Agricultural Practices
Narrator
Some studies show agriculture generates more than half of America’s nonpoint source pollution. It is a broad-based industry that covers vast stretches of landscape. Mike Wolf handles nonpoint source pollution issues for Oregon’s Department of Agriculture.
 Mike Wolf, Oregon Department of Agriculture
Everybody plays a part. All land uses and all landowners and operators have a role to play in its prevention and control because it’s essentially rainfall-generated and that affects all of us.
Narrator
The runoff comes from many sources including erosion, animal waste, and chemical applications. It is finding a more direct path into our nation’s ground and surface waters with the elimination of natural filters such as wetlands and streamside vegetation.
As is the case in many states, Oregon has few regulations governing agricultural nonpoint source pollution. It regulates confined animal operations, but depends on voluntary efforts in all other areas.
Mike Wolf, Oregon Department of Agriculture
I don’t think government is interested in doing this all by itself or can do it all by itself. But there’s an important foundation underlying this whole issue and that is public awareness of the situation and solutions—and then the partnerships that need to be built on the local level to address local water quality problems, watershed issues.
 Narrator
The state is working with private landowners to encourage better land use practices. On this farm, fences keep livestock away from Dairy Creek, a stream that eventually flows into the Tualatin.
These cattle used to trample the streambank and leave animal waste in the water just about every time they needed a drink. Now, they quench their thirst away from the stream with a gadget known as a nose pump.
Farmer Mike Hauth thinks it’s a great idea.
Mike Hauth, Farmer
I think it’s bound to help. I can see our banks already that are growing back and I see a great difference right there. It’s a great improvement. If more people would do it—if it was possible for them to do it—why I think it would be really a great start.
Narrator
Glenna Wilder runs a commercial horse operation, which is also on Dairy Creek. She consulted with several state agencies and invested her own money to improve her horses’ health and the surrounding environment.
 Glenna
Wilder, Farm Manager & Horse Breeder
One of the primary things that people with livestock need to do is get their manure piles out of the rain. I think that’s one of the biggest. And that can be done with something as simple as tarps and moving it to higher ground.
Narrator
Wilder has taken dramatic steps to help keep polluted runoff out of Dairy Creek. When winter rains arrive, she removes her horses from their pastures and keeps them in fenced enclosures. Wilder keeps these areas clean and composts manure in a covered shed. She built vegetated filter strips downhill from the horse enclosure and planted more than 100 Sitka Spruce to enhance streamside vegetation.
Glenna Wilder, Farm Manager & Horse Breeder
We opted for some solutions that were a little more expensive because we feel they’re more permanent. And since we are a commercial operation, we’ve got a lot more wear and tear than say, a hobby farm. But there’s a lot of leeway for people. They don’t have to pick real expensive options to implement solutions that will help.
Narrator
The Kenagy family has grown crops in these fields for more than 50 years. But times are changing—and so are Peter Kenagy’s farming practices.
Peter Kenagy, Farmer
People are in farming to make money, but I think there’s a lot more to it than that. I think we need to look beyond just making lots of money and realize that we have got to take care of this ground. It’s all we’ve got. Our environment is what we depend on. If we screw it up, it’s screwed up.
Narrator
Kenagy says farmers need to pay more attention to their tillage, their cropping systems, and the chemicals they apply to the land. As he sees it, responsible stewardship of America’s farmlands is the only way to avoid future regulations.
Kenagy’s practices are drawing praise from Oregon’s Department of Agriculture.
Peter Kenagy, Farmer
Any ground which is not easy for me to farm, that’s kind of a headache—small pieces where it’s tough to turn equipment and irrigate—I’ve planted to trees and wildlife food. And a lot of that slew that you can see down that way, I’ve got filbert trees planted along the edge of that (stream) for a border. I’ve done a lot of things like that.
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