Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 13-15, 2024, at Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. During the three-day event, PACD and conservation districts from Centre, Crawford, Indiana, Juniata, Union, and Westmoreland counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation.

Thank you so much to all who volunteered to share conservation districts’ great work with the public. A special thank you to Westmoreland Conservation District for setting up the booth.

The Elk County Conservation District (ECCD), in collaboration with neighboring conservation districts and other industry partners, hosted “Forestry Days for Districts” from July 29 to 30 in Johnsonburg, PA. This two-day workshop was open to all conservation districts statewide, and representatives from over 20 districts were present! The objective was to provide “training by districts, for districts,” focusing on timber harvesting and effectively communicating sustainable timber practices.

Throughout PA, each district encounters varying degrees of forestry sites and timber operations. “Forestry Days for Districts” allowed district employees from all corners of the state to come together to discuss their own experiences and learn directly from those in the forestry industry.

Click here to read the entire article and see more photos. 

PACD is co-hosting a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Review Course. The course will be held at the Clinton County Conservation District in Mill Hall, PA, on September 10, 2024. The cost is $380 for non-district participants and $180 for conservation district staff (contact hmiller@pacd.org for the discount code). Click here to register online. 

The review course is open to anyone, including conservation district, agency, or private company staff, actively pursuing a CPESC certification through EnviroCert International, Inc. Please pass this information along to anyone who may be interested.

The deadline to register is August 30, 2024. Click here for more information. 

The Association elected officers at the annual Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) meeting on July 17, 2024, in State College, PA. Among them was Cambria County Conservation District Director Dennis Beck, who was re-elected President.

The 2024 PACD officers are as follows:

• President: Dennis Beck, Cambria County Conservation District
• 1^st Vice President: Emil Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
• 2^nd Vice President: Kelly Stagen, Pike County Conservation District
• Secretary/Interim Treasurer: Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District

Executive Board Members not up for election and continuing to serve their terms:

• North Central Region Director: Dr. Robert Shannon, Centre County Conservation District
• North West Region Director & NACD North East Region Representative: Cliff Lane, McKean County Conservation District
• North East Region Director: Thomas Herbert, Luzerne Conservation District
• South East Region Director: Piper Sherburne, Berks County Conservation District
• South West Region Director: Barb Peace, Indiana County Conservation District
• NACD Director: Ron Rohall, Westmoreland Conservation District
• Also, Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District, will continue to serve as the Interim South Central Region Director and Secretary/Interim Treasurer.

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT) at Penn State Extension was established in 2023 by the State Conservation Commission. The Center bolsters the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) and sponsored this year’s PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. During the Conference, the Center led field trips to noteworthy sites, including the Frost Entomological Museum and a greenhouse at Penn State, Rock Springs Research Farm, and the site of Ag Progress Days.

Thank you to the Center for leading these fun and educational tours!

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training at Penn State Extension is a cooperative effort 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).

Presented by Kathleen Deal, JD, this course is designed to provide fundamental negotiation skills to environmental regulatory personnel. Participants will learn proven approaches and strategies to establish rapport, gain information, and influence others. The course incorporates lessons on ethics and negotiation and reading body language—both our own and that of others—to enhance communications It teaches that great negotiation is about great collaboration and equips participants to work with individuals and organizations to create agreement, solve problems, and achieve results.

The workshop will take place at the Wyndham Garden State College on August 6, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration is currently open solely to DEP enforcement personnel and Chapter 102 staff from conservation districts with Level III delegation. There is no fee to attend. The grant will cover one overnight for participants arriving the night before the training, and lunch is provided on the day of the training. Click here for more information and to register. 

This training is funded through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection and made possible through the cooperation of the PA Association of Conservation Districts and Pennsylvania’s conservation districts.

On June 14, 2024, the Berks County Conservation District held an event and tour of a new best management practice installation at a family farm in Lenhartsville, PA.

Speakers included Senator Judith Schwank; Representative Jamie Barton; Representative David Maloney; Berks County Commissioners Christian Y. Leinbach, Michael S. Rivera, and Dante Santoni, Jr.; Berks County Department of Ag Deputy Director Kim Fies; NRCS District Conservationist Nick Ramsey; State Conservation Commission Director of Financial & Technical Assistance Programs Justin Challenger; and PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh.

The day ended with a tour of a barn built through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).

 

Joint Annual Conference Early-bird Deadline Extended to June 28, 2024

PACD and the PA State Conservation Commission are proud to welcome presenter Christina Grozinger, Director of the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research and the Technology for Living Systems Center at Penn State to the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference.

On the morning of Wednesday, July 17, Dr. Grozinger will speak to how scientists at Penn State are using remote sensing, big data, computer vision, artificial intelligence, and engineering to develop tools that conservationists and homeowners can use to design strategies to improve land management and support biodiversity.

This presentation will focus on the Beescape decision support tool, which allows users to map land use, habitat quality—including seasonal floral resources—weather parameters, and economic value from pollination services across the continental United States.

Register by June 28, 2024, and save $30.00 on Full Registration! Click here for more information and to register.

Joint Annual Conference Early-bird Deadline Extended to June 28, 2024

Registrants attending the conference on Wednesday can choose to join one of two exciting field tours sponsored and hosted by Penn State.

• Chestnut Restoration Research and Frost Entomology Museum – Participants will take in two spots of interest on the campus of Penn State University Park. First, visit the research site of the American Chestnut restoration project at the Arboretum, a partnership with the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) to breed a variety of American chestnut resistant to chestnut blight. Next, stop at the Frost Entomological Museum to explore insect biology, better understand their relationship with humans, and learn how people in the Department of Entomology are expanding our collective knowledge of insects and their place in this world.
• Rock Springs Research Farm and Ag Progress Days – Participants will take a bus tour of agricultural research plots at the Larson Research Farm at Rock Springs. The research and education on this 2,200-acre site, which is not open to the public, works toward better food and farming for the health of society and the environment. Current studies at this living laboratory focus on fruits, vegetables, grains, weeds, soil, insects, fish, water, farming techniques, forestry and more. Participants will then stop at Ag Progress Days to see conservation practices implemented at the site, including the riparian buffer on Spruce Creek.

Register by June 28, 2024, and save $30.00 on Full Registration! Click here for more information and to register.

Penn State Ag Progress Days will be held August 13-15, 2024, at the Russell E. Larson Agriculture Research Center at 2710 West Pine Grove Road in Pennsylvania Furnace. Nine miles southwest of State College, PA, this event will feature the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs, and guided tours.

This event is an excellent opportunity to call attention to the work and programs accomplished by the conservation districts.

We are looking for volunteers for the conservation district booth for this event (2 volunteers are needed per shift). If you’d like to schedule a shift, send your name, contact information, and preferred shift(s) to swehinger@pacd.org.                                                                           

Tuesday, August 13: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.       
Tuesday, August 13: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, August 14: Filled
Wednesday, August 14: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 14: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 15: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 15: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

When available, volunteers will be sent a final volunteer schedule, parking passes, and other show information. For more information on Ag Progress Days, visit their website at http://agsci.psu.edu/apd.