Back in 2017, Zach Hightower bought Shoal Creek Farms, a 250-acre cattle and poultry operation in Madison County, Georgia, after leasing it for several years. And over the past few years, through the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Georgia (NRCS-GA) he applied for assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to help address several problems on the farm. Some of these applications were approved quickly, such as assistance to build a combination stack house and poultry mortality and litter facility, and to update the cattle watering trough and feeding pads. But, due to lack of available funding, his application for assistance with updating his poultry houses to reduce energy use and be more energy efficient was delayed.
But then last year, Hightower’s application was approved for assistance for radiant heaters and attic insulation for his four poultry houses. He then completed the NRCS applications that would lead to more changes needed on his poultry and cattle operation. Funding for a stack house and pads was approved first, and then the cattle pads. Water trough pads were also put in and then feeding pads were installed for his herd. Then, this past year, the funding for the poultry house projects was approved.
To read more of this story click here. To learn more about opportunities like this for your operation, contact NRCS at your local USDA Service Center.