DOVER – The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village was the setting for the annual Governor’s Conservation Awards. DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, Delaware Association of Conservation Districts President Roland Hill, and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Kasey Taylor, led a ceremony recognizing this year’s honorees and signed a proclamation officially designating Soil and Water Stewardship Week in Delaware under the theme, “Healthy Soil, Healthy Life.”
“These honorees worked with Delaware’s conservation partners to implement model conservation practices on their farms and in their businesses and projects.” said Secretary Garvin. “I would also recognize a great partnership between DNREC and Delaware’s conservation districts, who provide invaluable support to DNREC’s conservation mission. These awards highlight the beneficial outcomes of these relationships, and we’d like to take a moment to recognize the hard work that’s been done.”
Delaware’s Conservation Districts, one in each county, are a unique governmental unit in partnership with DNREC. Their mission is to provide technical and financial assistance to help Delawareans conserve and improve their local natural resources, including solving land, water and related resource problems; developing conservation programs to solve them; enlisting and coordinating help from public and private sources to accomplish these goals; and increasing awareness of the inter-relationship between human activities and the natural environment. Delaware’s district supervisors have a statewide organization, the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD), a voluntary, non-profit alliance that provides a forum for discussion and coordination among the Conservation Districts.
Kent County Ag Winner Chris & Karen Breeding with Secretary Garvin, DACD President Roland Hill, NRCS State Conservationist Kasey Taylor
New Castle County Urban Winner Simonds Garden Civic Association with Secretary Garvin, NRCS State Conservationist Kasey Taylor
Sussex Ag Award Winner Jay Hastings and family with Secretary Garvin, Sussex County District Coordinator David Baird, DACD President Roland Hill, NRCS State Conservationist Kasey Taylor
Sussex County Urban Award Winner Meadows at Beaver Creek with with Secretary Garvin, Sussex County District Coordinator David Baird, DACD President Roland Hill, NRCS State Conservationist Kasey Taylor
This year’s Conservation Award winners are:
NEW CASTLE COUNTY
AGRICULTURAL: Jeff Bartsch
For more than 30-years, Jeff Bartsch has been one of NCCD’s primary contractors for tax ditch work and drainage improvement projects in New Castle County. As a landowner/farmer Jeff has been involved with the Herring Branch Tax Ditch for many years, taking care of ditch maintenance. In December 2021, he became Chair of the Herring Branch Tax Ditch. Jeff has tried to do his part to improve water quality and soil health on his farms. Jeff has implemented a total of 1,947 acres of cover crop with the NCCD’s cover crop cost-share program over the past 14 years and a total of 172 acres of cover crop using NRCS EQIP funds. Jeff also completed a subsurface – tile replacement project at his farm with District water management cost-share funds in 2014.
URBAN: Simonds Garden Civic Association
The community wide project that addresses improved drainage and stormwater impairments, started with several meetings of the Simonds Gardens Civic Association, NCCD staff and the engineering consultant team followed by a neighborhood walk to identify issues of concern within the Simonds Gardens community. An engineering study and construction plans were partially funded with a matching grant from the Water Infrastructure Advisory Council (WIAC), NCCD RC&D funds and Community Transportation Funds (CTF). Consulting engineering design services were provided by AECOM’s David Athey, P.E. and Lawrence R. Carson, P.E. of the Carson Management Co.
KENT COUNTY
AGRICULTURAL: Chris & Karen Breeding
Chris and Karen Breeding of Greenwood, DE own Tomahawk Cattle and Twin Cedar Ag. Chris is a 5th Generation Farmer and his wife is an Agriculture Teacher at Woodbridge High School. Currently they till 254.39 acres of cropland, consisting of corn, soybeans, cover crop and hay. They have on average 12-15 beef cattle and have received cost share assistance from the Kent Conservation District, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service for 2 manure storage structures, 3 heavy use area protection, fencing, 2 waterers, pipeline and more recently are in phase 1 of 3 of the installation of a pattern tile. They utilize the Kent Conservation District to keep their Nutrient Management Plan up to date and have been long standing participants in the Kent Conservation District Cover Crop Program.
URBAN: The Meadows of Beaver Creek
In 2019, the Meadows of Beaver Creek, a 154-home development in Harbeson, began exploring ways to enhance the barren open space. The Common Area Landscape Improvement (CALI) team was formed and designed a plan to combine ornamental aesthetics with ecological plants. The CALI team began implementing the five-year, three-phase plan to create attractive naturalistic enhancements that mimic the coastal landscape. In spring 2021, pond buffers were enlarged and enhanced with native plants while homeowners donated over 50 trees. In fall 2021 an additional 36 trees were added with the goal of reaching 125 trees total. Subsequent phases include shrubs, perennials, groundcover, wildflowers, pond enhancement and pond aeration. The change not only benefits the community but also wildlife and pollinators. The trees, meadows and pond buffers will absorb excess water and filter nutrients, improving water quality entering Beaverdam Creek and the Delaware Bay.
SUSSEX COUNTY
AGRICULTURAL: Jay Hastings
As a fourth-generation farmer, Jay Hastings grew up learning the importance of drainage and responsible land management. As the owner of Westwind Farms, Inc., he implements conservation practices on nearly 1,000 acres in western Sussex County, all within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. He has planted cover crops for many years and two years ago he began participating in the Sussex Conservation Districts (SCD) cover crop program. Hastings practices conservation tillage which minimizes soil disturbance, improving soil health and productivity. His goal is to leave the ground better than when he started and when he cleared woodland to put into production he wanted to give back to the land.
In 2020 SCD helped Hastings transform marginal land into a wildlife habitat with three shallow ponds. The improvements provide a buffer between wildlife and crops but also collect excess water allowing for more productive cropland and improved water quality. As manager of the Bacon and Kenney tax ditch, he is working diligently to restore drainage while implementing conservation practices such as vegetative buffers which capture sediment and filter nutrients while providing a barrier between farmland and adjacent homes.
URBAN: Champions Club at Jonathan’s Landing
Champions Club at Jonathan’s Landing is being awarded for their practices implemented that aid in sediment erosion and stormwater management. Reforesting, native species introduction and vegetative management of open space are some of the practices used. The community has developed the open space that previously contained golfing greens and walkways as vegetative open space to be enjoyed as a natural conservation area.
These actions ensure that stormwater and sediment is contained within the conservation area and what water does enter nearby stormwater, best management practices contain very little sediment and debris. Through the community’s action they prevent costly repairs to the stormwater infrastructure that conveys stormwater through the conservation area.
Delaware Association of Conservation Districts’ Legislator of the Year
DACD recognizes Representative Valerie J. Longhurst for her enthusiastic advocacy for the Clean Water for Delaware Act, signed into law on July 22, 2021.
As the primary sponsor and champion for HB200, Rep. Longhurst worked with the Delaware Conservation Partnership and elected officials on both sides of the aisle to ensure the bill’s success. “My goal with the Clean Water for Delaware Act was to create an innovative new program to fund projects that would tackle water quality challenges on many fronts.” said Rep. Longhurst, “We will help to right the wrongs of the past and, perhaps most importantly, we will set Delaware on a path to a future where people from all walks of life can enjoy the beauty and splendor of our streams, rivers, lakes and beaches.”
To View the Program from the 2022 Governor’s Award click HERE
