Districts Work Together to Hold an Annual Soil Health Field Day

Written by Shannon Wehinger on August 19, 2026. Posted in Education, Events

Photo provided to PACD by Columbia County Conservation District.

Submitted by Gary Rinehimer, Agricultural Conservation Specialist, Columbia County Conservation District

On July 28, 2026, the Columbia, Montour and Luzerne County Conservation Districts, in conjunction with Haz-Wald Farms, held their annual Summer Soil Health Field Day in Sugarloaf, Luzerne County.

The day included presentations by host farmers Raleigh and Blakeslee Masters, who discussed Farming for Profit Over Yield, and Penn State Educators, who discussed manure utilization, saving $100 per acre when growing corn, and the state of the agricultural economy.

Sixty farmers and ag professionals attended, enjoying a freshly grilled lunch followed by a panel discussion on Bio-Nutrients, with three local farms sharing their experience with different types of bio-nutrient products. The day concluded with field-based demonstrations, featuring an air-seeder, used by the host farm for planting cover crops, as well as a demonstration of drone cover crop seeding.

This event was made possible through a Growing Greener Multi-County Soil Health Grant.