Patrick County Soil and Water Receives Award-Best Management
February 16, 2010
The Patrick County Soil and Water Conservation District presented Larry and Suzanne Hutchens with the Virginia Clean Water Farm Award at their February Board meeting.
The Clean Water Farm award was established to provide special recognition to farmers who demonstrated a commitment to natural resource conservation through the implementation of best management practices and management of their lands. Pictured left to right is Wayne Clark with the Patrick SWCD and Larry and Suzanne Hutchens. Each year, the Patrick Soil and Water Conservation District along with 47 other Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout Virginia and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation are proud to sponsor the Clean Water Farm Award. (Photo by Sandra W. Heath)
The Patrick Soil and Water Conservation District presented Mr. and Mrs. Larry Hutchens with the Virginia Clean Water Farm Award. The Clean Water Farm award was established to provide special recognition to farmers who demonstrated a commitment to natural resource conservation through the implementation of best management practices
and management of their lands. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation was given lead responsibility for program development and administration and the Department relies upon Soil and Water Conservation Districts to select worthy recipients within their communities.
Larry and Suzanne Hutchens own two separate farms in the Russell Creek Watershed in Southeastern part of Patrick County. They lease their farms to two separate farmers. One farmer backgrounds calves while the other farmer runs a cow calf operation for grass fed beef. Even though Larry doesn’t actually farm the land himself, he spends both time and money keeping his farms in great shape. He was tired of seeing all the damage the livestock were doing to the stream banks and how muddy his ponds would stay, so he decided to do something about it.
With cost share assistance from the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and Virginia Best Management Practices Program, he has installed and implemented several practices that have increased the conservation value of his farm. Larry has fenced livestock from 2000 feet of Russell Creek and installed 100 foot wide riparian buffers along Russell Creek where existing buffers were not present. He fenced over 5000 feet of small springs that are part of the Russell Creek Watershed and installed new riparian buffers along the springs where necessary. He also fenced livestock out of 3 ponds and restored the damaged banks of those ponds which were destroyed by the livestock. Overall he planted 6.3 acres of new riparian buffers and protected several acres of existing buffers. To provide cattle with water; he drilled a well, installed 3,000 feet of pipeline, three four hole frost free watering troughs, and three limited access stream crossings. Larry also installed 2,000 feet of permanent interior fencing to set-up rotational grazing systems on his farms.
Larry and Suzanne have significantly improved the conservation value and the overall appearance of their farms. They have always given to their community and they continue to give today by installing conservation practices on their farm that provides numerous benefits to their community.
Past Patrick County recipients of the local Clean Water Farm Award include Leon and Jane Stevens, John and Rose Wood, Marion and Glenda Cobbler, Ted and Brenda Kirby, B H Cooper Farm, Dewey Moss and Roger Wilson, Clarence and Darrell Mitchell, Chester Turner and Mr. and Mrs. John F. Clark who also received the Roanoke River Basin Clean Water Farm Award.
The Virginia Department of Conservation Recreation and the Patrick Soil and Water Conservation District located in the USDA Service Center on Stonewall Court in Stuart are proud to sponsor the Clean Water Farm Award. In Virginia, farmers voluntarily incorporate nutrient management and other environmental safeguards within agriculture operations as their contribution toward protecting water quality for citizens throughout the commonwealth. There are 47 Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout Virginia.