It's taken nearly 30 years, but Layton Phelps and his wife are finally seeing on the ground what they had envisioned when they bought the 1,486 acres in Mississippi in 1976. The 80 year old Layton is spending his retirement years raising rice and soybeans in the Mississippi Delta.

Layton became one of the first rice farmers in the state when he moved from Arkansas. The land near Falcon, Mississippi, had an existing rice farm and rice base when he bought it. Over the years, many improvements were made, but still, the "dream" had not been accomplished. Now, thanks to programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), practices such as pads, underground pipes, overfall pipes, and straight levies have been installed and the farm has become what Layton and his wife envisioned in 1976.

"This is a total farm project," said Butch Scipper, the Phelps' son-in-law who lives nearby and helps with the farm. "Not only EQIP, but other USDA programs such as the Farm Service Agency's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Continuous CRP, have been interfaced to make this a total farm package so that this will be a profitable farm for many years to come." They looked at every portion of the farm, its strengths and weaknesses, and decided which areas were best suited to what purposes. They felt some acres were better suited to be returned to hardwood trees and enrolled approximately one-half of the land, 513.9 acres, in CRP.

Another program which has been beneficial to this Delta farmer is the Tunica County Coldwater River Watershed Program. Installation and use of the practices set forth in this program help improve water quality by increasing surface water for irrigation, improving drainage of urban and farm lands, improving surface water quality, and improving habitat for water related wildlife.

San Garrison, FSA's County Executive Director in Quitman County, says "It is exciting to be able to work with so many of our Farm Bill programs and see how they can benefit one farm. The total package that USDA has to offer cooperators makes this a prime time to take advantage of our services."

Buffer strips improve water quality on the Phelps farm.