"EQIP" Helps Farms and the Environment
US - This year's drought has left more and more farmers seeking ways to re-cultivate their pastures.
17 October 2007
1 minute read
Not only that, but many ponds have dried up, leaving water sources to a minimum.
We took a look at the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or "EQIP," that helps farmers help the environment.
Milton Milam owns nearly 400-acres of farmland in Warren County and leases another 150-acres.
This year, he wanted to try something different--to have more head of cattle on the same acreage of land.
"We wanted to do some things to help the environment also," Milam explained.
In order to do that, he needed more water sources and to keep the water he did have clean.
"The main issue we had was needing water in different areas of the farm," Milam said.
Milam enlisted the help of the federal EQIP program, which offers farmers incentives to help conserve natural resources.
"If you have four more fields and you want to make that make efficient, it's hard to put water in every field because of the cost," explained Jeremy Atkinson, a Warren County conservation officer.
