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GAAMPs Conformance Review Application

GAAMPs Conformance Review Application

This application is meant to address new or expanding components of a commercial farm operation and is intended to be a guide in supplying needed information for a voluntary on-site review by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Right to Farm Program.

Note: Applications without complete supporting management plans as described in the GAAMPs will be considered incomplete and will not be accepted. Jump to what should be in a plan?

Completing this form as fully as possible will help the Right to Farm Program staff understand the complexity of your farm operation, situation, and the Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) that may apply to your agricultural operation.

This application may not circumvent local village, city, township or county concerns. In the event where an existing farm component(s) is identified as an issue, local units of government should be filing complaints to the Right to Farm Program for a review of their identified concerns. Local units of government should not ask a farm operation to complete a GAAMPs Review as these are primarily meant for new/expanding farm operation reviews.

For more details on what to expect during this process, visit Michigan.gov/RightToFarm

Application

All fields are required, unless labeled as (optional).

You must include a labeled map of your farmstead/property identifying the following:

-- Property lines

-- Farm buildings and their uses

-- Sensitive areas (surface waters, wetlands, wells, etc.)

-- Areas managed as part of the farm operation

-- Livestock animal unit calculation worksheet (if applicable) -See Appendix B

-- Appropriate supporting management plans as described in the GAAMPs you are looking to have reviewed

Please select which GAAMPs you would like reviewed

Note: this will automatically include a review of the manure management GAAMPs

Appendix A: Management Plans

Management plans based on the GAAMPs you are looking to review should be included. The following is a basic checklist of components that should be included with a management plan identified for each set of GAAMPs.

What should be in a livestock site selection plan?

  • Identification of current animal unit counts and animal unit counts after construction of new or/expanding livestock facility components. Appendix B of this application (Appendix D of the Site Selection GAAMPs) can help document this.
  • Site map that identifies the location of existing livestock facility spaces (dirt lots, housing structures, and manure storage structures), new/proposed livestock facility spaces, distances of livestock facility space to closest neighboring home(s), pasture management spaces, property lines for your property and any drinking or irrigation water wells within 800 ft.

What should be in a manure management plan?

Management plan should include details of the following, as applicable:

  • Maximum number and size of livestock classes, details describing possible yearly or seasonal variation(s)
  • Approximte amount of manure produced per year
  • Details describing how manure is collected, transferred, stored, treated, and/or utilized
    • Includes field maps, soil test records, nutrient plan, application records, etc.
  • If manure is exported or sold; and approximate yearly quantity
  • Conservation practices implemented on farm; including the location, size, design, and maintenance of each practice.
  • Descriptions of management practices to reduce odor for land applied manure.
  • Identification of pasture management practices
  • Recordkeeping

What should be in a farm market plan?

Plan should include details of the following, as applicable:

  • Site map Identifying the location of retail sale display spaces or marketing activity spaces of your proposed and/or existing farm market spaces
  • A business plan identifying marketing activities, retail floor space management, signage, parking and driveways, building construction details, and vehicle ingress, egress, etc.

What should be in an animal care plan?

Management plan should include details of the following, as applicable:

  • Identification of livestock species on site
  • Map identifying management zones of livestock within livestock buildings
  • Identification of housing space per animal, per management zone
  • Identification of biosecurity practices utilized on site, identification of biosecurity zones on livestock map
  • Details related to nutrition, health care/veterinary care, facility management, euthanasia, dead animal disposal (including periodic death and mass depopulation)
  • Other appropriate species-specific details, as defined in the Care of Farm Animals GAAMPs
  • Record keeping

What should be in a nutrient management plan?

Management plan should include details of the following, as applicable:

  • Maps, identifying farm fields/production spaces managed
  • Soil test records, nutrient plan, application records for each managed field/production space
  • Conservation practices implemented on farm; including the location, size, design, and maintenance of each practice
  • Location of bulk fertilizer storage facilities and identification of appropriate measures related to these buildings
  • Specific practices related to container grown plants, if applicable
  • Fertigation related practices, if applicable
  • Recordkeeping

What should be in an irrigation water management plan?

Management plan should include details of the following, as applicable:

  • Identification of irrigation equipment utilized, type, size, zones covered, water sources, etc.
    • May need a site map of location(s)
  • Registration of water well, if a high quantity withdrawal is possible. Records related to previous 2-3 years of reporting, if applicable
  • Identification of practices that reduce/prevent off target application of water
  • Practices to ensure water aquifer protection (backflow prevention); identification of specialized safety devices, if chemigating or fertigating
  • Identification of management to not exceed water holding capacity of soil
  • Identification of practices where irrigation is utilized for crop protection
  • Record keeping practices and records

What should be in a pesticide use and pest control plan?

Management plan should include details of the following, as applicable:

  • Identification of crops grown, fields managed
    • Site map identifying areas where pesticides may be applied, sensitive areas in or adjacent to those areas, and/or conservation practices in those areas
  • Description of common pests observed and pest control strategies for these pests (chemical, mechanical, etc.)
  • Identification of alternative pest management techniques; including devices used, a record of manufacturer recommendations, and/or supporting defined approaches identified by MSU Extension, if applicable
  • Identification of types of chemical applications that may be utilized on your operation
  • Record keeping for chemical pesticides, including date, rate, windspeed direction, calibration of equipment, and other identified items within the GAAMPs and/or product label
  • Worker protection standard practices utilized
  • Environmental protections utilized
  • Certifications and training of farm staff/employees
  • Description regarding the recycling or disposal of empty pesticide containers
  • Identification of storage, mixing & loading, or other related practices on farmstead or in farm fields. If a bulk fertilizer storage exists on farm, identification of design criteria, map showing the location of the building and distances to wells, and other related items as described in the GAAMPs
  • Emergency plan, meeting SARA title III requirements, if applicable

Technical Resources

If you (an applicant) need technical assistance in developing any of the above management plans, or education related to any of these management plans; staff within the following service entities may be able to provide technical assistance.

Appendix B – Site Selection GAAMPs Animal Unit Calculation Worksheet

Animal Class Number of head Multiply by AU conversion Average weight in pounds (lbs) Number of head × average weight AU total:
(number of head × average weight ÷ 1000) or (number of head × AU conversion)
Bottle calves (calves < 300 lbs in size) n/a
Feeder calves Feeder calves (300-750 lbs) ×1
Beef High Energy (750-1200 lbs) ×1
Heifers/Bred Heifers ×1
Lactating Dairy cattle ×1.42
Dry Cows ×1.42
Horse ×2
Mini-horse n/a
Poultry broiler ×.01
Poultry layer ×.01
Turkey ×.018
Swine nursery (swine < 55 lbs in size) n/a
Swine grow-finish ×.4
Swine gestating/lactating ×.4
Swine boar ×.4
Sheep or lamp ×.1
Duck n/a
Alpaca or llama n/a
Goat n/a
Donkey n/a