The Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance, a coalition dedicated to promoting the economic and environmental benefits of no-till farming, will hold its next meeting on March 15 in State College at the Ramada Conference Center.

This year’s theme is “No-Till: Agronomically Superior, Economically Sound, Environmentally Safe.” Keynote speakers for this event include Don Reicosky from USDA-ARS in Morris, Minnesota, and Bill Curran, Penn State Weed Management Specialist, who will address critical soil and weed management issues in the quest for continuous no-till systems.

Breakout sessions will focus on no-till alfalfa and grass forages, keys to successfully transitioning to no-till, and a question-and-answer session with board members of the PA No-Till Alliance.

The formation meeting of the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance was held in Spring Mills, Centre County in on March 4 of last year. The people who attended included farmers, conservation district staff, farm organizations, supporting state, federal and local agencies, educational institutions and private-sector businesses.

The idea at that time was to bring together an “alliance” of farmers that would join together to create an interest in improving soil and water quality as well as yields through the promotion of no-till crop production systems within the Commonwealth.

The formation of the Alliance was the result of a great collaborative effort, and it continues to be a producer-driven organization with strong agency support. The Alliance Board of Directors has met regularly to plan future activities and the development of organizational materials such as: a logo, a brochure, fact sheets, display boards, and several media presentations.

All Board members have been engaged in promoting no-till and the Alliance; a first-ever “Ask the Expert” tent was set up for Ag Progress Days, which was a complete success. Alliance members have given input publicly regarding sediment and nutrient management issues related to the Farm Bill and Pennsylvania agriculture, as well as initiated activities between regional no-till groups across the state.

Participation in the Alliance is open to farmers and all those supporting no-till agriculture in the public and private sectors.

Registration for the March 15 event is $30 until March 3rd and $40 at the door. Registration forms should be submitted to: Capital RC&D, 108-109 Church Hall, 777 West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057. Call Susan Parry, Coordinator, at 717-948-6633 for brochures or send email to: susan.parry@pa.usda.gov .

For program information call Sjoerd Duiker, 814-863-7637.

Article By Sjoerd Duiker, Penn State Cooperative Extension, and Susan Parry, Capital RC&D

1/20/2006