NEW CASTLE, DE — New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer announced that New Castle County’s departments of Community Services and Public Works have been recognized by the state of Delaware and the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts for the 2023 Agriculture Conservation Award project for the conception and construction of a new manure storage building at Carousel Farm Park and Equestrian Center.
“It’s essential we continue to protect the air we breathe and water we drink for today, and for the future,” said County Executive Matt Meyer. “We were happy to collaborate with great partners such as the New Castle Conservation District and local contractors to keep our drinking water safe.”
The Governor’s Awards recognize one agricultural and one urban-suburban project in each county; the project was nominated by the New Castle Conservation District as the 2023 Agriculture Conservation Award project for New Castle County.
The manure storage building is an essential component of the Equestrian Center nutrient management program. The building allows for the covered storage of the horse manure generated by the 26 riding lesson horses and the 11 New Castle County Police Mounted Patrol Clydesdales. The covered storage and concrete pad work together to protect and improve water quality at the park, which is located in the White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic Watershed. The White Clay Creek is a source of drinking water in northern New Castle County.
The new manure storage building sits on a new concrete pad and was constructed last summer at Carousel Farm Park and Equestrian Center. The Delaware office of the USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) designed the building and concrete pad and prepared the construction and engineering plans.
The New Castle Conservation District (NCCD) advertised the project for bids, selected the qualified bidder and supervised the project through its completion. The Conservation District worked closely with the County’s Department of Community Services and Department of Public Works and USDA-NRCS throughout the project. The contractor was Jeff Bartsch Trucking and Excavating, Inc. from Townsend, Delaware.
The project was jointly funded by The Conservation District and the County. NCCD provided $23,800 of Conservation cost-share funds and $80,000 of Resource Conservation and Development funds. New Castle County contributed $8,000 towards the cost of the project.
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