Union County Soil & Water Conservation District offers a wide array of services to the citizens of Union County including:
The No-Till Seed Drill provides farmers and landowners of Union County an opportunity to use affordable equipment to plant their grasses, legumes and small grains. This is a method of “drilling” plants seeds with very little soil disturbance and thus is conservation/resource friendly. It also is a more precise method of planting which means increased efficiency and more economical. The drill can be rented for $10 an acre to citizens planting in Union County. Contact our office at 704-233-1621 for more information.
In a partnership with the Union County Cattlemen's Association, the Union County Soil and Water Conservation District purchased a Tow-Behind Weed Wiper. The Weed Wiper provides farmers and landowners of Union County an opportunity to use affordable equipment to rid their pasture land of pesky weeds. The machine has an easily adjustable wiper height so that it only wipes the weeds. The Weed Wiper can be rented for $50 per day to citizens in Union County, $75 per day for out of county use and $40 per day for members of the Cattlemen's Association.
The North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share Program is a state-funded program administered to reduce the input of non-point source pollution into our streams, lakes and rivers. This reduction is achieved by providing cost share assistance to agricultural landowners and operators who use Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce pollutants (sediment, animal waste, pesticides, nutrients, etc.) leaving the land and entering the waters. Cost Share amounts are up to 75% of average cost to install BMPs.
Cost share monies for Union County have been used for such BMPs as waste storage structures, incinerators, fencing for livestock exclusion, watering facilities and heavy use area protection, as well as pasture renovations and well installation. Other cost shared BMPs include lagoon closures, dead poultry composters, stream bank stabilization, sod-based rotations, critical area plantings and many others. These practices must be installed to meet USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service standards and specifications, along with proper maintenance of practice.
For more information contact our office at 704-233-1621 Extension #3 or visit the NC Department of Agriculture website.
The importance of conserving our natural resources must start with education. Union County Soil & Water Conservation District takes great strides to provide educational opportunities to the residents of Union County and the State of North Carolina using programs such as:
Union SWCD also offers independent instruction on a variety of topics about soil, water and conservation. In-class instruction, outdoor hands-on and science field days are some examples of how the Soil & Water District helps educate students on protecting natural resources. Many programs come from the following but are not limited to Project Food, Land and People, Project WET, and Project WILD.
Board Meeting Schedule
Every 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:30 a.m.
Soil and Water Board Room
Union County Agricultural and Events Center
3220 Presson Road
Monroe, NC 28112
3230-B Presson Rd
Suite B
Monroe, NC 28112
Alan Aldridge
District Director
Phone: 704-324-9225
Breanna Walker
Conservation Education Specialist
Phone: 704-324-9217
General Line
Phone: 704-324-9228
Residents of Union and Anson Counties formed the nation’s first Soil & Water Conservation District on August 4th, 1937. The Brown Creek Soil & Water Conservation District covered the watershed land from central Anson County to south-east Union County North Carolina.
By 1947, the nation’s first Conservation District had grown to encompass 5 North Carolina Piedmont counties: Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, Stanly, and Union. Over time, each county would form its own entity.
Today there are nearly 3,000 Soil & Water Conservation Districts across all U.S. States and Territories. Although diverse, all Soil & Water Districts strive for the same goals: to protect our natural resources. Union SWCD makes great effort to provide technical, financial, and educational assistance to the residents of Union County to promote the proper management of our natural resources.