ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
MOUNT JOY (Lancaster Co.)
—No-till vegetable pioneer Steve
Groff “doesn’t do things by the
book,” according to Gerald Heis
tand of the Lancaster County Con
servation District
As a matter of fact noted Heis
tand, Groff “tries things not found
in books.”
After graduation from high
school 16 yekrs ago, Groff, who
farms with his father Elias and
family in Holtwood, learned how
important it was, for farm surviva
bility, to keep precious topsoil on
the farm. In 1983, he tented a no
till planter from the county conser
vation district
Since then, he hasn’t looked
back.
He’s taken his “new generation
farming” philosophy a couple of
steps further—using a no-till veg
etable transplanter and highlight
ing all kinds of no-till techniques at
a wide array of field days at his
Cedar Meadow Farm.
For his work in showcasing no
till and underlining the importance
of conservation for farms region
wide, Groff was awarded the 1998
Outstanding Cooperator Award at
the 47th Annual Lancaster County
Conservation District Dinner
Meeting. The Thursday night
meeting was attended by more
than 250 at the Country Table
Restaurant in Mount Joy.
Heistand, director of agricultur-
Warner Lambert was recognized lor ns conservation
efforts. From left, Cindy Brandt and Lynn Shafer.
Individual award winners recognized Thursday night were, from left, Arba Henry,
long-time ag instructor at Solanco High School, Educator Award; Herb Myer, Service
Award; Helen and Roy Rudy, Youth Conservation School; and Dr. Phil Ogllne, retired
ag Instructor at Garden Spot High School, Educator Award.
No-Till Vegetable Producer Becomes
Lancaster’s Outstanding Cooperator
al operations for the district nar
rated the story of Groff’s no-till
techniques at the vegetable and
crop farms operated by the family
in Martic Township. Heistand
praised Groff’s open-mindedness
to new ideas and his willingness to
experiment
“If it’s a new idea, it seems that
Steve has tried it” Heistand said.
Moving to no-till cropping
proved effective almost immedi
ately in improving the soil. The
Groffs added cover crops to further
protect the soil.
Now, about 90 percent of the
acreage is under cover crops
even the vegetable crops have a
“living mulch” that conserves
water, holds nutrients, and pre
vents soil erosion.
Some of the Adds have not been
touched by a plow for more than IS
years. Some fields have not been
plowed for 30 years, because they
were converted from pasture to
cropland 10 years ago.
Over the 175 acres on two
farms, pesticide savings alone
have been phenomenal—lo years
ago the cost per acre for all pesti
cides ran to $32 an acre. Now, 10
years later, costs have dropped to
$l7 an acre.
The initial cost of cover crop
seed and establishment is offset by
the nitrogen contribution from
legumes, soil held in place, and
increased soil tilth, according to
the district
Steve Groff manages all field
The Outstanding Cooperator Awards went to the Groff family In Holtwood. From
left, Steve and Cherl Groff and Marian and Ellas Groff. Photo by Andy Andrewa
Industry award winners at the Lancaster County Conservation Banquet, from left,
Grant Smith of Derek and Edson Associates; Leanne Biers, Ephrata Borough; John
Klbblehouse, Windsor Services Development Corp.; Harold Wiker, H.L. Wlker Exca
vating; L. Burnell Andrews, Andrews Excavating; and Darnell Hurst, Hurst
Excavating.
crops and Elias, his father, is in
charge of marketing the produce
and hay. Crops include 60 acres of
com, SO acres in alfalfa/grass, 30
acres in vegetables, 20 acres in
soybeans, and IS acres in small
grains. Elias raises about 70 steers
on his farm per year.
To provide the necessary nitro
gen, Steve has been using hairy
vetch as a cover crop. A rolling
stalk chopper rolls down the cover
and vegetables are planted into the
cover, “amidst a mat of residue,”
Hdstand indicated. A no-till plant
er inserts different vegetable crops
where planned.
The farm’s techniques are so
unique that a Public Broadcasting
System TV documentary is under
way. Fanners from as far away as
Japan visit to see what the Groffs
have been doing, Heistand noted.
Hundreds of farmers have visited
his various field days over the
years, some covered extensively
by this newspaper. And Steve
maintains his own Internet
website.
Also, the Lancaster County
Conservation Expo is planned for
July 29 at the Groff farm, accord
ing to Steve Groff.
“Steve’s philosophy is that the
soil is the lifeblood of the farm,”
said Heistand.
Ronald Meek of the district’s
board of directors said that Steve
and Elias Groff are “men on a mis
sion” to improve the condition of
the soil.
In remarks to the guests, Steve
said, “The soil is the most impor
tant asset we have under our con
trol to manage,” he noted, so that
“my children and children of the
future can make a good living from
the soil.”
Steve farms with his wife, Cher
i. and their children Dana, S.
Lauren, 4, and David, 1 along with
Steve’s father, Elias and his wife,
Marian.
Industry Awards
Also at the banquet, several
industries were noted for their last
ing contributions to soil conserva
tion in die county.
Nevin Greiner, district resource
conservationist, awarded the Con
servation Award to the Building
Industry to The Brickyard, a
65-acre tract in Ephrata Borough
operated by Glen Gcry Brick,
which ceased operation in the late
19605.
Eventually, the Windsor Deve
lopment Corporation “acquired the
vision to develop the property,”
noted Greiner. Hie borough work
ed with Windsor and agreed to a
rezoning from industrial to high
density and single family
residential.
The complicated, steep property
has more than 100 feet of elevation
change in the tract The slopes
challenged the designer and exca
vator companies involved.
Through all phases of the pro
ject, according to the resource con
servationist, a combination of ero
sion control matting and, to quote
die contractor, “good weather”
aided in the design of the slopes.
Some of the slop stabilization
was performed by “creative and
(Turn to Pag* A 47)