Jay Hastings 2022 SCD Cooperator of the Year

As a fourth-generation farmer, Jay Hastings grew up learning the importance of drainage and responsible land management. As the owner of Westwind Farms, Inc., he implements conservation practices on nearly 1,000 acres in western Sussex County, all within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Hastings also manages the cropland, irrigation, fertilizer and spraying applications associated with the nearly 50-year-old family butcher shop. He has planted cover crops for many years and two years ago he began participating in the Sussex Conservation Districts (SCD) cover crop program. Ever conscientious of his impact to the environment and those around him, Hastings practices conservation tillage which minimizes soil disturbance, improving soil health and productivity.

His goal is to leave the ground better than when he started and when he cleared woodland to put into production he wanted to give back to the land. In 2020, SCD helped Hastings transform marginal land into a wildlife habitat with three shallow ponds. The improvements provide a buffer between wildlife and crops but also collect excess water allowing for more productive cropland and improved water quality.

As manager of the Bacon and Kenney tax ditch, he is working diligently to restore drainage while implementing conservation practices such as vegetative buffers which capture sediment and filter nutrients while providing a barrier between farmland and adjacent homes.