The PA Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. awarded the operators of three farms with the Clean Water Farm Award during its annual conference on July 8 in Monroeville, Allegheny County.

The honor is awarded annually to farmers who manage their daily farm operations in an environmentally conscious manner that helps to protect Pennsylvania's water quality.

This year's award recipients are--

— Joel Loch (Lehigh County): Owned and operated by Joel Loch and located in Kutztown, PA, the farm has 65 dairy cows and 300 poultry along with 137.7 acres of cropland and 19.9 acres of pasture. It is located along Mill Creek, a trout-stocked and migratory fishery, which is a tributary of Maiden Creek, the municipal water source to the citizens of Reading, PA. Best management practices installed on the farm include: a water control structure consisting of a stormwater basin, concrete drop box and underground outlets on the pasture; an animal walkway; stabilized stream crossings and stream bank fencing; a grassed waterway; and an animal heavy use area.

— Longview Family Farm (Potter County): The Longview Family Farm in Port Allegany, PA, is owned and operated by Allen Long. The farm has 48 brood cows and 48 calves with 10 acres of cropland and 144 acres of pasture. Sartwell Creek, a Cold Water Fishery/Wild Trout designated stream, flows through the farm on its way to the Allegheny River. Best management practices installed on the farm include: stream bank fencing with a stabilized stream crossing; a vegetated buffer; a heavy use area and roofed manure stacking pad; and soil testing every three years.

— David & Cathy Reifsneider (York County): The Gobbler’s Knob Farm in Felton, PA is owned and operated by David and Cathy Reifsneider. It consists of 140,000 poultry (organic broilers) and 19 goats. The farm has 10.8 acres of cropland and 2.3 acres of pasture. Upon moving to the property, the Reifsneiders worked with the district to install many conservation practices including: mortality composting; a waste storage facility; and a grassed waterway and drop boxes to prevent erosion and control roof runoff

The Clean Water Farm award was initiated in 1986. Recipients of the award are nominated by their local county conservation districts.

Financial support for this award is provided by the Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program and the Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Education Office, administered by the PA Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

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(Reprinted from the July 23 DEP News.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)

7/27/2015