Success Stories

Stoney Crest Farm

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Problem:

Active cattle farm in Albemarle County needed cattle exclusion fencing and restoration of riparian forest

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Solution:

Fencing and alternative livestock watering; riparian forest buffer planting

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Outcome:

Improved water quality, healthy livestock environment, growing riparian forest buffer

Meet Jim Walker, a 3rd generation Virginia cattle farmer in Albemarle County. Inspired by his goal to keep the waterways surrounding his property as clean and healthy as possible, Jim looked for a solution to keep waste from his cattle out of the river (and back on his farmland). His property sits on the north fork of the Hardware River, which flows into the James River.

Through the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, he installed fence to exclude his animals from the river and put in an alternative water system for his livestock. He then enlisted the help of the James River Buffer Program (JRBP). By working with the JRBP, Jim was not only able to help select the kinds of trees and shrubs that were planted on his property, but all of the planting, cost, and buffer maintenance for three years post-installation was handled completely by the JRBP.

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