WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises, Inc., was honored for its model conservation practices with a Clean Water Farm Award and Coastal Basin Grand Basin Award from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and

WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises, located in lower Northampton County near Picketts Harbor, consists of 50 acres of woodland and 200 acres of traditional fruits and vegetables that includes a rotation of 100 acres of small grains; and

WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises uses a variety of conservation practices to protect the farmland soil and reduce erosion and runoff, including integrating cover crop, taking regular soil samples, and maintaining grass buffers near the Chesapeake Bay's critical resource protection areas; and

WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises also incorporates conservation tillage, integrated pest management planning, the use of filter strips, and a water management plan as it strives to protect the farmland, which has been in use since the 1800s; and

WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises has participated in the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service's Environmental Quality Incentives Program to improve irrigation efficiency and convert seven acres of cropland to organic farming; and

WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises installed a pollinator meadow to attract beneficial insects and honeybees to aid in the quality and production of fruit grown on the farm; and

WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises has opened its doors to local church groups, schools, and Girl Scout troops so that children can see firsthand where the food they eat is grown and learn more about protecting the environment; and

WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises also operates an on-farm market and a farm market at Shore Drive in Virginia Beach, selling Virginia's finest; and

WHEREAS, Nottingham Enterprises is a model for other farms across the Commonwealth as it produces a wide array of fruits, vegetables, and grains in a sustainable manner; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Nottingham Enterprises, Inc., on its selection as a Clean Water Farm Award and Coastal Basin Grand Basin Award winner from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to W.T. Nottingham, owner of Nottingham Enterprises, Inc., as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and admiration for the farm's commitment to being a wise steward of the Commonwealth's great natural resources.