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By Derek Amos
Conservation Specialist
On Oct. 12 the Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District (CSWCD) honored Rappahannock County residents, Thomas, Louise, Lindsey and Heidi Eastham, with the Bay Friendly Farm award for their conservation efforts on Rucker Farm.
The 323 acre Rucker Farm operation includes 30 dairy goats, 44 cow/calf pairs, and a creamery where several types of cheeses are made and sold. Utilizing several Best Management Practices (BMPs) through the Ag BMP program, the Easthams were able to install a complex rotational grazing system in order to make better use of available forage.
After installing an astounding 9,660 feet of stream fencing and cross fencing, the grazing areas were split into five paddocks. In addition to the paddock divisions, all the live streams (that cattle were previously accessing) were fenced out. Using the existing spring fed water trough as a source, the Easthams installed two additional water troughs to serve their new paddocks.
This system has not only allowed the Easthams to better manage the grazing activities of their cattle, but it also provides a significanl water quality benefit by protecting over a mile of stream from the negative effects of livestock access and overgrazing.
Overgrazing is very detrimental to our environment because it results in harmful erosion which causes sedi
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