Palm Beach Soil & Water
Conservation District
AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS
Natural Resource Concerns and Solutions
In partnership with USDA/Natural Resource Conservation Service, the District works one-on-one with producers to develop a conservation plan that outlines conservation practices and activities to help solve on-farm resource issues. Producers implement Best Management Practices and activities in their conservation plan that can lead to cleaner water and air, healthier soil and better wildlife habitat, all while improving their agricultural operations.
For more information on programs, please contact our office or visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov
Nursery Overhead Efficiency Project
The Nursery Overhead Efficiency Project helps reduce runoff in our local water sources and conserve energy through reduction in pump run time. Nursery growers from Indian River to Miami-Dade are eligible for the replacement of their irrigation heads with a more efficient mini wobbler head, at no cost. The District has exchanged/installed over 20,000 heads (and counting) with an estimated water savings of over 150.60 million gallons per year.
This highly sought out project is funded partially through South Florida Water Management District's Cooperative Funding program as a 40/60 cost share.
Agriculture Mobile Irrigation Lab
As part of the ongoing effort to improve water quality standards and ensure water conservation, the District recently expanded their Agriculture Mobile Irrigation Lab to cover counties from Port St. Lucie down to Miami-Dade.
Complementary irrigation expertise is provided to agricultural growers by analyzing irrigation systems and educating them on how to improve the efficiency of their systems and equipment. The practices reduce water quantity and improve water quality by reducing potentially hazardous runoff, which benefits both the grower and the environment. The program is funded through the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Contact our office for more information or to schedule an evaluation.
PBC Ag Reserve
The District works in the Ag Reserve on lands purchased by the County with funds from the March 1999 Conservation Lands Bond. Over 2188 acres are leased for agricultural production throughout the area. As a liaison for the County, the District monitors the farms and nurseries on a monthly basis to ensure that proper agricultural practices are conducted in the form of Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs include nutrient and pesticide management, irrigation and safety management, soil conservation practices and buffers, erosion control, and sediment management. Detailed information and photos are reported to the County.