Data from a new agricultural best management practices survey will help document Virginia farmers’ voluntary soil and water conservation efforts. Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is sending its producer members in the Chesapeake Bay watershed a link to the online survey; producers are asked to complete the survey by March 12.

Farmers in the bay watershed must meet certain nutrient reduction goals by 2025 to avoid mandatory conservation practices. The “Voluntary Agricultural Best Management Practices Inventory” will collect details about voluntary farm practices like planting cover crops, installing stream fencing for livestock, and applying nutrient management plans.

The confidential survey was designed by members of Virginia’s Voluntary Agricultural Best Management Practices Task Force. Virginia Cooperative Extension will integrate verified survey results into the state’s reports to the Environmental Protection Agency for documenting nutrition reduction loads required under Virginia’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan.

For more information about the survey, frequently asked questions, or to access the survey link online, please visit https://vaswcd.org/virginia-farm-voluntary-agricultural-bmp-inventory. Participants are asked to submit their responses by March 12, 2021.