Mecosta Conservation District welcomes technician Cristen Cornell

MECOSTA — The Mecosta Conservation District will have a new addition to their Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance System with the hiring of technician Cristen Cornell.

Originally a farm monthly bill professional with the Mecosta Conservation District, Cornell will be transitioning over to a technician posture with the environmental assurance software division. 

Cornell stated her knowledge extends by operate with quite a few counties. 

“As the farm monthly bill expert, I assisted producers and landowners in applying for Organic Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Farm Invoice packages in Mecosta, Newaygo, Muskegon and Oceana counties,” Cornell said. “I worked with the district conservationists and other NRCS workers to supply technological support to producers and landowners on their operations and houses.

“I carried out a lot of driving-the-scenes function, these as conservation planning assistance and administrative duties for all NRCS courses. I also aided at district situations like tree product sales, indigenous plant revenue, and domestic dangerous waste selection.”


Before doing work for the Conservation District, Cornell put in just shy of 10 several years doing the job in the dairy market. For the greater part of that time, she was a dairy herd improvement expert and experienced the prospect to provider additional than 100 distinct dairy farms throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

Cornell also has about 15 many years of individual and qualified equine management encounter.

“I used lots of hours in a wide range of unique fashion milk parlors accumulating milk samples and milk weights for every cow,” Cornell stated. “In addition to gathering milk samples, I assisted dairy producers with info analysis and determination-producing to profit the future of their operations. 

“I have managed equestrian boarding & education facilities, been a using instructor, and managed horses on my residence,” she added. “I at the moment have two horses, own and work a component-time equine remedy company and contend in neighborhood situations.”

MAEAP is a voluntary and non-regulatory software that acknowledges producers and landowners who are top rated stewards of their land. It helps them adopt charge-successful methods that lower erosion and runoff into ponds, streams, and rivers. This, in change, will help them comply with point out and federal laws.  

The software seems to be at and assesses the farmstead, livestock, cropping or forest, wetland, and habitat systems. The aim is to enable landowners consider their overall house and make sustainable administration choices that are also affordable.  

Cornell explained she is wanting forward to performing with people. 

“I hope to have forward my knowledge to advocate MAEAP in Mecosta and Montcalm counties,” Cornell said. “There are lots of upcoming district events that I will be at to solution inquiries and inquiries. I will be presenting no cost water screening at some of the events this summertime.”

To turn out to be MAEAP verified, owners have to total the next in depth phases: educational seminars an on-farm risk evaluation enhancement and implementation of an action program addressing potential environmental challenges and at last, an inspection. 

When the operation has addressed any environmental issues, the Michigan Division of Agriculture and Rural Progress (MDARD) conducts an on-farm inspection to verify method demands are satisfied. After verified, a indication is presented to publicize the procedure is subsequent the best agricultural stewardship tactics.

Cornell said building a variance is her most significant purpose.

“I search forward to assisting producers and landowners interested in MAEAP and conservation,” Cornell stated. 

For extra information on Cornell and her perform, call her at 231-408-3582, [email protected].