MAEAP Report

Award was presented to Richard and Ryan Walsworth of Golden Stock Farms, one of the very first award recipients of this annual award, in recognition of the farm’s implementation of important practices that help protect groundwater. Groundwater Stewardship Technician Jack Lake assisted the farm with closing abandoned wells, creating their first emergency farm plan, and completing the first farm risk assessments. With technical assistance provided from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a pesticide storage and mix/load facility was built.

In 2007, the farm became MAEAP Verified, again one of the early farms to do so. The farm has now been re-verified four times, the last two through Jordon’s efforts. While the original conservation stewardship practices are still evident and important, many others have been added including grid soil sampling, drift management, more efficient sprayers with GPS, backflow protection of wells, a variety of irrigation management practices and more.

Today’s farm has expanded to 800 acres including 320 acres of asparagus. Corn, soybeans, and small grains round out the additional acreage. Asparagus season is an extremely busy one with asparagus being grown for both processing and fresh markets. In 2021, Golden Stock Farms received one of MDARD’s Rural Grants to Support Infrastructure allowing the farm to add three-phase power and a new high-tech hydrocooler giv- ing them the capability to cool large amounts of asparagus produced on their farm. Jordon’s degree in Mechanical Engineering proved helpful in getting the system up and running in time for the 2022 asparagus season.

The Walsworth family is proud of the work they do, their farm and its roots, and it is evident to anyone who drives past the farm. While Jordon is the farm manager and operator, his mother Janice is very involved in day-to-day operations. She does the bookwork, takes care of the landscaping around the farm, helps with straw, works in the packing shed during asparagus season, and helps run the grain dryer during corn harvest. Jordon, wife Sarah and son Henry live across the street from the main farmstead. Dick’s brother Don Walsworth, now in his 80’s, remains an active participant on the farm; he is considered “a Jack of all trades,” and is happy to jump on a tractor when needed.

Golden Stock Farms’ Field Manager Mary Sheppard, who also serves on the Oceana Conservation District Board, expresses this, “I am proud to work for a farm operation that has a history of going above and beyond in all aspects of stewardship and doing what’s right in the name of conservation. Jordon is always thinking about the future of the operation, while maintaining a healthy gratitude for the people who got the farm to where it is now.” Golden Stock Farms will receive their “legacy” MAEAP Award at the Agriculture & Natural Resource Banquet on March 20th.

The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is an innovative, proactive program that helps farms voluntarily prevent or minimize risks to the environment. The verification process is achievable and confidential and includes three phases: 1) Education 2) Farm Assessment and Practice Implementation and 3) On-farm Verification by a third party.

An impressive 174 systems on 92 farms were listed as verified with up-to-date re-verifications at the close of fiscal year 2022 in Oceana County. We are grateful to the MAEAP-verified farms who are showing their commitment as top stewards of the land.

Primary goals for the MAEAP Technician each year are to work with growers to implement environmental stewardship practices such as emergency farm planning, water use reporting, no-till drill use, secondary containment, anti-backflow prevention, nutrient and pest management and more, practices that protect soil and water and meet MAEAP verification standards. The Technician also provides educational opportunities for growers on topics relevant to their current needs and challenges and shares ways they can conserve our local natural resources.

In addition to working one-on-one with growers throughout the year, the following outreach programs were completed by MAEAP Technician:

• Organized the Farming for the Future Field Day at New Era’s American Apple

• Provided an informational workshop on irrigation

• Coordinated the collection and recycling of 7,000 agricultural containers

• Collected old or unused pesticides at the annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection

• Collaborated with MSUE, the West Michigan Research Station and Oceana County Farm Bureau to provide tours, meetings and other outreach events.

• Attended the MAEAP booth at the Great Lakes Expo

• Provided presentations to students at local schools and at West Shore Community College

NEW VERIFICATIONS – 7

• Dan Tutak Farm: Farmstead & Cropping, Claybanks Township

• Danes Farm: Farmstead, Cropping & Livestock, Shelby Township

• Undisclosed Farm: Farmstead & Cropping

RE-VERIFICATIONS – 11

• BW Orchards - 2 sites: Farmstead & Cropping, Benona & Elbridge Townships

• Casting Crowns: Farmstead & Cropping, Claybanks Township

• J&H Fleming Farms: Farmstead & Cropping, Shelby Township

• Golden Stock Farms: Farmstead & Cropping, Golden Township

• Vinke Farms: Farmstead & Cropping, Shelby Township