Winston County Hosts Forestry Field Day

 by Amber Johnson, Soil Conservationist, Hamilton, AL

On April 13, 2007, at the farm of John and Mary Sudduth, the Winston County Natural Resources Coordinating Council (WCNRCC) sponsored a field day demonstrating a variety of conservation practices. Community support was tremendous with more than 100 landowners, farmers, and loggers in attendance.

There is no better way to promote conservation than to feature a landowner who is applying it with success. John Sudduth is having success with the application of a silvopasture system on his property that meets his objectives of tree and cattle production. John spoke about establishing and managing this kind of system.

The silvopasture accomplishments on the Sudduth farm have been featured in several publications. In addition to seeing the older silvopasture areas on the Sudduth farm, tour participants saw newly planted areas of grazing in a younger timber stand.

There were several tour stops spread over the property. At these stops, presenters talked about established conservation practices including water facilities, fencing to exclude access to streams and facilitate rotational grazing, and heavy use areas for high concentrated areas in pastures. Participants were informed of the cost-share opportunities through Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to install these practices.

Other discussion sites included invasive species control, small ruminant management, wildlife management, and a demonstration by Chris Ford, area soil scientist, on soil mapping equipment. The soil mapping station publicized the on-going soil survey in Winston County.

Thanks to all the cooperating agencies and volunteers who made the field day such a success.

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