Environmental Compliance Support
The experienced, professional group of ACS planners are fortunate to work with some of the best farms across New York State and Vermont. Our team of AEM (Agricultural Environmental Management) certified planners are also Certified Crop Consultants and maintain their CCA status through annual training workshops and conferences, including CNMP certification training.
We are dedicated to helping farms navigate complicated regulations while maintaining successful cropping programs. Our goal is to develop nutrient management plans that keep farms within regulatory boundaries while also being a useful tool for the farm, striking a balance that is good for the farm and the environment.
For more detailed information on the New York CAFO permit:
https//www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6285.html
For more detailed information on the Vermont agricultural water quality regulations:
https://agriculture.vermont.gov/water-quality/regulations
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning
As the name implies, a CNMP is a “comprehensive”, detailed farm plan which includes professional field and farmstead maps, a plan for balancing and handling manure (nutrient management), an assessment of the farm’s resource concerns and a snapshot of the farm’s fertility. As part of the process, planners include a good deal of professional judgement for improvements in all these areas.
ACS develops about 35 CNMP’s a year for farms across the Northeast. Many CNMP’s are developed for farms who are receiving funding assistance through their local Natural Resources Conservation Office (NRCS). ACS works closely with these local and state NRCS offices to be sure necessary requirements are met, and that as a team, we have identified the primary resource concerns that need to be addressed in developing the plan.
Once a CNMP is developed, it can lead to additional funding opportunities for things like manure storage, fencing, or barnyard improvements.
What is included in a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan?
A plan that insures nutrients are used agronomically on the crops with minimal erosion, and insures nutrients are not lost from the farmstead. Includes:
- A crop fertility plan that uses all of the manure nutrients
- Conservation crop rotation, residue management, and tillage plan
- Heavy use area protection (minimize bare soil)
- Animal mortality (composting?)
- Waste management storage, transfer, and use
- Barnyard water management system
- Feed management
All practices in the plan must be consistent with Natural Resources and Conservation Service standards (NRCS)
Nutrient Management Plans
ACS develops Nutrient Management Plans primarily in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. These plans meet state standards for funding while also being a realistic and valuable tool for the farm.