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Environmental Quality:

Farm-A-Syst Fact Sheet

Farm•A•Syst Making A Difference

Introduction

Water quality is an important issue for Mississippians, especially those who rely on private wells for drinking water. Through Farm•A•Syst, the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service is helping citizens protect water quality.

Farm•A•Syst helps well owners identify risks to water quality and develop strategies to reduce those risks. Farm•A•Syst is useful to all citizens who want to do their part to protect water quality.

A significant number of rural Mississippians continue to use private wells for drinking water, and it is the well owner's responsibility to make sure the water is safe.

Extension's Role

Farm•A•Syst was first used as a water quality education tool in Mississippi in 1993. The program, adapted from a national water quality model, is now available statewide to all citizens through county Extension offices.

Farm•A•Syst includes information on septic systems, pesticides, fertilizers, hazardous products, petroleum products, animal wastes, and other contamination sources that might impact water quality.

Extension provided leadership in adapting the model in Mississippi. Agricultural and environmental agencies in the state also cooperated in adapting the model.

Extension also developed a special version of the program called Home•A•Syst aimed at non-farm rural homeowners. Mississippi was one of the first states to develop a Home•A•Syst version of the program.

Results

Farm•A•Syst results are significant:

  • more than 3,000 farmers and rural homeowners have new information to help them protect drinking water quality.
  • Farm•A•Syst is used as reference material in Delta Council's FARM (Farmers Advocating Resource Management) environmental stewardship program.
  • water quality educational materials have reached more than 12,000 Mississippi youth in field days and school programs.
  • more than 23,000 pounds of waste pesticides were disposed of properly through Farm•A•Syst-related efforts.
  • through Farm•A•Syst, materials have been developed to show property owners how to properly seal abandoned wells.
  • more than 1,200 well water samples have been collected through Farm•A•Syst and other Extension water quality programs.

Summary

By increasing awareness of the need to protect water quality, Farm•A•Syst is helping citizens take a proactive approach to addressing water quality related issues.

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