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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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)