This month's featured state conservation agency program could be an episode of the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs. 

Mike Rowe doesn't know what he's missing when the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, with its partners, semi-annually conducts the award winning international Maine Compost School.

Participants learn to manage medium and large scale composting operations, which include systems for animal carcasses, seafood waste, municipal and invessel sludge, and other organic matter. 

Bill Seekins, Maine Department of Agriculture Food and Rural Resources, owes the Compost School's success to the collaborative efforts of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine State Planning Office, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and his own department.  Bill commented, "during this training, hands-on exercises reinforce the classroom lessons.  They give the graduates a much higher level of confidence when they begin managing, or even regulating, compost businesses.  Our team exercises make this program fun for both the students and the instructors."

Highmoor Farm, Monmouth, a University of Maine research facility, hosts the classroom instructions, laboratory experiences, and project activities.  They include instruction in composting biology, rules and regulations, feedstocks, equipment, siting and site management, disease suppression, record-keeping, odor control, compost recipe development, and much more.

Established commercial, community, and farm composting managers pitch-in to reinforce the compost school concepts.  Students visit their facilities to ask questions and see the operations first-hand.

Participants can request an optional examination to show their knowledge at the end of the five-day course. Passing students receive a "Certificate of Technical Ability." The Maine Compost School qualifies graduates as compost site operators, and each receives a certificate upon completion of the course.

Participants pay $495 for all instructional materials, refreshments, publications, and videos.  Registration closes with twenty participants.

Learn more.  Contact:  Bill Seekins at 207-287-7531.

Though the first application period was relatively short, soil and water conservation districts showed tremendous interest.  Commented Rahe, “I haven’t seen this much excitement from districts in quite a while.”

In the first two months, eighteen districts submitted twenty-one special projects and requested over $127,000.00. The vast majority of projects included urban practices such as bioswales, rain gardens, storm water detention, shoreline protection and concentrated well capping, or sealing, efforts.

Illinois state conservation agency staff expects more conservation districts to embrace the program as they become familiar with the possibilities.

Any Illinois soil and water conservation district may apply for one or more special projects up to $10,000.00 (cost-share) each.  A project may include one or more practices, with more than one landowner, and may involve more than one conservation district.

Other program improvements will provide districts with more flexibility to address local needs, including a two tier level of cost-share for crop land with soil loss above 2T.  Another change allows conservation district employees, certified by the state conservation agency, to write nutrient management plans.

Washington Farmland:  Here Today, Here Tomorrow

What images come to mind when you think of Washington State?  At the top of the list for many:  rolling wheat fields, flowering orchards, forested vistas, green hay fields, and…OK…rain.   

They Like it Here

The thought of Washington State without its extensive rural landscape is hard to imagine, yet today developed land replaces farmland at an alarming rate.  This loss of farmland translates into loss of the beauty and heritage of Washington, an important component of the economy.  Development pressures and rising costs render farmers hard-pressed to preserve their working lands without help.  Washington risks the loss of environmental benefits that farmland provides, including wildlife habitat and opportunity for groundwater recharge. 

Preserving farmland is “homeland security” in the truest sense.

Hears to the Washington Legislature

For these reasons the Washington Conservation Commission, in partnership with conservation districts, farm organizations, and others, worked with the 2007 Washington State Legislature to authorize and fund an Office of Farmland Preservation (OFP). Recognizing the many links among conservation districts, private landowners, and successful conservation projects and partnerships, the Legislature chose to house the OFP within the Conservation Commission.  The new office’s success will depend on the already-established local networks and trusted relationships.

The legislation authorized the creation of a sixteen-member Farmland Preservation Task Force.  At least six of the members must be farmers from across the state.     

The creation of OFP and the appointment of the task force will now provide a single, statewide entity to:

·         Collect, brainstorm, and disseminate ideas in a comprehensive manner;

·         Develop model programs and tools to retain land for agricultural production; and

·         Create processes to enable State partnership in preservation mechanisms, such as purchase of development rights.  

Right Here, Right Now

There has never been a more important time to ensure that farming remains a viable industry in Washington State, and the OFP will identify pathways and resources to see that Washington farms are not only here today, but also here tomorrow.

Hear, hear!

The Commission recently hired Steve McGonigal as OFP manager.  Contact Steve at 360.407.6201.