each farmer. A Conservation Plan is not mandatory, but is required to be considered for agricultural land preservation.
Conservation Plans include:
1. Aerial photos of the property, including property boundaries, topography, and Best Management Practices.2. A written record of all decisions made by the landowner and an implementation plan.
3. A soils map that includes all soil types and boundaries found on the property.
Cover Crops
During winter months nutrients left in the soil after crop harvest may leech into the groundwater. To prevent leeching of excess nutrients, small grains are planted in September or October without fertilizer. The Cover Crop Program is provided by the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
Click here for more information on the Cover Crop Program
COST-SHARE PROGRAMS
We encourage you to contact our office for more information. The following links will give you an overview of cost-share programs available:
State Cost Share
Federal Cost Share
PAST COOPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
2006 - Woodland Hurtt (Maryland Association of Conservation Districts Outstanding Cooperator of the Year 2007)
2005 - Jacob and Barbara Carson
2003 - Dirk and Bethany Meulenberg
2002 - H. Bayard and Agnes Williams
2001 - Wayne and Sandy Stafford
2000 - Jonathan Quinn
CECIL COUNTY SOIL SURVEY MAPS
Click on the photo below to retrieve information on specific soils located in the County.
Soils Data Mart - access soils information in diffrent States and Countys
Web Soil Survey - Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey.
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
In 1998 the Maryland General Assembly passed landmark legislation that places Maryland at the forefront of national efforts to protect water quality. The Water Quality Improvement Act is designed to protect the health of Maryland's citizens and its waterways by establishing both short and long-term strategies for reducing nutrient levels in our streams, rivers and Chesapeake Bay.
The most significant feature of the Water Quality Improvement Act is a provision requiring all Maryland farmers grossing $2,500 or more annually or raising 8,000 pounds or more of live animal weight to run their operations using a nutrient management plan that addresses both nitrogen and phosphorus inputs But this far-reaching legislation also touches a number of other interests, including people who apply nutrients, poultry growers and companies, and Maryland-certified nutrient management consultants, who must now begin writing nutrient management plans based on both soil nitrogen and phosphorus.
For more information see: Nutrient Management
AG LAND PRESERVATION
The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1977 and is part of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The Foundation purchases agricultural preservation easements that forever restrict development on prime farmland and woodland. MALPF settled on its first purchased easement in October 1980.
By the end of the 2007 fiscal year, MALPF will have helped landowners permanently protect from development 265,691 acres on 1,933 farms. The Foundation has preserved farmland in all of Maryland's 23 counties. As of June 30, 2007, the Foundation manages a public investment of over $490 million in permanently preserved land valued at approximately $1.5 billion at current prices.
The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program is one of the most successful programs of its kind in the country. The State of Maryland, with the work of the Foundation and its State and local partners, has preserved in perpetuity more agricultural land (now approaching 500,000 acres) than any other state in the country. For more information please contact: Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation or one of the following agencies:
Cecil Land Trust
135 East Main Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-392-9667
Fax: 410-658-2550Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation and Rural Legacy Program
Cecil County Office of Planning and Zoning
200 Chesapeake Blvd, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5220
Fax: 410-996-5305Maryland Environmental Trust
100 Community Place, First Floor
Crownsville, MD 21032-2032
Tel: 410-514-7909
Fax: 410-514-7919
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy
PO Box 169
Queenstown, MD 21658
Phone: 410.827.9756
Fax: 410.827.5765
Maryland Domestic Poultry and Exotic Bird Registration
National Animal Identification System
Premises/Farm Identification and Animal Identification NumberCORN AND FORAGE TESTING AVAILABLE
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Cecil Soil Conservation District |
PHONE: 410-398-4411 ext. 3 |
Updated 4/28/08