PACD extends our thanks to CACAT for sponsoring the 2025 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference!

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT) at Penn State Extension is dedicated to supporting Pennsylvania’s ag conservation workforce, especially at county conservation districts. We offer a range of resources to help you continue to deliver impactful, sustainable agricultural practices across the state, including:

• Ag Conservation Currents e-newsletter: Timely updates on agricultural conservation news, resources, funding opportunities, and professional development.
• CACAT Website: Your one-stop hub for technical materials, training events, open job listings, and ACAP updates.
• One-on-One County ACAP Visits: Customized support to help your team strengthen local conservation efforts.
• ACAP Promotions and Outreach: Boosting awareness of conservation funding opportunities and Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation.
• Training Events and Webinars: Offering practical, hands-on sessions to grow expertise.
• Engineering Assistance Request Program (EARP): Need help with an Inventory & Evaluation (I&E), basic surveying, or BMP design? EARP provides technical support from CACAT staff, PA State Conservation Commission engineers, or private-sector partners to keep your ACAP projects moving forward​.

Districts are encouraged to collaborate with CACAT by participating in trainings, promoting success stories, and connecting with our technical services.

Visit extension.psu.edu/cacat to learn more and sign up for our Ag Conservation Currents newsletter at extension.psu.edu/ag-conservation to stay informed!

Agricultural professionals and conservation leaders from across Pennsylvania gathered in Harrisburg from April 1-3, 2025, for the second annual Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) Ag Conservation Con, a statewide conference designed to strengthen knowledge, skills, and partnerships supporting on-farm conservation.

The banquet and awards ceremony celebrated exceptional conservation efforts across the commonwealth.

The following are the 2025 ACAP award recipients:

— Karl Brown Award for Conservation Leadership: Sens. Yaw and Martin.

— ACAP Team Collaboration Award: Rob Cronauer, Chelsea Gross, and Allie Shreffler from the Westmoreland Conservation District.

— ACAP Partnership Award: Hammer Creek Wetland, Floodplain, and Stream Restoration Partnership from the Lebanon County Conservation District.

— Innovative ACAP Project: Jay Zullinger Project from the Cumberland County Conservation District.

— ACAP Rookie of the Year: Emily Stambaugh of the Cumberland County Conservation District.

— ACAP MVP: Devyn McPheeters of the Centre County Conservation District.

— Best ACAP Project Photo: Colter Johnson of the Warren County Conservation District.

Click here to view all the photos of the award winners. 

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training at Penn State Extension was formed in 2023 along with partners at the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission (SCC) and the Pennsylvania State Office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Funding for the center is provided through the state Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).

 

Discover how the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) transforms farming in Southwest Pennsylvania. Meet two Westmoreland and Washington County farmers who implemented agricultural best management practices with the support of ACAP funding. Partnering with the Westmoreland and Washington Conservation Districts and USDA-NRCS, these farmers are improving water quality, enhancing their farms, and paving the way for sustainable agriculture. Watch their inspiring journey of collaboration, innovation, and agricultural conservation in action.

Click here to watch the video produced by Westmoreland and Washington Conservation Districts along with the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training.

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training at Penn State Extension was formed in 2023 along with partners at the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission (SCC) and the Pennsylvania State Office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Funding for the center is provided through the state Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP). 

On November 8, 2024, the Juniata County Conservation District held an Agriculture Best Management Tour. The event highlighted projects completed through the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Participants of the event learned about the impact of nonpoint source pollution, how it relates to agriculture, and the partnerships that made these projects possible.

Partners include the State Conservation Commission, Juniata County Conservation District, National Resource Conservation Service, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training.

Participants visited three farms within Juniata County that utilized ACAP funding to minimize the impact of nonpoint source pollution.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

From: “Conservation Assistance to Farmers” article from WCD Landmarks High Points November 2023 Newsletter.

John Kitz, who recently received the 2023 Conservation Farmer of the Year award from the Westmoreland Conservation District, is now the first farmer in the county to receive funding from the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program, or ACAP. Conservation improvements on John Kitz’s Mount Pleasant farm include fencing along streambanks, a stabilized cattle crossing, streambank stabilization, a water trough, a stabilized animal heavy-use area, subsurface drainage, a livestock watering ramp, subdivision fencing, and a riparian buffer with approximately 385 trees and shrubs. Upon completion, approximately 3,500 feet of stream will be improved.

ACAP was created through the Clean Streams Fund to reduce nonpoint source pollution in Pennsylvania’s waterways. It provides funding and technical assistance to implement best management practices on agricultural lands. Funding for the program is provided through local conservation districts. 

Click here to read more and to see before and after photos.