Submitted by Heidi Ferber, Nutrient Management Specialist, Wayne County Conservation District The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau held their annual farm tour in Wayne County this year. The tour brings together Farm Bureau members, PA Department of Environmental Protection personnel, and staff from conservation districts. The group visited the farm of Brian Smith, Bill Bryant’s Highland Farm, and the Calkins Creamery. Brian Smith’s farm suffered an incredible tragedy a few years ago when he lost his barn to a fire. The farm has changed its management style with the barn rebuild and features a bedded pack system. Conservation measures include no-till corn, cover cropping, rotational grazing, milkhouse waste water system, and stabilized lanes. The bedded pack is incorporated twice a day and cleaned and rebedded twice a year. Bill Bryant’s Highland Farm is a 6th generation family farm. The farm signed on as a conservation district cooperator in 1962 and has completed an amazing amount of conservation practices. They rotationally graze the dairy cows, have a watering system, stabilized laneways, streambank fencing, heavy use area protection, no-till cropping, and cover crops. Daughter Emily started the Calkins Creamery and it has become very successful. The cheese is sold at the farm, in local stores, at farmers markets, and shipped nationwide. In honor of Bill’s late son, there is an annual 5K race – Herd the Curd – that runs all over the farm pastures and fields. Highland Farm participated in the Four County Interseeder Demo this past June. His interseeded cover crop is germinating in less than one week. There will be a Corn Trials Field Day on September 14^th and all are welcome to attend. Lunch was held at the historic Calkins Grange and prepared by the Calkins 4-H Clubs. This building is completely original and the Articles of Incorporation still hang on the wall over 100 years later.

This Wednesday, July 20, is the last day to pre-register for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. Register now and take advantage of sessions about:

• how the new overtime regulations may impact your district;
• why the odor management and manure hauler/broker programs are important to districts with nutrient management delegation;
• how NACD works for Pennsylvania’s conservation districts on the national level;
• and how other districts are working with nominating organizations and using associate director positions to build their boards.

In addition, Wednesday’s banquet will offer a special musical program by educator and entertainer Van Wagner, and a surprise opening act featuring some of our own PACD members! If you miss Wednesday’s deadline, 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.  

The early-bird discount for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference expires this Wednesday, June 29. That’s only three more days to take advantage of the $10 daily, early-bird discount! The conference takes place July 27-28 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. Click here to register and find out more.                                          

Please consider volunteering to help at the conservation district exhibit at the 2016 Pennsylvania State University Agricultural Progress Days. Ag Progress Days 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. This year’s event will be held August 16-18, 2016. Volunteers are needed for the shifts listed below. Send your name and contact information to tfisher@pacd.org or call 717-238-7223 with questions or to schedule your shift. Tuesday Aug. 16: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (1 volunteer needed) Tuesday Aug. 16: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (2 volunteer needed) Wednesday Aug. 17: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (2 volunteer needed) Wednesday Aug. 17: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (2 volunteer needed) Wednesday Aug. 17: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm (2 volunteer needed) Thursday Aug. 18: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (2 volunteer needed) Thursday Aug. 18: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (filled) A final volunteer schedule, parking passes and other show information will be sent to volunteers when available. For more information on Ag Progress Days go to their website at https://agsci.psu.edu/apd.

PACD is pleased to welcome Adam Long, attorney with McNees Wallace & Nurick’s Labor & Employment Group, as a presenter for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. Adam will join us on Thursday, July 28, from 11:00 am to Noon, to present on the new overtime rule, and provide other updates on employment law to the membership. Adam regularly provides advice and counseling to employers on a wide range of labor and employment law issues, including wage and hour compliance, employment discrimination, family and medical leave, labor relations, and non-competition agreements. He is familiar with conservation districts and has provided a number of well-regarded seminars on employment law for conservation districts through the Pennsylvania Leadership Development Committee. Interested in finding out more? Click here to register and learn more about the conference.

Submitted by Krista Scheirer, Watershed Specialist, Montgomery County Conservation District The Montgomery County Conservation District hosted three Envirothon events this spring in an effort to provide free environmental education for local students. Approximately 300 students participated in the events, which were held for the high school, middle school, and elementary school levels. The middle school students also took part in a National Geographic BioBlitz, which is an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. “In about an hour altogether, the students found 34 unique species. Kristin Byers, from the PA Alliance for Geographic Education, led a station at our middle school event, where students used GPS units to take photos of as many species as they could find. In total, they made 242 observations. This exploration was exciting to watch and really engaging for the students. After the event, the photos were uploaded to iNaturalist, an app that helps to identify the species,” said Krista Scheirer, Montgomery County Conservation District Watershed Specialist. Click here for the project page, which includes the results of the BioBlitz. Click here to read the full press release on the event.  

PACD members and partners are invited to join us at this year’s Joint Annual Conference to network, learn, and take a leading role in statewide issues. The conference will take place July 27-28 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania. As a special service to our members, PACD has arranged for Adam Long from the law firm of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC to provide an update on employment law on July 28, with a particular focus on the new overtime rule. Adam is familiar to many of our members and regularly provides advice and counseling to employers on a wide range of labor and employment law issues. Stay tuned for more Front Page articles highlighting this and other conference sessions and activities. Click here to register and learn more about the conference. We look forward to seeing you there!