Farming in Virginia: Let the Earth Heal

In 2018, the Coalition was approached by its Virginia members to help communicate about the benefits of the Commonwealth’s Agricultural Cost-Share Program. This program helps farmers implement best management practices (BMPs), like stream fencing, tree plantings, and well installation, on their land by helping to offset the costs of these projects. The amount of money available for these projects varies from year to year and, in some areas of the state, the demand exceeds available funds. As part of our effort to educate the public about the importance of this funding, the Coalition embarked on conducting a series of recorded interviews with farmers who have used the funding on their land.

Driving through the hills of western Virginia, I couldn’t help but think back on everything that we had done to get to this point. For months, our Coalition members and the local Soil and Water Conservation District representatives had worked to find farmers who had benefited from the Commonwealth’s Agricultural Cost-Share program and were willing to talk about it to a total stranger (me) and on camera. I understand. I don’t know how much I would enjoy some random person coming to my home and recording me walking around my property while asking me questions about my work. However, once we were there it wasn’t hard to get folks talking about all of the work they had done on their land.

The first visit we went on was a late addition to our shooting schedule and I am SO thankful that we were able to make it work. Not only was it the only sunny day out of the two filming days, but the farm manager, Tony Pullaro, was incredible to meet. Tony grew up on a family farm in New Garden, Virginia, but has been managing Edgemont Farm for the past 25 years. I was shocked to learn that Edgemont Farm has been around since 1796 and is home to one of the last residential buildings designed by Thomas Jefferson. The property also includes more than 500 acres of farmland.

Tony has been working with the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District since 2003, when they installed their first stream exclusion fencing and planted their first buffer. Touring the property, you can see the difference 15 years of conservation makes. The trees are tall, strong and healthy, and Tony has noticed more fish and other aquatic life showing up in the stream. The last project was just installed in 2017, which installed more fencing to exclude all the remaining streams and, in partnership with the James River Association, planted trees in the new buffer.

Luke Longanecker, Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District and Tony Pullaro, Edgemont Farm, standing in a buffer that was started in 2017.

This buffer was started in 2017 and, just 5 months before this photo was taken, trees were planted in partnership with the James River Association.

Trees were already starting to take off and the grasses had already returned to the fenced off area. These will help provide shade and stability to the creek, while also helping to filter out pollution from the farm land nearby.

This is what a healthy buffer looks like! This 15 year-old buffer has brought wildlife and clean water back to this local creek.

These projects that Edgemont Farm has installed on their property not only help keep the waterways clean, but also keep the cattle they raise healthier!

Tony with his cattle.

In total, Edgemont Farm has received $63,531.92 from the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share Program, which has enabled them to install roughly 16,000 feet of stream exclusion fencing and created 40 acres of buffer. They also installed nine water troughs in conjunction with the stream fencing to create a 10 paddock rotational grazing system.

This is why the Coalition and its Virginia members support increased and steady funding for the cost-share program. To learn more about this program, visit www.vcnva.org/agriculture/