A22-Unc—t»f Farming, Saturday, March 29, <1897. < Huge Waterway Stops Erosion At Shelmire Conservation Farm ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Fanning Staff QUAKERTOWN (Bucks Co.) Before 1989, Paul Shelmire Jr. remembers what the home farm would be like after a heavy rain. He shrugs when he thinks about it: gulleys of erosion on the fiel d ... water almost knee high coming up just behind the farm buildings . . . worries about how much fertile, productive topsoil would be lost to severe rainstorms. ... Paul knew something had to be done. In 1989, with the help of the conservation district and then-Soil Conservation Service (now called the Natural Resource Conserva tion Service or NRCS), a three year project was bom. The project involved the instal lation of an underground tiling sys tem to divert the massive rainfall to a waterway that runs through the farm and alongside the farm build ings to a forested region. The three-year project was fin ished in 1991. After it was com plete, more than 14,000 feet of waterway took the water, primari ly from the hillside springs, and diverted it off the farm to a small stream which feeds into the Unami Creek. The Unami subsequently feeds into the Peridomen. Shelmire said the waterway “takes the water right out of here,” measuring three foot deep and 40-feet wide. “The water used to flood terribly, but the district came in and helped fix it,” he noted. As a result, there are no more “gullywashers” in the Held. The soil stays intact Nearly 20 years of efforts to conserve soil paid off handsomely in February for the Shelmire Fami ly, who won the Bucks County Conservation Farmer of the Year honor at the district banquet. The Shelmires farm more than 1,000 acres near Quakertown, of which more than 600 are rented. Included in the operation are the father, Paul Shelmire Jr. with wife Eva and two sons, Paul Shelmire 111 and Larry. It’s no small task to remain pro ductive and profitable while sur rounded by housing development and the Upper Bucks Airport. With the challenges of moving heavy equipment and working to keep the farm profitable, work to preserve the soil has garnered the Shelmire family district recognition. Paul Shelmire Jr. said that after several years of renting farms from Paul 111, light and Larry took an aarly interest In agricul ture and Joined FFA. They were the only two FFA members In Bucks County to receive FFA’s highest honor, the Ameri can Fanner Award, given to less than two out of 1,000 FFA members nationwide. the 1930 s to the 19405. his father, Paul Sr., purchased the home farm in February 1946. The farm con sisted at the time of 46 milking cows, but also had hogs and chick ens and the operators managed custom work. In 1955, Paul Jr. married Eva, and ‘ 'one month later we sold the cows,” he said. At the same time the Shelmires began hauling livestock out of the Midwest to producers in the area they hauled steers, sheep, and hogs. After Paul Jr.’s brother, Donald, died in 1962, the farm operation was cut back. It then became a beef and hog operation until 1990, when-the livestock operation was discontinued and the farm remained crops and vegetables. The Shelmires became conser vation cooperators in 1979, according to Ed Brzostek, district conservation for the NRCS. Since then, the Shelmires have com pleted more than 14,000 feet of waterways and diversions to con trol soil erosion. In addition, 20,000 feet of subsurface drainage was used in conjunction with the waterways and diversions to prop erly maintain vegetative channels. The Shelmires also constructed a 1.400-foot long storage terrace with precise grading. Eight water control basins have been built mostly at the head of waterways to control and slow water velocities and keep uphill seepage from saturating the waterways. Also, there is about 4,000 feet of under ground pipe outlet. On the farm, according to the district, Paul Shelmire Jr. laid out his own contour strips on the farm to control soil erosion before any conservation agents came to the farm. According to Brzostek, the first conservation agent, Wylie McFarland, told Paul that he couldn’t have laid out some of the stripcropping any better himself. About 99 percent of the fields farmed by the Shelmires are under minimum tillage, according to Brzostek. Larry said the minimum tillage includes a disc-chisel and a mulch tiller and finisher. “Moldboard plowing is a dino saur,” commented Paul Jr. More than 100 acres are stripetopped. Hay is grown exten sively in rotation with field crops to provide a good conservation cropping system. The mulch hay operation includes about 350 acres, mostlyl Timothy, and a lot of small bales of hay are made (Turn to Page A 23) V < , i K * s' t&i ~i ' ‘&W*' f*M About 99 percent of the fields farmed by the Shelmires are under minimum tillage, according to Ed Brzostek, kneeling, far left. Larry, center, said the minimum tillage includes a disc-chisel and a mulch tiller and finisher. Back left is Paul Jr., and at tar right Is Paul 111. Inspecting the fields with them is Heidi, their 8-year-old German Shepherd. The three-year project was finished In 1991. After it was complete, more than 14,000 feet of waterway took the water, primarily from the hillside springs, and diverted it off the farm to a small stream which feeds Into the Unaml Creek. The Unami subsequently feeds Into the Perklomen. Here Larry Inspects the outlet. Ths truck Is used for construction work, seconding to Paul 111, left. At right is Larry. ~ * ** ? '
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