Teachers Learn On Tour WARREN (Warren Co.) Seventeen Warren County teach ers signed up for a recent bus tour workshop offered as part of the countywide in-service program. The bus tour was arranged in cooperation with the Warren County Soil Conservation District (WCSCD), the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the North Jersey Re source Conservation and De velopment Council (RC&D). The tour highlighted agriculture, ex plaining the conservation prac tices and new technology farmers are implementing on their farms to reduce nonpoint source (NFS) pollution and improve water qual ity in the Musconetcong Water shed. NFS pollution comes from lawn fertilizer, sewage, agricultural chemicals and animal waste in surface runoff into streams, rivers, and groundwater. The first stop of the day was at Donaldson Farms and Green houses on Allen Road in Mans field where Dan Jones, district conservationist, and Christine Washer, soil conservationist, both with the NRCS, began to explain the conservation efforts the Donaldsons have applilcd to their farm operation. Much to the de light of the teachers. Lew Donald son, the patriarch of the Donald son clan, piled everyone into a hay wagon pulled by a tractor and gave a tour of the farm. The cloudless, sunny sky made the view breathtaking as the teach ers were able to see up close the practices of drip irrigation, con tour farming and erosion control practices like stone waterways and terraces. Greg Donaldson, Lew’s youngest son, pointed how these practices reduce soil erosion and improve water quality. The next stop cm the bus tour, took the teachers to Skip Smith’s farm in Broadway. John Metrick, soil conservationist with NRCS, described the importance of waste management in reducing NFS pol lution. At the same farm, Brian Aldrich, agricultural outreach spe cialist with the RC&D, discussed the economical and environmental benefits of balancing the nitrogen inputs with the farm’s crop needs. The teachers were treated to a buffet lunch at the Warren Grange in Broadway. They listened to Bill Tietjen, county agricultural agent, and Carol Ward, county 4-H agent, both with Rutgers Coopera tive Extension, discussing the pro grams offered through extension. After lunch, the bus unloaded at a fishing access area owned by the Division of Fish, Game & Wild life along the Musconetcong Riv er. Tim Dunne, resource conserva tionist with NRCS, spoke about the importance of knowing which watershed you live in and wildlife habitat among riparian stream buf fets. A riparian stream buffer is an area of vegetation, such as trees or shrubs, growing along a river or stream that removes excess nutri ents and sediment from surface runoff. Riparian stream buffers also provide shade which can con trol water temperatures and im prove wildlife habitat Patricia Hamilton, senior fishe ries biologist with the Division of Fish, Game & Wildlife, discussed how invertebrates and fish are a good indicator of the water quality of a stream or river. She had the teachers conduct a scries of ex periments, such as finding temperature and pH levels of the water and catch some of the crit ters the fish feed on. A few of the teachers climbed into some wad ing boots and headed into the riv er. Others simply took off their shoes and socks and walked right in. The last stop on the tour brought the teachers to an alfalfa field on Joel Schnctzer’s farm in Asbury. Sue Jones, an integrated pest management program asso ciate with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, discussed integrated crop management (ICM) and inte grated pest management (IPM). Both IPM and ICM involve scout ing fields for insects and weeds. Once a field reaches a specific threshold for a species, Jones will make a recommendation on how pesticides or herbicides to apply to the crop. This essentially will pre vent fanners from over or under applying the chemicals. Both pro grams have an economic and en vironmental benefit in that they A LESSON WELL LEARNED... LANCASTER FARMING’S CLASSIFIED ADS GET RESULTS! Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 6, 1997-C3 improve water quality and help the farmer to determine higher ex act chemical needs. As the teachers sat down in their seats for the ride back to the WCSCD, Duane Copley, the dis trict’s manager, discussed farm land preservation activities in the Musconetcong River Valley. Don na Drewes, coordinator of the RC&D, told the teachers about the Musconetcong Watershed being a limestone valley. She discussed the abundance of sinkholes in the valley and steps the cooperating partners have taken to protect this unique geologic area. LAND PRIDE THE BLADE FOR EVERY JOB. LAND PRIDE n REAR BLADES • 17 models in 6 series - from 48” to 120” widths •20hp to 150 hp • Heavy duty rolled moldboard • All models feature adjustable angle; some have tilt and offset capabilities • Heavy-duty A-frames The Land Pride family... quality from the ground up. Betts Equipment Eckroth Bros 3139 Windy Bush Road Rt 232 Farm Equipment New Hope, PA 18938 Rd 2, Box 24A 215-598-7501 New Rmgold, PA 17960 717-943-2131 C.B. Hoober & Son, Inc. Eckroth Mam Street Equipment Co Intercourse, PA 17534 4910 Kernsville Rd 717-768-8231 Orefield, PA 18069 610-366-2095 C.B. Hoober & Son, Inc. Hines Equipment East Mam Street RT 220, Belwood, PA McAlisterville, PA 17049 814-742-8171 717-463-2191 Deerfield Ag & Turf Center, Inc. RR 2 Box 212 Watsontown, PA 17777 717-538-3557 Detlan Equipment,. Inc. M.S. Yearsly & 141 East Mam St Sons Silverdale, PA 18962 West Chester, PA 215-257-5177 610-696-2990 Dunkle & Gneb, Inc. Marshall RR 2, Box 14 Machinery, Inc. Tractor Parts Co Centre Hall, PA 16828 Route 652 335 Central Road 814-364-1421 Honesdale, PA 18431 Btoomsburg RA 17815 717-729-7117 717-784-0250 Rodio Tractor Sales North White Horse Pike Hammonton, N J 08037 609-561-0141 Warren County Service Center . . .'.'A. ....... .. . . . . * . * * I * i 4. * L . * - .. . All who participated gave an overwhelmingly good response when asked if they enjoyed the day. “The tour was very informative and helpful," said Alice Bechok from Warren County Special Ser vices. As the bus stopped at its return destination, on the warm, Indian summer afternoon, the teachers were given a comprehensive pack et of informational and education al activities, along with a resource guide with all the speakers' names and phone numbers and a Warren County Soil Survey. Pennsylvania Keller Brothers R 7 Box 405 Lebanon, PA 17042 717-949-6501 1950 Fruitville Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 717-569-2500 New Jersey- Frank Rymon & Sons, Inc RD 3, Box 355 Washington, N J 07882 908-689-1464 228 Route 94 Blairtown, N J 908-362-6916 Nicarry Equipment Co. RD 2, Rt 61, 3 Miles S of Leesport, Reading, PA 610-926-2441 Norman D. Clark & Son, Inc Honey Grove, PA 717-734-3682 Pikeville Equipment Inc. RD 2, Oysterdale Road Oley, PA 19547 610-927-6277 Stoltzfus Farm Service Cochranville, PA 610-593-2407 Stouffer Bros Inc. 1066 Lincoln Way West Chambersburg, PA 17201 717-263-8424 Thomas L. Dunlap Rt 220, Mam St Exit Jersey Shore, PA 17740 717-398-1391
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers