Tim and Betty HudsonColdwater, MS
Coldwater, Mississippi
DeSoto County Soil and Water Conservation District
H&H Farms
Our farm is made up of 3,151 acres of cropland, grazing land and forest land.
Soil Health Practices
We use conservation tillage, crop rotations, grade stabilization structures, diversions and streambank stabilization. We have worked with the DeSoto County SWCD and Natural Resources Conservation Service to install and apply conservation practices and enhancements that control soil erosion, improve air and water quality, grazing lands and wildlife habitat. We are active participants in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program and Conservation Reserve Program.
We have installed grade stabilization structures, diversions and rock check dams to control soil erosion. We rotate our livestock feeding areas to control erosion and protect water quality. We use GPS guidance and drift reduction technology to control and regulate herbicides and pesticides during application. When applying fertilizer and other nutrients for crops and forages, we do so in a timely manner so they are used by the target plant and not moved by air and water into streams and other water bodies. To enhance wildlife habitat, we have installed shallow-water areas and wildlife-friendly fencing, and we leave grain standing in our cropland fields each year for wildlife food.
Challenges
Our challenges include soil, gully, and sheet and rill erosion. We have installed a number of practices, cited above, to deal with these challenges.