C26—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 27,1980
Nation’s
NEW WINDSOR, Md. -
John Parker Smith, a
Carroll County, Md., dairy
farmer, became the first
person in the nation Wed
nesday to receive payment
for completing a pollution
control structure under the
new experimental Rural
Clean Water Program.
About 75 farmers and
agency officials attended an
open house at the Smith
farm marking the occasion.
Among them was Raymond
Fitzgerald, head of the
Agricultural Stabilization
and Conservation Service
which administers the
program. Fitzgerald ap
plauded Smith and local
agency officials for their
speed in implementing the
program which was ap
proved for funding this past
summer.
But the highlight of the
afternoon came when Melvin
Baile, chairman of the
Carroll County ASC Com
mittee handed Smith a check
for |9500 covering 75 percent
of the cost of his new animal
waste handling facility.
Smith,- 33, oversees the
management of the 550-acre
farm with the help of his
father John Elmer, Brother
giates-^
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The solids separation pit behind the Smith family will keep animal wastes from
the dairy parlor and barnyard from polluting a nearby stream. At far left, is
Smith’s son Paul, 3.
w
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r
J. Parker Smith poses near the liquid release board of his new solids .
separation pit. Parker was the first farmer in the nation to complete a pollution
control structure under the new experimental Rural Clean Water Program.
Malcolm, and (,»*„
ployees. The Smiths’ milk
about 150 grade Holsteins
with a rolling herd average
of 15,000 pounds of milk and
575 milk butterfat. They
raise their own feed in
cluding about 300 acres of
com, 100 acres of small
grain, and 125 acres of hay.
“Everything but the
protein,” Smith says.
Smith said he built the
facility to control the
pollution problem and keep
ahead of federal officials
who he feels may one day
require farmers to adhere to
strict pollution control
guidelines if they don’t take
action themselves first.
Before the new solids
separation pit was con
structed, the runoff carrying
waste from about 200 head in
the barnyard and dairy
parlor washed directly into a
small stream. Now the
.runoff from the one-acre
area drains into the pit
which was designed by the
U.S. Soil Conservation
Service.
Randy Bachtel, SCS soil
conservationist, explained
that the system was
designed to allow the solids
to settle to the bottom of the
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*
♦ V
first RCWP grant
goes to Maryland
That’s a $9500 check J. Parker Smith’s mother,
Florence Mary, and father, John Elmer, are
folding. it covers 75 percent of the cost of his new
animal waste facility. Parker was first to complete
a pollution control structure under new Double
350-foot long grassed
waterway. Any remaining
solids are trapped by the
grass and the liquid in
filtrates into the ground
before reaching the stream.
The solids trapped in the
basin are periodically
spread on the land as fer
tilizer.
pit while the liquid is
released into a 12-foot wide,
'■rr.
-
Just how often the basui
has to be cleaned out
depends on the amount and
frequency of rain as well as
the number of cows. But
Smith says the basin has
about 30-days storage
capacity which he’deven
tuaily Tike to increase to
about 60 to 90 days.
LANCASTER - Ap
plications will be accepted in
Lancaster County until
October 15, 1980 for the
“Outstanding Storm Water
Management in Land
Development Award. ’ ’
The award program is
designed to recognize a
project which implements
storm water management
techniques, that eliminate
excessive runoff and
resulting flooding and
erosion.
Municipal' officials,
developers, site planners,
architects, engineers, and
Montgomery 4-H steer show winners named
LANSDALE - David Huff
of Lafayette Hill took top
honors m the annual Mon
tgomery County 4-H Steer
Show held recently in
Lansdale. David’s steer was
named Grand Champion
animal while Dave took the
titles of Grand Champion
Shopman and Grand
Champion Fitter for his
outstanding abilities in
grooming and handling the
steer.
-^4
ilil
Jim Roth of Collegeville
Nominate a winner for storm
tt aid
Pipe Creek Rural Clean Water Program in Carroll
County, Md. Tired 'out after the afternoon’s
festivities and speechmaking, son Paul, 3, rests on
his father’s shoulder.
Unlike some other system
Smith’s is both labor and
energy efficient. It required
no pumps, and since the
liquid is drained off,,
eliminates the need for
having to haul rainwater
that's trapped along with the
runoff. -
A board member of the
Carroll County Soil Con
servation District for the
past three years. Smith is a
firm believer m conserving
resources. On his cultivated
land he used crop rotations,
stripcropping; minimum and
no-till planting," and grassed
waterways. These, explains
management award
others involved in the
development process are
invited to submit
nominations. The
nominations must, however,
be supported by the elected
officials of the municipality
in which the project is
located.
To be eligible for the
award, the project must be
initiated and substantially
completed during the last
five years. It must be located
in Lancaster County.
The award will be
presented at the Lancaster
was also a big winner when
his steer won Reserve Grand
Champion and Jim was
named Reserve Champion
Showman. Judge Charles
Mentzer of Royersford also
named Jim Arthur of
Worcester the Reserve
Champion Fitter.
Results of the type classes
were:
lightweight 1 Tim Fagan Norristown
2 Chris Fagan Norristown 3 Bcr
nadette McMahon Green Lane A Bruce
Augustine Schwenksville
Medium Weight 1 Richard Roth.
2 R sty Bryant Worcester
farmer
Bachtel, help stop soil
erosion and keeps sediment
from washing into the
streams that dissect the
farm.
In addition to taking
vantage of the RCU
project himself, Smith lias
promoted it among other
farmers m the area and is
responsible for getting some
to sign up under the new
program.
“I feel that people having
sediment and animal waste
ruliotf problems can use "the
RCWP program to help solve
pollution problems on their
farms, too,” he says.
County Conservation
District’s Annual Banquet
which will be held in Ma»y h.
At that time, the develop,
designer, and municipality
will be recognized for then
contributions.
More information, in
cluding guidelines and
procedures can be obtained
by contacting the Lancaster
County Conservation
District at the Farm and
Home Center, Room 6, 1383
Arcadia Road, Lancaster
17601; telephone 717/299-
5361.
3 Steve McMahon Green Lane 4 John
Bryant Worcester 5 Jim Arthur
Worcester
Heavy Weight 1 David Huff
Laytayette Hill 2 Jim Roth, Collegeville
3 Becky Roth Collegeville 4 Angela
Bernotas Gratersford
Fitting and Showmanship results
First Year Members 1 Jim Arthur 2
Bernadette McMahon 3 Tim Fagan 4
Chris Fagan 5 Becky Roth
Juniors 13 and under 1 Richard
Roth, 2 John Bryant 3 Rusty Bryant
Seniors 14 19 1 David Huff hm
Arthur 3 Angela Bernotas 4 e
McMahon •
Champion Showman David Huff
Champion Fitter David Huff
Reserve Champion Showman Jim
Roth Reserve Champion Fitter - Jim
Arthur
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