CONSERVATION AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The Cape Girardeau County Soil and Water Conservation District has cited two Jackson area farmers for their efforts at soil and water conservation.

Lawrence McBryde was named Outstanding Conservation Farmer. He and his family manage and farm nearly 500 acres of pasture and hay land near Jackson. His cow-calf operation maintains around 100 cows.

McBryde keeps erosion at a minimum on his farm by maintaining high-quality forage to protect the soil and provide feed for his livestock.

McBryde uses rotational grazing and sound pasture and hay land management techniques. He has built ponds for erosion control and livestock water. Several terraces on his farm prevent erosion on those fields that are occasionally planted to grain crops.

McBryde has made even larger contributions to soil and water conservation in Cape Girardeau County by his service to the county's Soil and Water Conservation District. He has served on the district's board of supervisors for 12 years.

As chairman, he started up and managed a new state cost-share program that helps Cape County farmers install conservation practices. That program has now accounted for nearly $8 million worth of conservation practices applied to Cape Girardeau County farms since 1984.

Glen Birk was given the water management award. He and his family farm nearly 2,000 acres in Cape Girardeau County. Their diversified operation includes the production of grain, hogs and beef cattle.

The Birks use modern irrigation technology and water management on 140 acres.

They also operate a waste management system to use animal water on about 230 acres of cropland.

Birk and his family maintain 18 acres of wetlands on a farm near Delta.

Additionally, he manages 12 conservation reserve program contracts providing wildlife habitat on more than 800 acres. Conservation tillage and crop rotation are used to conserve soil and water on more than 600 acres a year.

Birk has served his community in many ways, including his service to the Cape Girardeau County Soil and Water Conservation District board of supervisors and the SEMO District Fair Board.