It is going on older stands of hay a year or two before they are plowed for corn and on the several newly established Reed Canary Grass stands. The La Granges rely heavily on the advice of Terry Lavigne, the Albany County Cooperative Extension field scout. The incentive payments that come from the EQIP program help pay the cost of the scouting services. Marvin feels since he has started the program he has had little to no pressure from weeds or insect pests because of the early problem identification and taking the proper corrective action. Mark went on to say that he has seen a measurable difference in the amount of fertilizer purchased, and that this year, all things being considered that it is a wet year, that his operation has not utilized all the dollars that were allocated for fertilizer.
Pest management is another practice that the Stanton Farms rely on.
The incentive dollars provided by the Environmental Quality Incentives program helps pay for the scouting services provided by Albany County Cooperative Extension. Varieties that really work for them, that yield will and provide resistance to disease or pests can be identified and used in future cropping plans. FIP resulted in forest improvement on 376.4 acres in 13 counties during FY 2000. Tree planting and site preparation for natural regeneration practices were employed by three landowners. David and Elizabeth Nichols of Argyle, NY, have been practicing good stewardship on their property since they purchased 155 acres of land in 1989.