A Lesson on EQIP for Landowners

The Montgomery-Harris & Associated Counties Forest Land Owners Association participated in a tour on May 20, 2006. The landowners requested a tour to view the conservation practices on the ground installed with the EQIP Farm Bill Program. John Fancher, DC, Conroe, presented programs on the practices to the group as they toured two Montgomery County farms that have existing EQIP contracts.

Bertrand Properties, Ltd., a tree farm, hosted the group to learn about forestry conservation practices. The cost-shared practices on Bertrand Properties are chemical and mechanical site preparation, tree planting and forest stand improvement. The group of 26 landowners was also educated about the non-cost shared conservation practices of forest thinning, and upland wildlife habitat management for white tail deer, squirrels, and non-game song birds.

The second farm toured was the Grey Eagle Ranch, a cow-calf operation. Owners, Bill and Carol Twyman, emphasized the cost-shared practices of grass planting, establishment of nutrient and pest management, a grade stabilization structure, cross fencing, and livestock water pipelines. Other practices installed with conservation technical assistance on the tour are pasture planting (cool season legumes and grains for winter grazing), nutrient and pest management for production, brush management, prescribed grazing, and water troughs.

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