Current Projects
Learn more about the current projects from various coalition members.
Regional Soil Health Hubs
Building on the success of the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance model of farmers educating other farmers, this project aims to establish at least seven regional farmer-to-farmer hubs to share knowledge of soil health practices and increase local adoption rates of those practices.
Farmers have the practical experience to implement conservation practices and they understand how these techniques fit into the holistic goals of the farm.
The soil health hubs will bring these farmers together 3-4 times a year and create opportunities for them to network, share new ideas, discuss past challenges and lessons learned.
The Chesapeake Bay watershed counties are identified in orange
Penn State developed a new nitrogen recommendation tool allows a user to input site-specific soil and cover crop data and calculate a fertilizer recommendation for corn that accounts for nitrogen availability from soil organic matter and cover crop residues. They have also written a Quick Start Guide that explains the required inputs. Recommendations can be calculated using a graphical web-based application for a single field, or in a spreadsheet for multiple fields. The theory behind how the tool works, along with the equations used in the calculations, is described in the article "Soil Organic Matter and cover crop-based nitrogen recommendations for corn."
Pasa is implementing a soil health benchmarking project that helps farmers assess progress toward soil health goals. Soil sample analysis uses the Cornell Soil Health Test. A new aspect of the project will also measure soil infiltration rates on fifty farms in an effort to document how management decisions influence water infiltration. Project staff will return detailed “benchmark reports” that show each farmer how their soils compare to a community of peer farmers.
The Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance continues its efforts with farmer-to-farmer outreach, education, and mentoring. Several major educational events are held each year. In addition, the members host or support the smaller meetings associated with regional soil health hubs. Through their promotion of no-till and cover crop practices, PANTA documented the adoption of 14,214 acres of new or improved cover crops and/or no-till practices between January 2020 and July 2023.
