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EMS and Agriculture Links
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- National Partnership for Livestock Environmental Management Systems
- National Partnership for Livestock Environmental Management Systems contains a great deal of information about agricultural EMS's and what paths the other pilot states are following as compared to Virginia.
- Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Virginia Cooperative Extension has a variety of assessment instruments that may be useful for your operation, as well as contact information for all extension offices.
- Virginia Environmental Excellence Program
- The DEQ sponsored Virginia Environmental Excellence Program recognizes operations who are striving to improve their environmental performance. Farms just starting out in the EMS process should find the E2 level of participation easily achievable. Information about the program, benefits, and how to apply can be found on this website.
- Agricultural Low Interest Loans
- This site has information about the Virginia DEQ Low Interest Loan program that is available to agricultural producers implementing designated practices for water quality improvement.
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Additional Assessment Tools
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- Virginia Poultry EMS Tools
- The assessment tools modified specifically for use with the Virginia EMS
Guidebook are located here.
- OFAER On-Farm Assessment & Environmental Review
- The OFAER program will provide a free environmental assessment for you operations by a third-party auditor. This assessment is completely voluntary and confidential.
- VA Farm*A*Syst
- The Virginia Farm*A*Syst program offers many worksheets that can function as assessment instruments. A list of the thirteen worksheets, which cover a wide range of topics such as poultry, livestock, petroleum, drinking water, and other issues commonly encountered on farmsteads, can be found here.
- Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship Curriculum
- An excellent project that can provide assessment material for things like animal diet, manure storage, nutrient management, air quality, and other agriculture related issues.
- A Landowner's Guide to Wildlife Abundance through Forestry
- Virginia Coop. Ext. Publication # 420-138 detailing methods to improve wildlife habitat through forestry.
- Managing Wildlife Habitat
- Information for managing wildlife habitat and specific information for species-specific management.
- Farm Energy Center
- Information for improving the energy efficiency of your farming operation and reducing energy costs. Some poultry specific information is located at: www.farmenergy.com/livestock-tn44.html
- Agricultural Energy Assessments
- More farm energy information, these assessments are still being developed and may undergo changes. If you do not see the appropriate assessment for your type of operation, check back regularly.
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