Improving Natural Resources in Echols County

Phil Hall, Soil Conservationist with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) began working with Stanley Corbett this spring. At the time Hall was working on a 319 grant with South Georgia Rural Development and Seven Rivers RC&D. This grant was to install Best Management Practice (BMP) sites in the Alapahoochee River Watershed.

Corbett grows 390 acres of tobacco, corn, and soybeans and has 100 cattle. Corbett’s father was a district supervisor for the Alapaha Soil and Water District for 15 years and Corbett himself served 19 years on the Farm Service Agency County Committee. From serving on the committee, he learned how to be a better steward of the land.

When Corbett learned of the 319 grant, he invited Hall to his farm to look at several problems he was having. They first looked at a sensitive area that Corbett was letting his cattle graze. Hall suggested he put up fencing to exclude the cattle from the sensitive area. Corbett also had a field he wanted to convert to grass to help reduce soil erosion and give him more grass to cut for hay. Being that his farms are very sandy, his crops require significant irrigation.

Corbett has several pivots that he wanted to retro fit to improve the irrigation efficiency. Corbett applied and was approved for a fencing and pasture planting BMP thru the 319 Alapahoochee River Grant. He also applied and was approved thru EQIP to retro fit one of his pivots. Corbett installed 2,593 feet of woven wire fencing and three double gates to exclude his cattle from the sensitive area and sprigged 24 acres of Tift 85 Bermuda for his pasture planting BMP.

Through his EQIP contract, he installed 1,362 feet of low drop sprinklers and an end gun booster pump on one of his pivots to improve irrigation efficiency. As part of the 319 grant, NRCS, South Georgia Rural Development, Seven Rivers RC&D, EPD, UGA and other agencies held a field day at Corbett’s and another BMP participant on June 13, 2007.

There were 35 local producers and different agency personnel in attendance. At the field day, NRCS discussed pasture planting, use exclusion fencing and pivot retro fits to improve irrigation efficiency. Corbett recommended NRCS and the other agencies to his friends and neighbors to help improve our natural resources.

Corbett said through 319 grants and other programs like EQIP he will be able to leave his land in better shape for his children. He also said the program teaches his children how to be better stewards of the land and the importance of natural resources.

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