Southeast Virginia Farmers' 20/20 Club: Innovative Motivation in Conservation through Collaboration, Education and Implementation

The purpose of this award is for Virginia Dare SWCD to assist growers working in the unique soil environment of far southeast Virginia in improving their crop production methods, yields, and ultimately their soil management, husbandry, and conservation. Through the course of the project, individual participating growers will be brought together to form the Southeast Virginia Grain Farmers 20/20 Club for sharing information and inspiration about both production and conservation. Growers in Southeast Virginia will be able to see multiple soil health building strategies on relevant soils. Increased yield, increased diversity in either the farms' cash crops or cover crops, reduction in compaction, and increase in organic matter are predicted project benefits. With an "unspoken goal" of finding a champion to be the model for soil health in SE VA grain farming. Virginia Dare SWCD hopes to replicate what the Virginia No-Till Alliance has established in the Shenandoah Valley.