Resources

This film, produced by Natural Light Films of Lancaster, tells how local farmers are growing better crops while protecting water quality. https://stroudcenter.org/restoration The film was sponsored by Stroud Water Research Center, the Lancaster County Conservancy, and the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance. Subscribe to e-news http://www.stroudcenter.org/subscribe Follow Stroud Water Research Center Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stroudcenter Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/stroudcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stroudcenter Subscribe to our channel https://www.youtube.com/user/StroudCenter

Jim Harbach operates Schrack Farms Resources with his brother-in-law Kevin Schrack in Clinton County, Pennsylvania. Having practiced no-till farming for 30 years, and in recent decades adopting the use of cover crops, Harbach sees the benefits of these conservation practices to his harvest yields as well as the soil. Harbach has documented how his soils can better withstand the extreme weather swings associated with climate change. The increased organic matter in Harbach's fields soaks up runoff before it pollutes nearby Fishing Creek, which is a class A wild trout stream. The soil also sequesters more carbon. Rather than referring to the farm's soil health practices as sustainable, Harbach describes his approach as regenerative farming. The goal is to not only maintain the soil, but continually improve it. Schrack Farms, which is part of the No-Till Alliance, also was an early adopter of a methane biodigester to generate electricity and reduce emissions. In 2018, the farm was named Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year by the International Dairy Foods Association and Dairy Herd Management magazine. Video: Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program Music: "Morning Colorwheel" and "Careless Morning" by Blue Dot Sessions, via FreeMusicArchive.org

In this Virtual Farm Visit to his Cedar Meadow Farm in Lancaster County, PA, Steve Groff showed the progress of his spring cover crops and discussed his strategies for crop rotation, seeding, and setting vegetables in his high-residue no-till, cover-crop system. Steve also shared some on-farm research in insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide use - and what the whole system meant for the nutritional density of his crops.

Luke Brubaker of Brubaker Farms shows us how best management practices (BMPs), manure to power, energy efficiency and conservation farming are helping business thrive. Learn more at www.chesapeakebay.net Produced by Steve Droter Music: "La Rupture" by Löhstana David

Jim Biddle, owner of Mill Hill Farm in Blair County, PA, talks about the cover crops and no-till techniques used on his family's dairy farm. Music - "Together On Our Own" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/Togetheronourown

Episode 2 in a video series from WHYY TV12: Farmers and scientists work together to maintain the health of soil and streams. The "Stories from the Streams" series shows how Stroud Center scientists, educators, and private citizens are working every day to maintain the quality of the water that sustains 15 million people living in the Delaware River Watershed. Subscribe to e-news http://www.stroudcenter.org/subscribe Follow Stroud Water Research Center Website: http://www.stroudcenter.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stroudcenter Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/stroudcenter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stroudcenter Subscribe to our channel https://www.youtube.com/user/StroudCenter

Dan Fabin of Fabin Brothers Farms in Indiana County, Pennsylvania shares detail about how no-till production techniques and cover crops benefit their farm operation. Music - "Together On Our Own" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/TogetherOnOurOwn

Jeff Frey at Future View Farm, farms 700 acres of cash grain, corn, soybeans, wheat and barley, and finishes hogs. He typically plants directly into the cover crop before terminating it, which provides better mulch by letting the cover crop grow longer. He would like to broaden his use of cover crops, but for now his main species is wheat, which has the primary benefit of slowing erosion. In his view, 30 years of no-till has made his soil more fragile, so the wheat cover crop's root mass helps hold the soil in place. The second benefit is the nutrient recycling from the hog manure he puts down.

Jim Hershey farms 500 acres in Southeast Pennsylvania, where he grows corn, wheat, soybeans and barley along with raising organic broiler chickens and hogs. He has been using cover crops for the last three years. Hershey started with cereal rye but now is using a five-way cover crop mix on 100 acres: crimson clover, radishes, triticale, Austrian winter peas and oats. The cover crop system works well with his no-till system; he terminates cover crops in the spring with a roller attached to his corn planter. Hershey aims to have something growing on his farm 365 days a year. According to him, the main benefit of cover crops is their ability to conserve moisture, which is especially helpful in the summer, and to build organic matter.

Steve Groff farms 225 acres of corn, soybean, small grains, pumpkins and other vegetables. He uses cover crops on 100 percent of his acres, and plants them even if it is late in the year. Groff started using cover crops in the early 1980s simply for erosion control, but now appreciates their many benefits, including nutrient management, moisture conservation and soil health improvement. A few of the cover crops he uses are radishes, cereal rye, clover, vetch and oats. In this video, he offers tips to farmers thinking about starting with cover crops: "Before you buy a bag of seed, educate yourself."

David Brown experimented with many cover crops before settling on annual ryegrass for his 80-acre organic farm, Mustard Seed Farms. He found it to be the easiest cover crop to manage, especially when terminating it and incorporating it into the soil in the spring, which is typically cool and wet in his region. Along with improving nutrient management and soil organic matter, he feels that a cover crop maintains soil structure, which can otherwise suffer if fields are left bare during the region's wet winters. Mustard Seed Farms produces a variety of warm- and cool-season vegetables, and has been certified organic for more than 20 years. More information on cover crops can be found at http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Topic-Rooms/Cover-Crops.

Steve Groff is a farmer from Pennsylvania. This segment was produced for the National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health, which was held February 18-19, 2014. The theme of the conference was "Harvesting the Potential," and was held in Omaha, Nebraska. The event was sponsored by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. To learn more, visit http://www.sare.org/covercropconference.

Red Sunset Farms in Mifflintown, Pa. is home to 400 acres of land and is adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Since 2000, dairy farm owner and environmental steward, David Graybill, has regularly assessed that land and has brought his conservation ideas to fruition so that he can protect the land and keep the water clean. Read more about Red Sunset Farms: https://bit.ly/2VfGvHz

Dave and Marie Graybill focus on environmental stewardship on their Millintown, Pennsylvania farm. They received the top distinction of Producer of the Year in Federal Orders 1 & 33.

Alquin Heinnickel of Heinnickel Farms in Westmoreland County Pennsylvania talks about no-till and cover crops, as well as recovering previously strip mined acreage for alfalfa production. Music - "Together On Our Own" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/TogetherOnOurOwn

This Chesapeake Bay Foundation video on Little Germany Farms in Perry, PA, demonstrates a planting process that can protect and improve soil health, and improve yields.

Ben Peckman, owner of Slate Ridge Dairy Farm in Franklin County, PA, discusses and demonstrates using a roller crimper as part of his no-till and cover crop system. Music - "Together On Our Own" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/Togetheronourown

We all rely on clean water for drinking, swimming, bathing, and fishing. The way farmers grow our food has a big impact on our rivers and streams. When farmers use organic practices, our water stays cleaner and safer. Do your part to support healthy farms, like Two Gander Farm, for the sake of our water. Visit GrowCleanWater.org for more information.

Grain farmer Jeff Frey has used no-till on his 700-acre farm in Willow Street, Penn., since the 1980s. Despite these efforts, Frey knew he needed to do more to protect his soil from erosion. Recently, he worked with Sjoerd Duiker, associate professor of soil management at Penn State University, on a SARE grant designed to promote cover crops on grain and vegetable farms in their state. His story demonstrates that SARE grants encourage farmers and researchers to partner with each other to advance adoption of sustainable agriculture practices. Learn more about how to use cover crops to promote soil health at https://www.sare.org/cover-crops.

Russ Wilson has a multi-species grazing operation on his Forest County, PA farm. This video is an introduction to his farm and the grazing practices he employs. Visit www.capitalrcd.org/viewproject/grassroots to learn more about the Pasture Soil Health Project. This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; under CIG Agreement 69-2D37-13-671. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Tom Ulrich grazes beef on his Washington County, PA farm. This video is an introduction to his farm and the grazing practices he employs. Visit www.capitalrcd.org/viewproject/grassroots to learn more about the Pasture Soil Health Project. This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; under CIG Agreement 69-2D37-13-671. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Brian Moyer grazes his dairy herd on his Bradford County, PA farm. This video is an introduction to his farm and the grazing practices he employs. Visit www.capitalrcd.org/viewproject/grassroots to learn more about the Pasture Soil Health Project. This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; under CIG Agreement 69-2D37-13-671. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Barron and Melissa Keefer graze dairy cows on their Franklin County, PA farm. This video is an introduction to their farm and the grazing practices they employ. Visit www.capitalrcd.org/viewproject/grassroots to learn more about the Pasture Soil Health Project. This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; under CIG Agreement 69-2D37-13-671. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Justin Geisinger grazes his dairy herd on his Franklin County, PA farm. This video is an introduction to his farm and the grazing practices he employs. Visit www.capitalrcd.org/viewproject/grassroots to learn more about the Pasture Soil Health Project. This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; under CIG Agreement 69-2D37-13-671. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Matt Bomgardner grazes his dairy herd on his Lebanon County, PA farm. This video is an introduction to his farm and the grazing practices he employs. Visit www.capitalrcd.org/viewproject/grassroots to learn more about the Pasture Soil Health Project. This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; under CIG Agreement 69-2D37-13-671. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Follow-up from 2014 Music - "Fool’s Gold" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/FoolsGold

Follow-up from 2014 Music - "Fool’s Gold" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/FoolsGold

Follow-up to previous video Music - "Fool’s Gold" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/FoolsGold

Music - "Fool’s Gold" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/FoolsGold

Follow-up from 2014 Music - "Fool’s Gold" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/FoolsGold

Pasture Soil Health Project follow-up video for Matt Bomgardner of Blue Mountain View Farm in Lebanon County PA. Music - "Fool’s Gold" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/FoolsGold