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Arkansas Farm*A*Syst Check Sheet
Some farm practices can result in relatively high environmental risks, while
others present low risk or virtually no risk at all. The natural resources on
your farm can be protected by employing best management practices (Bmps) that
deal with the broad range of management choices available in today's agriculture
and forestry. Water quality and quantity, soil quality, pesticide and nutrient
use, wildlife habitat, forestry and waste management are all natural resources
management issues that must be addressed as a part of the farm or forest
operation. Avoidance of these issues can affect the quality of the soil and
water resource broadly, while also risking public health as well as that of you
and your family.
This assessment process will provide you with an accurate self-determined
analysis of how your farmstead structures and farm activities could affect such
components of your daily environment as, drinking water quality, air quality,
soil quality and irrigation water supplies.
Some of the information will be reassuring, and some of it may encourage you
to consider modifying activities to reduce possible risks. All of the
information will aid you as you attempt to deal with state and national
conservation programs such as EQIP.
What Is The Farm Assessment System?
The Farm Assessment System (Farm*A*Syst) is a series of fact sheets and work
sheets that will help you assess how effectively your management practices
protect the environmental quality around you. Farm*A*Syst fact sheets explain
best management practices that can be used to reduce potential sources of
pollution and other environmental risks. The work sheets ask about farm
structures and activities. The answers you provide will help you evaluate your
farm's environmental standing by ranking activities according to associated
risks. Sources to contact regarding any questions you may have are included in a
Reference Organizations section in each fact sheet.
Each of the fact sheets and work sheets individually address areas of
environmental concern. When used to conduct a comprehensive audit of your farm,
the answers provided will put you in a much better position to understand, value
and utilize the multitude of resources available to your environmental
management needs. It is important to look at each issue individually, but it is
also important to look at the big picture.
The following is a list of available fact sheets and accompanying work
sheets. Not all will be applicable to your farm operation. Please check those
that apply and request copies from your local County Agent. NOTE: The assessment
is yours; it is technically a self-audit conducted for pollution prevention
purposes and is a confidential document not subject to subpoena or Freedom of
Information requests, protected by Arkansas State Law. The results will not be
requested or required for consideration in application for EQIP or other
conservation cost share program. Conducting the assessment better positions you
to answer questions necessary to the EQIP application. Your completion of the
assessment will be of value as you work with the Natural Resources Conservation
Service and Farm Service Agency in competing for EQIP cost share.
Fact Sheet 1. Improving Drinking Water Well Condition
Work Sheet 1. Assessing Drinking Water Well Condition
These materials discuss domestic water well location and construction
requirements related to potential for direct surface or groundwater
contamination resulting from farmstead activities. The discussion also
includes guidance for water well testing, installation of backflow devices,
well maintenance and the closure of abandoned wells. This fact sheet and
work sheet will be of value to anyone whose household or farm enterprise
depends upon quality groundwater or whose farm includes abandoned wells.
Fact Sheet 2. Improving Pesticide Storage and Handling
Work Sheet 2. Pesticide Storage and Handling Assessment
These materials look at five areas of pesticide management on the
farmstead: pesticide storage, mixing and loading, spill cleanup, container
disposal and other management practices. There is provided planning
information on constructing and/or modifying storage and mixing facilities
and guidance related to pesticide use record keeping.
Fact Sheet 3. Improving Fertilizer Storage and Handling
Work Sheet 3. Fertilizer Storage and Handling Assessment
These materials include a discussion of fertilizer storage practices and
facilities. Included are general plans for a storage and mixing facility and
loading pad, spill cleanup directions, container disposal practices and
efficiency of use. Record keeping is also an important part of
environmentally conscious fertilizer handling and application management.
Fact Sheet 4. Improving Petroleum Products Storage
Work Sheet 4. Petroleum Products Storage Assessment
These materials deal with potential for fuel and oil contamination of both
surface and groundwater. The discussion includes information about both
above and below ground storage tanks, monitoring or inventory management,
leak or spill containment and tank closure. Also, included is information
about the existing regulatory system and contacts.
Fact Sheet 5. Improving Hazardous Waste Management
Work Sheet 5. Hazardous Waste Management Assessment
This section deals with potentially hazardous wastes produced on the farm.
Materials discussed include ash and sludge from farm trash fires or
incinerators, plastics and containers, paints and solvents and pesticides.
There is also a discussion of laws regulating waste disposal from farms.
Fact Sheet 6. Improving Household Wastewater Treatment
Work Sheet 6. Household Wastewater Treatment Assessment
This section deals with the most common form of farmstead wastewater
treatment, a septic tank. Included in the discussion is system location,
maintenance, water flow control, solids control and the systems process.
Also discussed is the potential for damaging health and environmental
effects as a result of a malfunctioning septic system.
Fact Sheet 7. Improving Management of Animal Production Wastes
Work Sheet 7. Management of Animal Production Wastes Assessment
This section includes a discussion of animal waste management plans,
effective utilization of animal wastes, land application areas and rates,
treatment facilities, siting and management of facilities, calibration of
application equipment, silage storage, dead animal disposal and regulations.
This section deals with production systems that include large animals
(Confined Beef, Dairy, and Swine Operations).
Fact Sheet 8. Improving Poultry Litter Management and Carcass Disposal
Work Sheet 8. Poultry Litter Management and Carcass Disposal
Discussed in this section is the composition and utility of poultry litter
and carcass residues. The discussion recommends that all management take
place within the context of an Animal Waste Management Plan (AWMP).
Information is also provided that outlines the voluntary best management
practices recommended for both optimum production value and environmental
protection.
Fact Sheet 9. Assessing Your Cropland
Work Sheet 9A. Nutrient Management Practices
Work Sheet 9B. Cropland Pest Management Practices
These materials look at issues such as erosion, soil testing, tillage,
irrigation, cover cropping, crop rotation and pesticide use in a cropland
agriculture setting. The questions asked focus on management issues that
pose risk to the natural resources surrounding the cropland situation. There
is provided a list of contacts for additional information on irrigation and
soil management and a glossary of terms for each work sheet.
Fact Sheet 10. Assessing Pasture and Rangelands
This fact sheet should provide guidance in grazing management options
available, riparian zone protection or animal exclusion zones for wildlife
habitat protection, erosion control, nutrient management, erosion control,
livestock water management, etc.
Fact Sheet 11. Fish and Wildlife Considerations in Arkansas
This fact sheet is a brief overview of wildlife habitat issues that should
be considered during any farm-wide environmental assessment. The fact sheet
asks a series of questions related to the variety of habitat alternatives
possible in agriculture situations in the state of Arkansas.
Fact Sheet 12. Forestry Management Considerations in Arkansas
This fact sheet provides guidance for management decisions and options
available to landowners as they attempt to achieve sustainable forestry
objectives. The fact sheet raises questions about riparian zone management,
selective harvest, forest stand improvement practices, specific harvesting
techniques, weed and insect control and wildlife habitat values.
Work Sheet 13. Site Evaluation
The Site Evaluation work sheet is designed to help land users determine the
potential for their actions to affect groundwater. The evaluation has four
basic parts:
- Evaluating soil type and depth
- Evaluating subsurface and geologic material, along with depth to
groundwater
- Determining an overall site evaluation ranking (combining parts 1 and 2)
- Doing a farm/farmstead diagram (optional)
Getting this information will require information from outside sources,
such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (N.R.C.S.) or the
Extension office. The more information you can get the better the evaluation
will be.
Work Sheet 14. Overall Farm/Farmstead Assessment
This compilation of rankings allows you to visually compare specific areas
of environmental risk within the agriculture enterprise. You can focus
efforts on reducing risks in the most critical areas first. This overall
assessment can then become the basis for management decisions such as
application for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP),
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), Conservation Reserve Program (C.R.P.),
Wetlands Reserve Program (W.R.P.), Forestry Incentives Program (FIP) or any
of the many other voluntary state and local conservation assistance programs
available.
Notes:
Published in cooperation with N.R.C.S., F.S.A., U.A.C.E.S., U.A.P.B., A.A.C.D.,
A.D.E.Q., A.G.&.F.C., A.F.C., A.S.W.C.C., D.U., F.W.S., and Arkansas' 75
Conservation Districts.
U.S.D.A. Agencies, University of Arkansas, and State and Local Conservation
Agencies Cooperating
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