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Front Page: Your Weekly News & Updates
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| New manager's boot camp, news from Luzerne, Franklin, and Chester Counties, project wingspan, pollinator guide, news from NRCS, and nominate an outstanding young farmer. |
New Manager's Boot Camp Held in State College
Fifteen conservation district managers, as well as representatives from the conservation partnership, attended the New Manager Boot Camp Training in State College, PA, June 18-20, 2019. Topics included the Conservation District Law, partner programs, finances, building board relationships, and managing staff.
Leadership Development Coordinator Matt Miller said, "This training was a great opportunity to bring new conservation district managers together and build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills for their position. Perhaps the most valuable part was the networking and sharing that took place among the attendees."
Photo caption: Shane Kleiner, PA Department of Environmental Protection, speaks at the New Manager's boot camp on June 18, 2019.
Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership's Leadership Development Committee.
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Ribbon Cutting Held in Luzerne County for $325,000 Growing Greener Grant Project
Submitted by Jennifer Lauri, Conservation Specialist, Luzerne Conservation District
On Saturday June 8, 2019, The Lands at Hillside Farms held an official unveiling and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Dr. Doug Ayers Dairy Barn, a two-year project. Amy Brown, formerly with the Luzerne Conservation District (now Program Manager at PACD) originally approached the farm with an idea for a Growing Greener Grant.
The community, donors, conservation district staff, staff from The Lands at Hillside Farms, and members of the press gathered on June 8. Attendees toured the new 15,000 square foot facility.
The Lands at Hillside Farms has worked with the Luzerne Conservation District in the past to plant hundreds of trees along the stream on the farm. The farm has also installed a rain garden, a green parking lot to reduce the amount of impervious surface, and bird boxes all around the property to control the pests.
The total contribution from the Luzerne Conservation District, through a DEP Growing Greener Grant, was $325,000.
Photo caption: Photo provided by Luzerne Conservation District.
Click here to read the entire article.
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Franklin County Conservation District Holds Sixth Annual First Grade Field Trip
Submitted by Jennifer Bratthauar, Ag Conservation Technician, Franklin County Conservation District
For the sixth year, the Franklin County Conservation District hosted the First Grade Field Trip at Caledonia State Park on April 30, May 1, May 14 and May 15. This year's field trip included a variety of educational stations including agriculture, wildlife, water quality (macroinvertebrates and runoff), dairy, forestry and a nature trail scavenger hunt. Approximately 712 first graders from 32 classes across 13 different elementary schools attended.
Photo caption: Identifying macroinvertebrates. Photo provided by Franklin County Conservation District.
Click here to read the entire article.
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Chester County Conservation District Holds New Director and Employee Tour
Submitted by Chester County Conservation District
On the morning of June 5, 2019, Chester County Conservation District board members, employees, and representatives from the American Farmland Trust, Chester County Commissioners' Office, National Fish and Wildlife Federation, and William Penn Foundation had the opportunity to visit two sites where BMPs have been installed with the assistance of the conservation district.
Photo caption: Mushroom photo provided by Chester County Conservation District. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Sprenkle.
Click here to read the entire article.
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New Initiative: Project Wingspan
Project Wingspan is a two-year project, supported by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation to the non-profit Pollinator Partnership, which is leading a coalition of partners to enhance land to support our imperiled pollinators.
Project Wingspan seeks to increase monarch and rusty patched bumble bee habitat by engaging public land managers and private land stewards throughout an eight-state target region of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The goal is to establish 10,000 acres of monarch and rusty patched bumble bee habitat.
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Planting for Pollinators Guide Available
Free pollinator-friendly planting guides are available online. The Central Appalachian guide (including Pennsylvania) is available here.
Guides are available for many regions in the U.S. and Canada. Click here to find all the guides.
Starting on page 16 of the planting guides you can find lists of plants that will attract pollinators and help you build beautiful pollinator habitat!
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association Form Partnership to Assist Local Farmers
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association, a non-profit organization whose members include the Delaware-Maryland 4R Alliance and the Pennsylvania 4R Alliance. The memorandum formalizes the partners' intent to collaboratively develop crop production and conservation systems based in the principles of the 4R nutrient stewardship framework, and to assist farmers implementing these systems.
Click here to read the entire press release.
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Nominate a National Outstanding Young Farmer
Do you know of any outstanding young farmers? If so, nominate them to become a National Outstanding Young Farmer. Nominees must be between the ages of 21 and 40, be actual farm operators, and derive a minimum of two-thirds of their income from farming.
The purpose of the Outstanding Young Farmers Program is to bring about a greater interest in the farmer, to foster better urban-rural relations through the understanding of the farmers' endeavors, to develop a further appreciation for their contributions and achievements, and to inform the agribusiness community of the growing urban awareness of farmers' importance and impact on America's economy.
The deadline for nominations is August 1. Click here
for more information and here for a brochure.
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Conservation Districts in the News
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Upcoming Events
July 17-18, 2019
Genetti Hotel, Williamsport, PA
September 4-5, 2019
Building for Tomorrow 2019 Management Summit
Wyndham Garden, State College, PA
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