MHC Farm Stewardship Committee Report
YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION Spotlight on Conservation: Fine Idea Farm by Jane Thery, MHC Farm Stewardship Committee Chair
In the December 2021 issue of Te Equiery, we highlighted Mary- land Horse Council-member Abby Gibbon’s Fine Idea Farm for being named Conservation Farm of the Year by the Howard County Soil Con- servation District. Tis month, we look at the conservation practices in place at Fine Idea Farm that won them this award and, more importantly, how they create a healthy farm for horses, people, and the land itself. Fine Idea Farm in Mt. Airy, sits on roughly 60-acres and is home to 24
horses, primarily eventing and dressage horses. Te farm is is protected by a perpetual Agricultural Land Preservation Easement through Howard Coun- ty. Gibbon serves on the Howard County Agricultural Preservation Board. Tere are two barns on the farm, one older bank barn with a new roof
and four new stalls, and a newer center aisle barn with 15 stalls. Te pas- tures enclose 25 acres that are divided into four fields and a loafing pad- dock with run-in sheds. In addition, there is an indoor arena, an outdoor arena, round pen, several small out buildings, and the farm house. Te property also produces its own hay. Water management should always be at the top of a farm owner’s list of best practices and Fine Idea Farm’s hilly terrain with natural springs, a pond and stream make it easily susceptible to run-off. Gibbon reported that when she first moved to the property, the lanes to get horses in and out of pastures were often deep with mud. To solve this issue, Gib- bon used a cost-sharing grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create blue-stone and gravel pathways around the fields. Tese pathways become both a riding surface and a drainage area. “Te paths are a lifesaver for both us people and our horses,” Gibbon said.
“It is much easier for us to get horses in and out without slipping in mud and our horses’ feet are so much healthier since they are no longer walk- ing through mud.” Gibbon added that her contact at USDA was Charlotte Brewster, who was very helpful in assisting with the cost share grant process. Gibbon also used a cost sharing grant from the Howard County Soil
Conservation District to install automatic waterers in all her pastures. “Tis also improves life for me as a farm owner, my staff ,and our horses,” Gibbon reported. “We don’t have to worry if water troughs are frozen anymore and save time breaking ice in the winter. Plus the horses love them! Tey have cool clean drinking water all the time.” To help control water run-off, Gibbon also used a mix of gravel and recycled concrete for her driveway and other roadways within the farm.
“Te recycled concrete mix creates a harder surface than just gravel so the water drains off the driveway,” she explained. Gibbon had the pasture soil tested with assistance from the Univer-
sity of Maryland Extension Office and created a Nutrient Management Plan to maintain better grass coverage and to slow down and absorb rainwater. Te stream is fenced off from horse pastures and the stream banks are held in place by a good cover of vegetation. Te farm also has old growth trees and wooded areas around the stream that not only pro- vide wildlife habitat but also become good carbon fixers. New trees were recently planted with assistance of the Howard County Turf to Trees program to create a buffer from the neighboring housing development. Part of the farm’s Nutrient Management Plan includes hauling off ma-
nure instead of composting or spreading at the farm. “We could spread [manure] here but you have to go through a lot of hoops due to the Nutri- ent Management Plan,” Gibbon stated. “I know there is a lot of talk out there about composting, and I hope better manure management ideas come up in our area as hauling out manure is very expensive.” Gibbon estimates that she pays $1,000 per month during the winter to haul off manure. Te conservation practices of Fine Idea Farm also include energy con-
servation that is enhanced by the natural light and ventilation in the new barn, the older bank barn’s natural warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer, and new LED lights in the feed room. Gibbon is also look- ing into adding a solar panel system to the farm. Recycled material is used as the footing in both arenas at Fine Idea
Farm. Purchased and installed through King Sport Construction, which Gibbon discovered through an ad in Te Equiery, the footing at the farm is a combination of recycled rubber and artificial turf. Te Mt. Airy- based company primarily renovates athletic fields and processes the ma- terial in the base of old fields to create riding arena footing. “It is very affordable and easy to maintain,” Gibbon said. “Plus the fact that Kings is local cuts the cost of shipping significantly.” Fine Idea Farm has demonstrated that a commitment to conservation and farm stewardship can result in a healthy farm, healthy horses... and healthy people! “Doing these things is not just for the environment, but for us and our horses. Te positive impact it has had on my business is tremendous,” she said. “I highly recommend that farm owners start by contacting their county Soil Conservation Districts and make a plan to have their own farms be environmentally proactive.”
COMING UP: SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICTS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR YOUR HORSE FARM!
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | MARCH 2022 | 41
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