By: Kevin Brown, Ag. Resource Specialist, Bradford County Conservation District

Yes, that’s what I said, a garden that takes no work. This is a picture of our garden here at the office. I mulched it, planted it, spent maybe 15 minutes (total) weeding it at different times, and am now harvesting it. I know there are a lot of non-believers out there. My wife said it wouldn’t work. My co-workers said it wouldn’t work and wanted to know who was going to be the one spending the time needed to weed and water it. My response was, “If it works the way it’s supposed to, no one.” Even my mother said that when she read the first gardening article I wrote, “I couldn’t believe your name was associated with it. You never wanted anything to do with a garden.” And she’s right. I still don’t. But voilà! Here we are. I can handle a garden if I don’t have to do anything to make it a garden. Doesn’t everyone like to have super fresh vegetables if all they have to do is pick them? Well, you can.

Click here to read the entire article and here to read a news piece on the project. 

This workshop is part of the Bradford County Education & Outreach Mini-grant Project.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

PACD is hosting a two-day short course on Fluvial Geomorphology and Natural Channel Design Indices and Stream Restoration/Rehabilitation and Streambank Protection. The course will be held on March 24 and 25 at the Clinton County Conservation District. Please add this meeting to your calendar.

Registration and a draft agenda will be shared soon. Questions? Contact Amy Brown at abrown@pacd.org.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the conservation district booth at the PA Farm Show a success! The 2020 show premiered the “Compost, recycle, or trash” corn hole game, which drew in visitors to the booth.

Thank you to the following conservation districts represented by volunteers:

Berks
Chester
Cumberland
Dauphin
Franklin
Indiana
Juniata
Lebanon
Perry
Pike
Schuylkill
Union
Venango

The state Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee and the state Chesapeake Bay Commission Delegation held a discussion on January 8, 2020, on Pennsylvania’s efforts to curb Chesapeake Bay pollution. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended the session which was held at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.

Individuals offering comments included: Ann P. Swanson, Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission; Secretary Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; Secretary Patrick McDonnell, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Karl Brown, Executive Secretary, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission; David Graybill, Board Member, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; and Bill Chain, Senior Agriculture Program Manager, Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

A recording of the hearing is posted on the Committee website at https://environmental.pasenategop.com/010820/.

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Adams County Conservation District (ACCD) on December 19, 2019, to attend their annual planning session and board meeting. The district first held a 2019 year in review session and a planning session for 2020. Partners (including PACD) and legislators were invited to participate. The regular board meeting followed this session.

On December 18, 2019, the Cumberland County Conservation District and Cumberland Planter held their 9^th Annual Corn Planter Clinic at the Shippensburg Auction Center. Topics included: The Foundations for a Better Yield, Considerations for Soil Health Fertility and Nutrient Management in No-Till Production, and No-Till Drill Preventative Maintenance. The clinic was well attended with 180 farmers, all there to gain valuable information before the spring 2020 crop year begins.

Pike County Conservation District has a podcast called The Conservation Cast for Pike County residents that want to learn more about our environment.

The first episode is on watersheds and is available now. The second episode will be released on January 8 and focuses on water quality for homeowners. Click here to listen! 

Financial and other support for The Conservation Cast has been provided by the Department of Environmental Protection’s 2019 Environmental Education Grants Program.

Be sure to register for the PACD/SCC Winter Meeting before preregistration closes January 10! Walk-in registration will be available at the conference, though meal availability cannot be guaranteed. Click here for more information and to register. 

This position is located in Bloomsburg, PA, with the employer of record being the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and day to day technical guidance provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Natural Resources Specialist.

The incumbent has primary responsibility for providing assistance and coordination support for the National Conservation Planning Partnership conservation planning efforts. The position is under the technical supervision of the NRCS Natural Resources Specialist located in Benton, PA.

Click here to read the job description. 

A cover letter and resume should be emailed to personnel@pacd.org by January 10, 2020.

What are the PACD staff asking Santa for this year? Click here to watch a short holiday video to find out.