East of Hudson Whole Farm Planning
Whole Farm Planning is a collaborative effort between EOH staff and participants to address water quality issues and support agricultural operations. A Whole Farm Plan (WFP) identifies and mitigates environmental resource concerns to protect the New York City watershed without negatively impacting the economic viability of the agriculture enterprise by integrating farm operations into the decision-making process.
A Whole Farm Plan is developed by EOH’s conservation planners in partnership with the participating landowners and producers using the NYS Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) process to identify resource concerns including nutrients, parasites, agrichemicals and sediment. Conservation practices or Best Management Practices (BMPs) are developed to address water quality issues identified on the farm.
EOH’s planning staff conduct an Annual Status Review (ASR) with all participants to review conservation practices, identify additional resource concerns, develop further BMPs and ensure the WFP is addressing all water quality issues.
East of Hudson Program
The Watershed Agricultural Council works with farm and forest landowners in the East of Hudson Watershed to address potential pollution concerns and protect New York City’s water supply. The East of Hudson portion of the watershed is New York City’s original upstate water supply has been providing safe, clean drinking water to the city since 1842. It covers 375 square miles in Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester and Fairfield counties with 13 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes.
Intense residential and commercial development has relegated farmland to a small portion of the region’s land base but agriculture remains an important component of the landscape. The East of Hudson Watershed is home to numerous horse boarding and training facilities, as well as orchards, nurseries and many vegetable and livestock farms. East of Hudson farms address the region’s increasing demand for fresh, locally-produced farm products through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, farmstands, pick-your-own fruit or vegetables and agritourism opportunities which draw thousands of people to the region from surrounding urban and suburban areas.
Farms and forests demonstrating good environmental stewardship and utilizing Best Management Practices are preferred land uses in the New York City watershed to protect the public water supply and preserve landscapes. The East of Hudson Program addresses unique water quality concerns on farms in the suburban areas where development pressure, dense populations and intense agricultural land use challenge environmental resources and water quality. The East of Hudson team works with eligible farm owners to identify and assess potential risks to the water quality, review the farm’s operation, develop a comprehensive Whole Farm Plan and provide technical assistance and funding to implement conservation practices.
The East of Hudson Program is a voluntary partnership between Watershed Agricultural Council and watershed farmers to protect water quality, improve their farms, and increase the regional viability of agriculture. If your farm or forest is located in the EOH watershed and you would like more information about the EOH program, please contact our Yorktown Heights office at (914) 962-6355.
EOH Whole Farm Plan Implementation
EOH’s planning and engineering staff work with participants to develop and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to address water quality concerns identified through the planning process. Planning, design and implementation of EOH conservation practices is based on USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service’s standards and specifications for BMPs. EOH engineers work closely with participants to ensure BMPs address water quality concerns and improve farm operations. The EOH program provides funding for BMP implementation based on the environmental resource concerns identified in the AEM process and the number of animal units on the farm. Implementation of projects is based on EOH’s farm ranking, project prioritization and identified water quality concerns.
Contact
For more information contact the Director of Operations, Amy Faulkner.
Amy Faulkner, Director of Operations
Phone: 607-865-7790 ext. 102
E-mail: afaulkner@nycwatershed.org