As is their custom, the Pennsylvania House and Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees held a joint informational meeting on August 16, 2017 at Ag Progress Days. The session covered the state’s contributions to the multi-state effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay. The second hearing was organized by Congressman Thompson and addressed the state of agriculture in Pennsylvania in front of a panel consisting of the PA Farm Bureau President, two congressmen, and the Secretary of Agriculture. 

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh provided testimony during these two sessions. Click here to read the text of Shambaugh’s testimony titled, “Conservation District Activities within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” and here for “Barnyard Discussion: Issues Driving the State of Pennsylvania Agriculture.”

Click here to read more about the meeting. 

 

Mark your calendars for July 15-18, 2018, because the 2018 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Northeast Regional Meeting is coming to Pennsylvania! The meeting will be held in conjunction with the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel in Lancaster, PA. Look to future editions of Front Page for more information.

During the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, a soil health tour was held. The group visited Hershey Farms in Elizabethtown, PA. The farm is owned by Jim Hershey, President of the No-Till Alliance of Pennsylvania.

The tour was led by Joe Kraft, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Soil Scientist. Joe highlighted cover cropping, interseeding, and no-till as methods to encourage and maintain soil health.   

PACD and the SCC would like to extend special thanks to Jim Hershey and NRCS for making this tour possible.

Click here to see photos of the tour. 

 

During the Hospitality Suite at the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, several brave individuals participated in a new PACD game show, the “Newly Misled Game.” Friends paired up to see how well they knew each other.

Congratulations to Karen Books and Fred Fiscus for winning the game.

Thanks to Allegheny, Armstrong, Susquehanna, and York Counties for providing the snacks for our hospitality suite!

This Friday, June 30, is the last day to pre-register for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. On-site registration will be available at the conference on a space-available basis–but why wait? Click here for more information or to register.

Please consider volunteering for the conservation district exhibit at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, August 15-17, 2017.

The annual event is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College, PA, and features the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs, and guided tours.

About 60% of the 45,000 expected to attend are actively engaged in agriculture or related activities. With so many farming families from across Pennsylvania at this event, it’s a great opportunity to call attention to the work and programs done at the districts.

Volunteers are needed for the shifts listed below. Send your name and contact information to saustin@pacd.org or call 717-238-7223 with questions or to schedule your shift.

Tuesday Aug. 15: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (1 volunteer needed)
Tuesday Aug. 15: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (2 volunteers needed)
Wednesday Aug. 16: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (2 volunteers needed)
Wednesday Aug. 16: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (2 volunteers needed)
Wednesday Aug. 16: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm (2 volunteers needed)
Thursday Aug. 17: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (2 volunteers needed)

A final volunteer schedule, parking passes, and other show information will be sent to volunteers before the event. For more information on Ag Progress Days go to their website at https://agsci.psu.edu/apd.

The early-bird discount for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference expires this Friday, June 16. That’s only five more days to take advantage of the $10 early-bird discount! The conference will take place July 12-13 at the Red Lion Hotel in Harrisburg, PA. Click here to register and find out more.

 

 

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) is sponsoring a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Review Course on September 26, 2017 at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey, Harrisburg, PA.

The CPESC certification is a professional designation for erosion and sedimentation technicians, engineers, and other specialists involved in design, construction, inspection or other aspects of erosion and sedimentation control. If you have not yet started the CPESC certification process, we recommend you go to the Envirocert International, Inc. website and review the requirements and process now.

The review course is designed to ensure CPESC applicants understand what concepts will be covered by the exam and acts as a review for most of those concepts. See the flier for more information on the review course and a link to information on the complete certification and exam process. Note that there is special pricing for PA conservation district staff. Before registering, contact Terry Fisher at tfisher@pacd.org for a district staff discount code or with any questions.

Help us mark the 70^th anniversary of the Joint Annual Conference July 12-13 at the Red Lion Harrisburg Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. With timely informational sessions and a soil health tour at beautiful Hershey Farms, you won’t want to miss this conference! The new conference location is outside of the city and easily accessible. Look for feature articles in upcoming issues of Front Page for more details about the tour and other conference activities. Click here to register, and for more information.

 

Twenty-two students attended the Intro to Conservation Planning training in Grantville, PA. The training was held May 16-18, 2017. The three days consisted of a mix of classroom learning and field experience.

The training was made possible by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission. Administrative support was provided by PACD.