Approximately $1 million in conservation funding assistance is now available to help beginning farmers in Kent County address poultry mortality management
The funding – for implementing water quality best management practices including composters and mortality freezers to address routine mortality – comes through a program led by the Kent Conservation District in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the Department of Agriculture and the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Poultry mortality management that does not involve disposal in the ground is critical to prevent leaching of nutrients, spreading of disease, and attracting vermin, a release stated.
The beginning farmer poultry mortality management project will improve water quality, biosecurity, and also will help Delaware meet nutrient standards in waterways.
Financial assistance in Kent County is made available because beginning farmers face startup costs, and that there is a backlog of applicants awaiting approval through financial assistance programs.
Interested beginning farmers are encouraged to visit the Kent Conservation District office in Dover. The district accepts applications year round, but the next application deadline is June 15.
Funding is through a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project led by the Kent Conservation District, DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship and Watershed Assessment and Management Section, the DDA’s Nutrient Management Program, and the Delmarva Poultry Industry.
In addition, Farm Freezers LLC and Greener Solutions LLC are offering a $100 rebate per freezer unit purchased through the program, along with a collection fee rebate of $100 per flock for one year after installation.
