Challenges to Implementing BMPs on a Farm

Why don't farmers implement certain best management practices (BMP) on their farms?  For those who are not farmers, it may seem obvious going onto a farm that a certain BMP should be implemented.  The farmer may even agree with you but yet there is no plan to implement that BMP on the farm.  The biggest reason BMPs are not implemented is the economy.  Farmers have no money to spare so even if there is cost sharing available there just aren't the matching funds from the farm perspective to make the BMP go forward.  Everyone has been hit by the overall economic crisis, but farmers were hit especially hard with low milk prices that will take many years to recover from.  In short, most farms are in survival mode and extras are just not going to happen.  Unfortunately there is no good solution to this issue until the milk price and the overall economy improve.

The other reason I see why farmers don't implement a specific BMP on their farm is that they don't know what to do. With limited funds they don't know what BMP would be most beneficial to them, and they may not be aware that some BMPs are actually required.  For example, farms in Pennsylvania have been required to have a conservation plan and a manure management plan since the 70's but there are many farmers that do not know that they are required to have these two plans on file.  If we want farmers to improve nutrient management and soil conservation on their farm we need to be very specific about what they need to do.