Working with Public/Private Program Incentives A Farmers Experience

“Where to begin” – “Who to Ask” – “ Why is it Important”

Olivia CarlsonAgriculture Resource Conservationist

Berks County Conservation District

“Where to begin”

• Develop Farm Plan (Ideal Operation)– Commodities

• Animals• Crops

– Farmstead • Buildings• Manure Storage• Roadways/Walkways• Future Expansion

– Cropland– Pastureland– Naturel Resources

“Who to Ask”

• Discussion with:– Fellow Farmers/Landowners

– Agencies/Organizations

– Accountant/Banker/Advisor

Participants

“Who to Ask”

• Berks County Conservation District

• Natural Resources Conservation Service

• Berks County Conservancy

• Pen-Vest---Pa. Dept. of Ag.

• Game Commission

• Install Conservation Practices with the Help of Technical and Financial Support

• Eliminate Resource Concerns

• Improve Water Quality

“ Why is it Important”

“My Farm” – “ My Plans” – “Why I Got Involved”

“My Farm”

• Albany Township-South of Blue Mountain onBethel Road

• 5th Generation Farm• Potatoes-Dairy-Crop Farm• Wife- Works Off Farm, Three Children• 193 Owned Acres• 25 Rented Acres

Future 90 Acres-Cropland 78 Acres-Rotational

Grazing Land 4 Acres Conservation

Land 40 Cow/Calf Pairs on

Grass 30 Grass Fed Feeders

Past 250 Acres Cropland 23 Acres Continuous

Graze Acres 22 Acres Seasonal

Pasture 35 Dairy Cows

“My Farm”

“ My Plans” Dairy Facility Needed Major Upgrading Dairy Farming 365 Day Job Milk Price Determine by Big

Companies/Cooperatives Not Supply and Demand About 50 Acres of Land to Steep and Shale Soil Not

Great for Crop Production Changed from Dairy with Some Continuous Grazing

to Beef Cow/Calf with Feeders on Intensive Grazing System

Market Grass Fed Beef Direct

“Why I Got Involved”

Had Some Issues with Stream

Family Felt That Someday Conservation Practices Would be Mandatory So Why Not Accept the Technical and Financial Incentives

Move into Intensive Grazing

“Why I Got Involved”

Concerns What You Don’t Know, You Think the Worst Organizations Telling You What to Do and

Not Seeing the Farmers’ and Production Side Lose Pasture Land Because of Meandering

Stream Maintaince Along the Stream with Stream

Bank Fencing

“Why I Got Involved”

Pluses Financial Incentives for

Practices Grazing Benefits-More

Forage, More Milk and More Meat Per Acre

Manure Handling Improved Stream Quality Farm Aesthetics

Drawbacks Trash at Crossings Finding Calves in Grasses in

the Stream Buffer Unwanted Plants in Stream

Buffer(will chop down every few years)

Larry LloydSenior Ecologist

Berks County Conservancy

“The Conservation Practices”

Watershed1,500 Acres

“The Conservation Practices”

Forage/Grass/Tree Cover Prevents Erosion

Consumes Nutrients

Increases Production

Farm Aesthetics

“Forage/Grass/Tree Cover”

“Forage/Grass/Tree Cover”

“The Conservation Practices”

Surface Water Mediation

Prevents Erosion

Consumes Nutrients and Surface Runoff

Slows Downstream Runoff

Improves Groundwater Recharge

Farm Aesthetics

“Surface Water Mediation”

“Surface Water Mediation”

“The Conservation Practices”

Stream Bank Erosion

Soil Loss

Degrades Wildlife Habitat

Detracts from Farm Aesthetics

Stream Bank Erosion

“The Conservation Practices”

Stream Crossings Prevents Erosion

Reduces Animal Contact with Stream

Stabilizes Animal Crossing

Allows More Appropriate Animal Watering Site

“Stream Crossings”

“Stream Crossings”

“Stream Crossings”

“Stream Crossings”

“The Conservation Practices”

Stream Bank Fencing/Riparian Buffer

Prevents Stream Bank Erosion

Filters Nutrients

Reduces Animal Health Problems

Improves Wildlife Habitat

Farm Aesthetics

“Stream Bank

Fencing”

“Stream Bank

Fencing”

“Stream Bank Fencing”

Riparian Buffer

“The Production Practices”

Clyde MyersTechnical Support Specialist

Natural Resources Conservation ServiceIn

Berks & Schuylkill County’s

“The Production Practices”

Intensive Grazing System Basics

Production and/or Exercise All land that will be used for

pasture is divided into paddocks Animals are rotated around the

paddocks, entering when plant species reach a height of eight to ten inches

Removed when plants are grazed to three to four inches

“The Production Practices”

Intensive Grazing System Basics

Return after re-growth reaches the 8-10 inch height

Paddock size small enough that all forage consumed in 3 days or less

This period will be as short as 15 days in the spring and as long as 45 days in summer

In spring/fall - ½ to 1 acre/ AU In summer - 1 1/2 to 2 acres

“The Production Practices”

Grazing System-Major Parts Land in Pasture Fencing

External Fencing Paddock Fencing

Animal Movement Walkway Winter

Water System Manure Handling

Land in Pasture Minimum

Spring/fall - ½ to 1 acre/ AU Summer - 1 1/2 to 2 acres/AU

Winter and/or Forage Slow Growth Rotational Lots

NRCS 2 Acres/ AU

“The Production Practices”

Land in Pasture

Land in Pasture

RotationalHeavy Use

Area

“The Production Practices”

Fencing

Animal Species

Electric/Nonelectric

Exterior - Critical Confinement

Exclusion Walkway Stream Bank

Paddock Moveable

Fencing

Exterior 3 + Electrified Strands

Walkway2 Strands

Stream Bank Fencing

2 Strands

Animal Movement /Walkways

All Paddocks

Improved

Daily Use

Winter

Equipment

Grass

Weekly Use

“The Production Practices”

Improved Walkway

Depends on soil

Wet/Equipment Minimum 10’ wide 2 inches minimum of surface material 2 inches binder 4 inches base Nonwoven geotextile

Animal Walkway

“The Production Practices”

Water System Source – (Well-Spring-Surface) Animal Species Distance/Topography Equipment

Pump/Gravity Pipeline Size (1” – 1 ½”) Tub Capacity (100 Gal.)

Frost Free Winter Extended Grazing

Water System -Portable Trough

Water System -Crossing Stream

Water System - Pipeline Size (1” – 1 ½”)

Water System –Frost Free > 30”

“The Production Practices”

Manure Handling/Storage

Solid/Liquid Animal Species

Weight, Number, Time in Confinement Time of Year

Barn/Heavy Use Area (lot)

60% Where Eat & Drink

“Keep Clean Water Clean”

Manure Storage/Handling -Preconstruction

Manure Storage/Handling Cemented Barnyard Sidewalls for Bedded Pack Covered

Manure Storage -Bedded Pack

Manure Storage Roof Spouting

FarmGrazing

Map

Questions? Please Contact Us At: Olivia Carlson, Agricultural Resource ConservationistBerks County Conservation District1238 County Welfare Road | Suite 200 | Leesport, PA 19533Olivia.Carlson@berkscd.com Larry Lloyd, Senior EcologistBerks County Conservancy25 North 11th StreetReading, PA 19601610-372-4992 ext. 112Larry.lloyd@berks-conservancy.org Clyde Myers, NRCS- Technical Support SpecialistNatural Resources Conservation Service1238 County Welfare RoadLeesport, PA 19533-0520610-372-4655-115clyde.myers@pa.usda.gov