Testimonials from our Clients

A testimonial from our client, Mr. Jim Crawford, regarding our assistance with his horse property. "Many thanks for all your excellent counsel. It has made a huge difference. The field looks great, and we now have grass in the woods -- also per your recommendation -- for the first time since we've lived here. I am extremely grateful for the help Beata Coss gave me. I feel like Beata took the time to go over every inch of this farm. Her recommendations have vastly improved the productivity, utility -- and health -- of our acreage. People actually stop to admire the pasture!."

We would be happy to advise you how to make your pastures "traffic stoppers". Just give us a call!

We are here to assist large and small property owners. We offer free technical assistance specifically for your property to help you better manage your property. We can give you advice on water troughs, fencing, composting, fertilizer and seeding recommendations (commercial or organic), mud management, and other common land management issues, as well as tips to help save you time and money. Soil samples will be collected, at no charge, for specific recommendations for each pasture. We will help you select and establish the best grass or grass mixtures that meet your needs.

Ed Dandar Horse Owner

Another testimonial regarding our effective technical assistance for Mr. Dandar, a horse property owner Ed Dandar first received assistance from the Prince William SWCD in August 2002 before he purchased his first horse. Our conservation specialist went to his property and gave him personal advice for his small-acreage agricultural property on pasture seeding, fertilizer and lime applications, pasture management, and rotation suggestions to ensure the time and money he invested in establishing his system was well-spent.

Just recently, Mr. Dandar wanted to clear some of his woods to make room for new pasture. Remembering the help provided to him in 2002, he contacted Conservation Specialist Beata Coss who worked with Mr. Dandar in achieving his goals for his new pasture. "We are all very excited about how the new pasture got established," says Mr. Dandar. "Soils have improved in quality and fertility." Ed Dandar was awarded a Cooperator sign for demonstrating excellent management practices that give his horse a happy and healthy environment while protecting and preserving the natural resources on his property.

Blue Top Farm seminar

Over the years the District has worked with hundreds of people like Mr. Crawford and Mr. Dandar. Every year or so, we host seminars to help teach and educate property owners and managers about common and local issues. We held a series of seminars on how to set-up a horse property, covering pasture and manure management, weed control, and the impacts horses have on the environment. The series culminated in a tour of Blue Top Farm in Nokesville, owned by long-time cooperator Robin Lancaster, to see how this knowledge can be applied.

Two attendees at our seminars, Josepha and David Phillips had just purchased a horse farm in Catharpin. After attending our seminars, they scheduled an appointment, with Nicole Ethier, for a visit to their farm for more one-on-one advice. "The information they provided has been a tremendous help," says Josepha. "After we bought our farm in Catharpin, they even came out to look over the property and gave us several recommendations on all of the issues and improvements we faced. As a dressage rider/instructor from the Netherlands, I am very familiar with horse care. However, the information on soils, do's and don'ts, vegetation has proven invaluable as we experienced the first winter on our farm. I would highly encourage anyone interested in owning a farm or even those that already do to take one of their seminars. I'm sure you'll be amazed like I was that one tidbit of information you never knew about could come in so handy and help where you least expect it."

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Testimonials from our Clients