Mark your calendars for Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II). Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

Basic and Level II training will each be held twice. Applicants may apply for one and only one of the four training sessions. Do not apply for both levels this spring.

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 19, March 26, and April 22 (virtual) & April 8-11, 2024 (in-person)
Union County Government Center, Lewisburg, PA

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 19, March 26, and April 22 (virtual) & April 15-18, 2024 (in-person)
Union County Government Center, Lewisburg, PA

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
April 19, April 26 (virtual) & April 29-May 3, 2024 (in-person)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
April 19, April 26 (virtual) & May 13-17, 2024 (in-person)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

The application period will open in early January 2024. Email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org to receive a notification when the application period opens.

The following sponsors make these training opportunities possible: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

 

On October 7, 2023, the Indiana County Conservation District (ICCD) had its very first Apple Festival to encourage local farmers to diversify their crops, help them stay in business, and keep produce locally grown for the community. ICCD Executive Director Doug Beri envisioned having a festival focused on live apple cider making, and from that, Apple Fest was born. ICCD has never hosted a festival before, so this was a new challenge, but with teamwork and planning, they brought out around 600 people to join in the fun.

Apple Fest included food trucks like Suttons Sweet Treats and Portia’s Donuts, vendors who brought their wonderful crafts and products out to share, and volunteer organizations to do kids activities, including Plant Patrol, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and Penns Manor FFA with a wonderful little petting zoo. But the main event was the apple cider making, where guests and the public could sample and help make the fresh hot and cold apple cider. ICCD had hundreds of apples bought and donated by local farmers to make about 100 gallons of delicious apple cider.

ICCD hopes to make this an annual event to continue to educate local farmers and community members about the benefits of locally grown specialty crops.

It’s time to talk about the PACD booth at the 2024 Farm Show! PACD offers complimentary space at our 2024 Farm Show booth to conservation districts who would like to set up a display for a day and educate folks from all over the state. It’s an opportunity to highlight your district, your county, and what’s happening in your neck of Penn’s Woods. Districts can display their exhibit if they are available to run the booth for both AM and PM shifts. If your staff is available for a half day only (AM or PM shift), PACD will provide the exhibit display.

The PA Farm Show runs from Saturday, January 6, to Saturday, January 13. We need volunteers (preferably two volunteers per shift) to staff the conservation district booth.

Available shifts:

Thursday, January 11: 12:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Friday, January 12: 12:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 13: 8:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Please get in touch with Gloria James at gjames@pacd.org by November 22, 2023, with your contact information and the shift(s) you’d like to fill.

The National Association of Conservation Districts Northeast Region meeting was held in Portland, Maine from September 17-20, 2023. Pennsylvania was represented by staff and directors from conservation districts and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Mark your calendars for the 2024 PACD Winter Meeting! The event will take place as a series of videoconferences throughout January, beginning with the PACD Conservation Committee on January 5 and ending with the PACD Executive Council on January 25. Registration will open in November. Questions? Contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference           
January 5, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference
January 11, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
January 12, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
January 17, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference
January 18, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
January 19, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Executive Council Video Conference
January 25, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–Noon

 

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 8-10, 2023, at The Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. PACD and conservation districts from Berks, Clinton, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, Lehigh, and Union counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation during the three-day event.

Thank you so much to all who volunteered to share the great work of conservation districts with the public! Also, a special thank you to Huntingdon County Conservation District for setting up the booth.

On July 31, 2023, Berks County Conservation District held its Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner. The event was held at the Oley Fairgrounds in Oley, PA. During the celebration, the district awarded $24,000 in scholarships and recognized several businesses and individuals.

Award Winners:

• Chair’s Award – John Ravert
• Contractor of the Year – H&K Group
• Plan Preparer of the Year – LTL Consultants
• Conservation Organization of the Year – Blue Marsh, US Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia Division
• Conservation Individuals of the Year – Tami Hildebrand and Joseph Boyle, Mt. Penn Water Authority
• Farm of the Year – Vista Grande Farms, LLC, the Bitler Family

 

 

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend your fall PACD region meeting!

PACD South West Region Meeting
September 20, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA 

PACD North West Region Meeting
September 27, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon 
Tionesta Church of God, Tionesta, PA           

PACD North East Region Meeting     
October 4, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon  
Lands at Hillside Farms, Shavertown, PA       

PACD North Central Region Meeting
October 12, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon   
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA                

PACD South Central Region Meeting        
October 17, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon   
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA                                    

PACD South East Region Meeting
October 26, 2023 | 9:30 a.m. to Noon     
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

 

The conference early-bird rate has been extended through June 30, so register today and save $20 on full conference registration!

In addition to PACD and SCC business, the 2023 conference will feature a special workshop on building authentic relationships. The workshop will take place during the Directors Breakfast on July 20 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The ability to build authentic relationships is a key component to meeting water quality goals across the state, and a process that is inclusive of all stakeholders from diverse backgrounds is essential to building long-term and trusting relationships with surrounding communities. Brenna Goggin, Director of Leadership Development for River Network, will present an interactive workshop that will compare authentic relationship building to transactional efforts, examine practices for building trust, and suggest questions to ask before you begin this work. Participants will have an opportunity to workshop potential challenges, discuss potential strategies to deploy, and build a plan toward success.

Click here for more information and to register.

 

PACD will hold our summer committee meetings via video conference in June and July prior to the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. The meetings are open to conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff, as well as partner agency staff and invited guests. Registration for the virtual committee meetings is free and required. Please email the staff person listed to receive the registration link.

June 27, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m.           
PACD Legislative Committee Videoconference
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.                             

June 29, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m.           
PACD Conservation Committee Videoconference     
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.                                

July 6, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m.              
PACD Education and Outreach Committee Videoconference    
Contact swehinger@pacd.org to request a registration link.                          

July 12, 2023 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.                
PACD District Employees Committee Videoconference 
Contact hmiller@pacd.org to request a registration link.                                

July 13, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m.            
PACD Ways and Means Committee Videoconference   
Contact abrown@pacd.org to request a registration link.                            

July 14, 2023 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.                
PACD Operations Committee Videoconference
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.