Browsing by Author "Holm, Kathy"
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- Promotion and Adoption of Soil Health in Virginia: The Power of a Simple Demonstration and StoryBendfeldt, Eric S.; Thomason, Wade E.; Niewolny, Kimberly L.; Parrish, Michael J.; Lawrence, Chris; Holm, Kathy (2019-07-17)Soil is a foundational resource for farming, natural resource conservation, and health in the 21st century. Virginia farmers have made significant progress in protecting and conserving natural resources. Controlling soil loss and nutrient runoff — non-point source pollution — from all possible sources continues to be critical for water quality protection and clean-up efforts throughout Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The current emphasis on soil health encourages an integrated holistic, systemic approach to soil management. Soil health principles bring to light the importance of soil organic matter (SOM), carbon, fungi, bacteria, and soil insects as key drivers to the system and integral for building and enhancing soil’s physical and chemical properties. Virginia Tech, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, along with community partners, have worked to find common ground around a similar educational message for agricultural professionals, technical service providers, and the farming community. The message emphasizes soil as a living ecosystem and the need to care for the soil's biological properties as well as the physical and chemical properties. Simple in-class and on-farm demonstrations (i.e., slake test, rainfall simulator) and stories of farmers’ experiences (i.e., through panels, short videos and technical clips) are powerful in promoting and encouraging the adoption of core soil health principles in Virginia. The power of a simple demonstration and story complements on-going research and demonstration efforts while enabling outreach to a broader educational audience. For example, a rainfall simulator demonstration at the Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction’s Annual Membership meeting enabled Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia USDA-NRCS to reach not only 120 farmers within a Mennonite community with a soil health message but also women, youth, and children in the community who are stewards of land and market and family gardens.
- The Waste Solutions Forum: An Innovative and Cooperative Approach to Support the Agricultural Community and Protect Water QualityBendfeldt, Eric S.; Knowlton, Katharine F.; Denckla Cobb, Tanya; Dukes, Franklin; Holm, Kathy; Ogejo, Jactone Arogo (2007-12)Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contamination of water resources is a significant concern for the Chesapeake Bay and threatens the economic viability of farming communities within the Shenandoah Valley. Nutrient reduction challenges in the Shenandoah Valley are greater because the excess nutrients in the region are largely in the form of manure and poultry litter, which have traditionally been applied to cropland and are difficult and expensive to transport long distances. Poultry is Virginia's top revenue earner for receipts in the agricultural sector and employs 12,000 people statewide. Dairy farming generates about $300 million in farm receipts in Virginia and 40 percent of the state's 795 dairy farms are located in the Shenandoah Valley. The Waste Solutions Forum was convened in April 2005 by Virginia Tech faculty and a planning committee comprised of individuals representing the agricultural and environment conservation communities and other interest groups to explore innovative, economically viable, and long-term solutions to these nutrient challenges and issues. Nearly 80 invitees from the agricultural, business, regulatory, environmental, and academic communities participated in a facilitated "outcome-based" discussion that resultedin a detailed strategy for addressing excess manure and litter, including specific priority actions for research, pilot projects, policy, and education. The Forum and its steering committee continue to focus on these strategies and long-term solutions to the nutrient challenge facing animal agriculture in an effort to support the agricultural community and protect water quality. This collaborative approach of traditional and non-traditional partnerships has allowed the Forum to make significant progress toward long-term solutions and achieving the defined priority actions, including receipt of over $2 million in grant funds, implementation of multiple on-the-ground pilot projects, numerous educational events, and coordinated policy to support agriculture and improve water quality.