WV Farm Bureau Magazine March 2016 | Page 18

a large scale on-farm compost . He also raises 70 percent of the grain he needs for poultry and hog ventures and all of the hay he needs for beef cattle . Mike explained that without the NRCS , he would not have been able to accomplish so much on his farm in such a short amount of time . “ I rolled over the reimbursement from one program to begin another , and was able to accomplish in five years what likely would have taken me fifteen ,” he said .
In the future Mike hopes to continue to reduce the crop inputs imported on his farm and move toward 100 percent grain fed stuffs produced on his farm . He says that his customers value his stewardship of the land , and that he is able to help his local community with all of his conservation practices .
fencing , he is able to increase the cows ’ forage utilization by limiting the space in which they graze . When the cows have used up the forage in one area , he moves the fencing and the cows to a new section .
Mike said , “ NRCS is there to help the farmer help the land , which I think is worthwhile , respectable work .” He would encourage other farmers to utilize NRCS programs on their farms , with the understanding that they are committed to completing the program if they decide to sign up . “ The folks in the field office are there to help and advise you ,” Mike said . “ They really want to see you succeed .”
Presently , Mike is working on a runoff drain that will allow the water from the barns and other structures to be collected in a storage tank that sits on a cement pad , then run under ground to assist with water management .
All of these projects have taken time and effort to develop and perfect , but according to Mike the process is well worth it in the end . “ Initially it takes some time to familiarize yourself with the programs and the requirements , but once I did this , my work with NRCS was easy ,” he said . “ I could navigate existing contracts and research new programs with ease .” After some extensive research of the programs on his own , Mike got in contact with NRCS and began developing his Conservation Plan . Mike said , “ NRCS helped design each project , which took into account local rainfall , estimated cost , intended use or stocking rate , and depending on the project , how much we would be reimbursed using a percentage of the cost of implementing the practices .”
After only five years , Mike has accomplished several goals , but has many more . He is starting
Photos : Page 16 , The Kwasniewski ’ s now-restored barn ; Page 17 , top : Pam Kwasniewski and son , Mike , discuss rotational grazing ; bottom : High tunnel built with assistance from NRCS . Page 18 , top : Cattle utilizing Protected Barnyard pad against a picturesque background ; bottom : Mike ’ s compost project . Magazine cover photo : Snow-covered Heavy Use Area Protection road . Photos by Joan Harman .
18 West Virginia Farm Bureau News