Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
Do you have erosion or excessive runoff in your yard? If so, the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) might be able to help. VCAP provides financial reimbursements to non-agricultural property owners installing Best Management Practices (BMPs) which reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and erosion. Homeowners, churches, local government, and businesses are all eligible to participate.
Common BMPs include rain gardens, conservation landscaping, and impermeable pavement removal. A one-page fact sheet about each BMP is available at the link below:
Contact Emily Williams at emily.williams@mountaincastles.org for more information or to schedule a site visit.
Learn more about how to use VCAP practices as “Lawnternatives” in this article from Virginia Farm Bureau.
The VCAP program was recently featured in an episode of Virginia Home Grown — check it out!
Learn more about a homeowner who used VCAP to vastly improve her yard on Powering Virginia.
Get a soil test!
Getting a soil test is the most affordable way to provide nutrients to your plants. Once you know what nutrients your plants need, you won’t waste money on costly fertilizer that could pollute your local stream. Click here for soil testing instructions and forms from the Virginia Tech Soil Testing Lab. Soil testing boxes are available from our office or from the Virginia Cooperative Extension offices in Fincastle and New Castle.
Choose native plants
Enthusiasm for native plants is growing in the Roanoke area! Check out the non-profit Wild Ones for native plant events and information.
Plants that are native to your area provide many benefits. They are often easier to maintain than ornamentals and they are more beneficial to wildlife, including bees and other pollinators. Native plants can be found in a variety of colors and shade tolerances. Check out our page on native plants for more resources.