AflUancMtef Fanning, Saturday, April 12, 1997 Handling Farm Water Worries A Real ‘Art’ Form ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) Anna Brandt recalls that it was about six years ago when the “water worries” ceased. It wasn’t as if the homestead was getting flooded out or any thing. But after a heavy thunder storm, the rainwater got high enough that “you couldn’t get into mow it,” she said. The weeds would grow real high and get out of hand. So six years ago Anna’s hus band, Art, hired a man to grade a Held that contained the spring that would erupt after a thunderstorm. The grading was completed suffi ciently high enough to divert the water to a culvert which runs underneath Brandt Rd., which navigates through their farm. The spring water, along with house roofwater, drains into a creek which feeds into the Conewago. When it thunderstorms, the rain simply is diverted to the culvert. In the past, rains would carry storm water up to three feet only a short distance from the house. It was more than 30 years ago that the Brandt’s started recogniz ing the importance of ridding the farm of “water worries” and subse quent soil erosion by signing up with the Dauphin County Conser vation District. For all the years since, the Brandt’s have worked hard to preserve more soil they turned a creek which was develop ing from a spring, eroding soil into a collection pond, into a grazing area with a spring feeder. They Art and Anna Brandt were presented with a Senate cita tion and a special citation from the Dauphin County board of commissioners, congratulating the Brandts on the con servation award honor. ',4. > •-«*. * , ' ittiLa’i j.jk ‘ IT*** --V*' -S- ' - r ‘* 5* '*■ * ’’ *.*4 «. * *f* ■? ;Xr"V r -v , rv xinxirr **» . i, /* ' :~*C *** **,f r . „ &SZs*:y* : Contour stripcropping is the conservation mainstay of the farm. Hay strips alter nate with corn fields to provide control of water and keep erosion In check. The hay strips are maintained as long as possible, depending on the rotation schedule. “We keep on cutting It as long as it stays,” said Art, with about four cuttings a year. also installed a water collection terrace in order to preserve their soil. A few years ago they also installed a concrete-lined, earthen walled manure storage structure which is emptied twice a year. For all these efforts and mote, the Brandt family was honored earlier this year as Dauphin Coun ty Conservation Fanners of the Year by the district. “I grew up across the field here,” said Art Brandt, pointing to a nearby farm. Back then, it was a small dairy operated by his father, Ralph Brandt Ralph then pur chased the home dairy cm which Art’s family works from Art’s grandfather, Haram Bricker. The farm was rented for a time from a dairyman, Harv Schiffer, according to Art Where once the farm contained only about 7-8 cows, it has since grown into a dairy milking about 100 cows with about the same number of replacements. Art, who retired from die business with wife Anna, now helps his two sons farm Ken, 33, who takes care of the cows, and Mel, 43, who manages the fieldwork. Art and Anna’s other son. Dale, 38. works for Richard Alwine as herdsman. Art and Anna also have two daughters. Verna, 45, a bank er, and Karen, 33, who helps care for the calves. The Brandts farm 80 acres on the home farm and care for another 140. They rent additional acreage. Altogether, they manage more than ISO tillable acres, including m. c&mM ' ,s *Jnr rS For all their conservation work through the years, the Brandt family, Including Art, left, and Anna, was honored earlier this year as Dauphin County Conservation Far mers of the Year by the district. about 100 acres of com, 40 acres of alfalfa, and about 20 acres of spelt. They manage 30 acres in pasture. The pasture is grazed as an exer cise lot. The Brandts raise all Holstein, about half registered and half grade. On DHIA, the herd aver ages 18,000 pounds of milk, 594 pounds protein, and 709 pounds fat. They use a TMR from a Lan caster company. Also, the Brandts raise 34,000 boilers under contract with Charles Poultry, according to Art. One farm, when purchased in 1969, was already under a conser vation plan. The Brandts have been cooperatbrs with the district since 1965. Contour stripcropping is the conservation mainstay of the farm. Hay strips alternate with com fields to provide control of water and keep erosion in check. The hay strips are maintained as long as possible, depending on the rotation schedule. “We keep on cutting it as long as it stays,” said Art, with about four cuttings a year. In 1992, a concrete-lined man ure storage pit was installed. Man ure is scraped out of the lot and dumped into the pit. The manure is emptied twice a year and spread right to the fields. ' ** "*■ 'i »n\ Six years ago Anna’s husband, Art, here, hired a man to grade a field that contained the spring that would erupt after a thunderstorm. The grading was completed sufficiently high enough to divert the water to a culvert which runs underneath Brandt Rd., which navigates through their farm. The spring water, along with house roofwater, drains into a creek which feeds into the Conewago. X <r * A big concern years ago was the potential soil loss from runoff on the side of a hill near a bam. Much of the soil is Ungers-Bucks- Lansdale, well-drained on ridges that have siltstone, shale, and sandstone. Underground pipes were installed to gravity feed spring water to a trough, and addi tional pipes were laid in to feed the water to a holding pond. Overflow is diverted to a culvert, then into a creek which eventually feeds into the Conewago. & » ■* * One farm has a lot of the hard pan red clay, which can make til lage uncertain and difficult. If it gets too wet, according to Brandt, it packs easily. If the season is too dry, getting a good crop yield can be difficult. Art noted one Amish neighbor * * * g g! jwi *• "* r Wife* who was able to work the clay soil successfully a short while ago with a team of eight horses. It was turned and he was able to get it fine, said Brandt. Most tillage on the farmstead is a combination of chisel and disc. The Brandts use some no-till but best results with no-till can only be obtained in a moist year because of the sandstone condi tions. No-till is nearly impossible near the Conewago Creek, which can pack like a hard clay if heavy equipment goes over it when the soil is wet. But the sandstone soil holds the water better in places. Contours around the hills retain moisture and there is little runoff. The topsoil remains deep. (Turn to Page A2l)
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