‘Zero Potential’ For Runoff Pollution From Lancaster’s Award-Winning Conservation Farm ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster Co.) It’s an almost unheard of task for any conservation farmer develop a bunch of methods so there is no chance in other words, zero potential for pol luted runoff to enter streams bor dering a property. That daunting task fell success fully on one such farm. For their far-reaching efforts to preserve soil, protect the environ ment, and maintain a large-scale Lancaster County dairy, Red Knob Farm from Wakefield, Little Bri- Have A Choice! WITH QUANTUM $5OO CASH BACK or 4.9% LEASE RATE* Get high capacity filling and feeding in BIG quantities with the Quantum System. Plus, it’s the perfect unit for converting those slow bottom-unload silos. Products Avenue |fl M Fort Atkinson, W 1 53538 See These Dealers For Details Now FRANKLIN’S FARM SERVICE Laceyville, PA 717-869-2407 HARRY TROOP Cochranville, PA 19335 215-593-6731 HISTAND’S FARM & HOME SERVICE Home, PA 717-744-2371 HOOVER EQUIPMENT Tyrone, PA 16686 814-684-1777 tain Township, was honored Thursday night as the Lancaster County Conservation District Cooperator of the Year at Yoder’s Restaurant in New Holland. Attended by more than2socon servation cooperators, agribu sinesses, and friends of the district, the district’s 48th annual dinner meeting and banquet honored Red Knob, composed of the Young family, and others for environmen tal stewardship and commitment to conservation. Gerald R. Whiteside, Chesa peake Bay technician with the dis trict, who helped present the You TEL: 920-563-5521 FAX: 920-563-2494 LAPP'S BARN EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE Gap, PA 17527 717-442-8134 JAMES L. HOSTETTER McVeytown, PA 17051 717-899-6386 McMILLEN BROTHERS Loysville, PA 717-789-3961 (Van Dale Dealer) award, noted that Red Knob Farm “has taken on the enormous task of developing and committing to a goal of zero potential for polluted runoff entering the streams that border the property,” he said. How did they do it? Two large sediment control basins lie on cither side of the farm. The farm uses 2,500 feet of grassed diversion and 1,200 feet of gradient terrace. That combination conveys any runoff leaving the cropland to one of two control basins. Some think the setup compli cated Simply put, during a rain * «gj® luantum T MILL CREEK FENCE & FARM Lancaster, PA 717-396-8987 PRINGLES SUPPLY & EQUIPMENT INC. Greenville, PA 16125 724-588-7950 ROVENDALE AG & BARN EQUIPMENT Watsontown, PA 17777 570-538-9564 OR 570-742-4226 Kv ' 1 y •ai"-', * 4.9% Lease Rate for 24 Months 6.9% Lease Rate for 36 Months 8.9% Lease Rate for 48 Months SOLLENBERGER SILOS CORP. Chambersburg, PA 17201 717-264-9588 SOMERSET BARN EQUIPMENT Somerset, PA 15501 814-445-5555 STAR SILOS Myerstown, PA 17067 717-866-5708 WALNUT BARN EQUIPMENT Port Royal, PA 717-436-9429 event, any manure that may run off carried through the pipe outlet ter race system or that seeps into the subsurface drainage will end up at one control point in either of the two basins. The basins are situated in such a way to allow for the “cre ation of a wetland environment as an added benefit and filter.” The dairy, a farm partnership owned by Henry Young and two sons Matthew and David, irrigate the liquid manure. A combination of primary and secondary dis charges ensure that any runoff dur ing irrigation goes through a series of underground pipes, grassed SYSTEM n V \ X i** * 'i V* t NEW JERSEY GEORGE COLEMAN Elmer, NJ 08318 609-358-8528 GLADHILL TRACTOR MART Frederick, MD 21701 301-663-6060 MD & VA MILK PRODUCERS ASSOC. Frederick, MD 21701 301-663-6552 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 20, 1880-A2l diversions, and waterways back to one of two basins located below the second-stage lagoon, at which point it can be pumped back into the lagoon, according to White side. If there is a large rain or mechanical failure during irriga tion, any polluted runoff will be controlled and directed back to the storage facility. According to Whiteside, the Red Knob Dairy partnership began in 1974 when the family estab lished a new dairy operation on a farm owned by Henry. The part nership then leased the farm for 10 years until it was purchased by the (Turn to Page A 24)
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