DELMARVA - The Delmarva Chicken Association (DCA) has teamed with the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to invest $2 million in cost-share programs to encourage farmers to adopt chicken farming best management practices.
According to the Delmarva Chicken Association, the investment aims to improve vegetation buffers along streams, precision nutrient management, litter management, and conservation drainage in across Chesapeake Bay watersheds.
Backed by a $997,327 grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and $1 million in matching funds from the Delmarva Chicken Association, the State of Maryland, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other groups, the effort is hoped to bring increased conservation measures to Delmarva farms and improve the waters of the Chesapeake.
"Since the 1980s, farmers have increased food production to meet growing demand while meaningfully reducing agriculture's yearly nitrogen and phosphorus contributions to the Bay, contributing to its improved health today," said Holly Porter, DCA's executive director. "Innovative, collaborative efforts like this one between the chicken community, environmental groups, and funding partners provide an opportunity to realize even more agricultural nutrient reductions, benefiting everyone in the watershed."
DCA says participating farmers can be eligible for up to 100% cost-share for installed practices, which include:
-Trees around the perimeter of farms to provide a visual buffer from neighbors and roads, reduce noise, dust and odor, absorb soil nutrients, and provide shade.
-Large warm-season grasses near tunnel fans that can act like an outdoor air filter, capturing dust and feathers and absorbing ammonia.
-Pollinator plots that can be planted in the swales between houses, around retention ponds, or in open areas that normally are mowed, reducing flooding and capturing soil nutrients in their roots.
"The partnership that has been forged between Nanticoke Watershed Alliance (NWA) and Delmarva Chicken Association is a testimony to each organization's commitment to preserving the environment while supporting our local economy," said Lisa Wool, executive director of Nanticoke Watershed Alliance. "Through direct collaborative work with the farmers, we strive to have the industry thrive while protecting one of the last wild rivers, the Nanticoke. On-the-farm initiatives that keep our waterways clean on our environmentally sensitive peninsula are good for all inhabitants of the region and beyond. NWA is privileged to be a part of this and to facilitate these impactful efforts."
DCA is accepting applications for farmer participation and qualified landscapers to implement the eco friendly practices. Those interested in applying or learning more can visit dcachicken.com/green or contact the DCA at 302-856-9037.
