Madison County SWCD

6503 Wes Rd

Hamilton, NY 13346

315-824-9849 ext 5

Welcome to Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District’s Website

Serving landowners in Madison County since 1940

Stream with newly installed buffer rocks

small tree in a pot labelled Giving Back

Who We Are

Our mission

The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) works to conserve soil and water resources through conservation planning,
design & implementation.

Our programs focus on controlling and preventing soil erosion, floodwater and sediment damages, conserving water to help preserve natural resources and wildlife, and to protect public and private lands within the county. Madison County SWCD provides technical assistance to Madison County’s residents and municipalities with all manners of natural resource issues. In response to the 1989 Amendment of the Soil and Water Conservation District Law, we are also helping to improve the quality of the county’s surface and groundwater by fighting non-point (widely separated or diffuse) sources of water pollution.

what we do

Programs & Services

Annual Tree Sale

Although our official ordering time frame is closed, we have a limited supply of trees left to sell. The below button will take you to the order form to see pricing and varieties left. Please call our office and speak to Amy Hayduke to place an order.

remaining Tree sale items

Tree pick up is on 4/10/25 at the polebarn next to the USDA Service Center at 6503 Wes Rd, Hamilton, NY 13346

If you would like to be added to our email list or would like a tree or shrub we don’t currently offer, please email Joann Burke at joann-burke@madcoswcd.com

Stream & Flood Mitigation Program

The District continues to receive funding from the Madison County Board of Supervisors to implement flood mitigation projects around the County on both public and private property. District staff complete site visits and evaluation of potential project sites, assist public and private entities with required environmental permits, develops engineered designs and over sees construction of selected projects. If you are experiencing repeated flooding issues, please contact the office to set up a site visit from our staff.

Tillage Program

The district owns a 15 foot John Deere no-till drill to plant small grains. No till planting can help increase soil organic matter and fertility, promote water infiltration, reduce erosion, and limit pest and disease outbreaks. The drill is available for use by farms in the county interested in implementing this practice. For more information please contact the office.

Available Equipment

The District has a 15 foot John Deere no-till drill and a post pounder available to farmers in Madison County to be utilized on their farms free of charge. Due to the high demand of the post pounder, we will only loan it out for pasture management projects and water quality purposes.

NYS Agricultural Environmental Management

The District is active in the NYS Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program. This voluntary and confidential program delivers technical support and financial incentives to help farmers implement conservation practices critical to the protection of water quality and other natural resources.

This five-tier approach consists of Tier 1, a single-page inventory of farm information such as farm acreage and number of animals. Tier 2 assesses current environmental stewardship and opportunities for improvement through worksheets. A plan (Tier 3) is then developed to address the resource concerns from the Tier 2 worksheets. Tier 4 is the implementation of the plan utilizing available financial and technical assistance. Tier 5 is the evaluation of the plan and practices implemented.

AEM takes a whole farm view to address not only nutrient management but also farmstead management, soil erosion, and streambank erosion. In today’s climate of environmental awareness, AEM’s technical and financial resources are valuable in assisting farmers in maintaining their commitment to conservation. Proactively advancing conservation practices is central to economic viability on today’s farms. Any farm can participate in AEM.

Madison County SWCD is currently reviewing potential projects for funding through the AEM process.

Soil Group Worksheets

An Agricultural Assessment through your local assessor’s office allows owners of farmland to receive reduced property tax bills for land in agricultural production by limiting the property tax assessment of such land to the value of their land for agricultural production, rather than its full development value.

A soil group worksheet is one part of the process. It lists the soil types on your property and tells how many acres of each soil group. Your assessor will use this worksheet, along with the rest of your application, to help them determine your tax assessment.

Honors

O’Mara Farms in Canastota awarded our 2025 Conservation Farm of the Year

(story to come)

APPRECIATION

Annual Appreciation luncheon

Madison County SWCD Celebrates another Busy Year

Contributed by Troy Bishopp

Morrisville, N.Y. – Flannel shirts, calloused hands and colorful stories mark another year of putting conservation on the ground for the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District. In the spirit of gratitude, the District held its 14th annual appreciation luncheon at the Madison County CCE building in Morrisville, New York. The casual get-together continues to honor the family of stewards who help the District put conservation in action.

“It’s a small gesture of praise for our local family farmers, local contractors, county employees, elected officials, agri-business companies, engineering support and state and federal conservation partners.” said District Manager, Steve Lorraine.

A record crowd of over 100 guests, Lorraine highlighted a variety of 2024 projects that he and staff worked on using the NYS Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program planning matrix. These plans led to survey, designing tile drainage and implementation of grade stabilization projects, road culvert projects, stream remediation, manure storages, pasture systems, spring developments, milk-house waste systems, heavy use areas, riparian buffers and planting over a 1000 acres of cover crops locally.

In addition, the District mentored interns, developed nutrient management plans, cleared logjams, secured stream permits, led educational training events and held the popular annual tree sale within their busy work schedule. As the lead for the Madison County Water Quality Coordinating Committee and member of the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, district staff also worked in tandem with its partners on a variety of climate resilient projects in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as well as grant writing.

“We appreciate the opportunity to thank all the hands that help us achieve our mission. It’s a time to reflect and reconnect over a relaxing meal and continue the personal and professional relationships that support our rural communities, while protecting Madison County’s natural resources and assisting local agriculture and municipalities to make sensible land and water management decisions. It’s frankly a team effort, where a rising tide raises all boats”, said Lorraine.

To learn more about the work the Madison County SWCD does for the community, contact the district at (315) 824-9849 or visit www.madcoswcd.com.)

Get involved

Board Meetings

Board Meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm April through October and at noon November through March, unless otherwise posted. Meetings are held in the conference room at 6503 Wes Rd, Hamilton, NY and are open to the public. Recent Agendas and Minutes are below. If you would like to see previous months, please contact us.