Conservation District Celebrates 75 Years Our Celebration Continues…

By Christopher Miller

“The impetus behind the formation of the Clinton County Conservation District was farming,” said District Manager Wade Jodun.

As Wade explained, it was in the wake of the dust bowl of the 1930s which saw the devastation of farms in the midwest prairies that the modern-day Conservation District was formed.

For those who do not know, or for those who just love history and want to re-read it, the dust bowl was not “another football bowl game.” It was a period of severe dust storms that damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies. It was mainly caused by the failure of farmers to apply dryland farming methods to prevent wind erosion.

The farmers in the plains and prairies were not entirely to blame though; there was a great insufficient knowledge of farming techniques in the plains. Most farmers were involved in deep plowing of the topsoil, that trapped soil and moisture during times of droughts and high winds.

There are many historic photographs showing dark clouds of dust and dirt billowing and swallowing entire towns and ranches like endless tornadoes. It was out of these times that the modern-day Conservation District was born to educate and conserve.

“The Conservation District was built around the legacy of farming,” Wade said. “The biggest program that we have is the Chesapeake Bay Program.” The Susquehanna River is the largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. I believe that is still taught in elementary school today.

The program basically consists of farm inspections and plans. “Do the farms have manure plans in place, agriculture soil plans, no-till practices, cover cropping, soil testing?” asked Wade. “The main goal is to keep the soil and nutrients on the farm.” With about 500 farms in Clinton County, inspections surely keep the District very busy throughout the year. In fact, their busiest time at the District office is in the farming “off-season” which is typically between October and March as to attempt to not impede on spring planting and fall harvest.

The job of the Conservation District is to work with farmers and keep nutrients and soil on the farm. Farmers do not want to lose this; it is their livelihood. Farms are most profitable when soil and nutrients are being watched and not lost.

“We are required to inspect 50 agricultural operations a year under the program,” Wade explained. “We are about to finish our first rotation of inspections, and will be starting phase 2 – have the plans been implemented?”

Pennsylvania’s Act 38 program is referred to as the state’s nutrient management law. “In Pennsylvania we have farmers with 20 – 30 dairy cows, small farms, and larger farms with hundreds, or thousands, of turkeys, chickens, cattle…those farms, because of their size, and great amount of biomass, are held under Act 38 for nutrient management,” explained Wade. “That looks at the nutrient management practice and it is really a manure plan on steroids, we update it as changes occur on the farm.” Under Act 38 the largest farms see annual inspections and are under heavier scrutiny, and as Wade puts it, “we are the technical help for the farmer.”

“We also have the No Till Program,” Wade mentioned. “Through not tilling the soil, you put the seeds in without tilling; it eliminates erosion in the field.” The Conservation District also has soil testing kits available for farmers, which helps to tell the farmer what nutrients are in the soil, and what needs to be added for yielding the greatest amount of crops. They also can recommend cover crops which are plants that are used primarily to slow erosion, improve soil health, smother weeds, and control pests and insects.

“The crust of the work we do at the District for our farmers is intended to keep nutrients and sediment on the farm,” Wade mentioned.

As for the little guy and backyard gardener, the Conservation District may be able to help you as well. “We speak with local folks about their own gardens – they can come in and grab a soil test kit, but those tend to work better for the larger farms,” Wade explained. “Anyone who calls us up, we try to help with their questions…we have already talked about how to cut down on rabbits eating gardens, how to incorporate a no-till policy in their own backyard garden…there is nothing “official” that we do for the backyard gardener, but we will share whatever knowledge we have with anyone who calls and comes in for help – if we can help, we do.”

By keeping nutrients and soil on the farms, it makes it good for the farmers, the streams, environment, water, fishing…it keeps it in the fields, and the results end up being exponential. “The soil and nutrients in the soil are a farmer’s lifeblood,” explained Wade. It’s similar to throwing money away – if the nutrients and soil are not cared for, then it is a net loss for the farm…the business.

“Farmers are our conservation partners in this endeavour,” Wade mentioned. “It is a partnership between the Conservation District and the farmer…it benefits the farmers, the county, the Conservation District.”

The Conservation District was founded with the idea that local experts will know their (geographic) areas the best. “We do not see our relationship as one of regulator and regulates; we see it as a partnership.”