Conservation Exhibits Feature
UNIVERSITY PARK
(Centre Co.) Farmers and
non-farmers alike can explore
an array of workshops, demon
strations and daily tours related
to natural resources at Penn
State’s Ag Progress Days.
“This year’s line-up in the
Natural Resources Conservation
Partnership Area includes new
tours on water quality, and graz
ing and pastures.’’ says Stacy
Mitchell, state public affairs spe
cialist for the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service.
“The grazing tour will highlight
new research on how grazing
management can help farmers
economically by reducing the
pressure to buy feed.”
Grazing management is par
ticularly important during
droughts, tylitchell explains. To
complement the tour, visitors
can check out a large plot of dif
ferent types of grasses. “Plant
ing cool- and warm-season
grasses in a grazing system
allows farmers to extend their
grazing time,” she says.
At the Graziers Forum, daily
at 11 a.m., farmers from across
the state will share their experi
ences on how grazing benefits
their land. This forum is an ex
cellent opportunity for farmers
to get ideas from other farmers
who have experience with differ
ent conservation practices.
Living demonstration areas
include watering systems for
livestock, waste management
systems and solar panels for
fencing and pumping water.
Plant experts will be on hand to
answer questions about .site re
quirements and benefits, of ,
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Grazing And More
nearly every plant in the north
east.
Homeowners may be inter
ested in an exhibit on backyard
composting that features vari
ous containers and techniques.
A backyard conservation
garden, built by Blackhawk
Homestead of Centre Hall, will
showcase plants that hold soil in
place, buffer surrounding noise
and provide wildlife habitat.
Worm tanks will provide a
“window to the underground”
that shows worms in action, im
proving soil quality. Mitchell re
commends visiting this exhibit
in the morning, when the worms
are most active.
At 2 p.m. daily, representa
tives from the USDA Grain In
spection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration will
answer questions about their
role in the livestock and poultry
industry.
Children as well as adults will
learn from the “stream table,”
an exhibit that demonstrates
how various activities
streams. “Building a house oit'a
stream may cause the water to
cut into the bank,” Mitchell
says, “but adding plantings and
conservation practices might
help to reduce the erosion. In
this exhibit, you can make the
changes, turn on the water and
see what happens.”
Kids also can practice casting
for their next fishing trip, see
mounted wildlife specimens, use
their sense of touch to guess
items that affect soil and water
quality and make fish prints
from rubber models of Pennsyl
vania fish.
Visitors who take this year’s
conservation tour or wetlands
and stream corridor manage
ment tour will see a newly
planted forested riparian buffer.
The buffer demonstrates how
tree plantings protect streams by
filtering out sediments and nu
trients. Trees also shade the
water, keeping it cool and oxy
genated. The schedule of daily
tours includes:
Conservation. See practices
that improve soil and water
quality, including crop residue
management, contour strip
cropping, buffer strips, cropland
terraces, waterways and diver
sions. Buses leave at 11 a.m. and
2 p.m.
Wetlands and stream corri
dor management. Learn about
how stream crossings, stream
bank fencing and restored wet
lands can improve stream bank
corridors and water quality.
Buses leave at 10 a.m. and 1
p.m.
Forest stewardship. This
walking tour will feature wild
life habitat improvement and
forest ecology, history and man
agement. Buses to the trail leave
on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. On Wednesday, an addi
tional tour will be held at 5 p.m.
Participants should dress com
fortably.
Nutrient management. Watch
a large-scale composting win
drow-turning demonstration
and learn how you can prevent
putting too many nutrients into
the soil. Bus leaves at 11 a.m.
Water quality. A portable
rainfall simulator will show how
soil management and fertilizer
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■ High-clearance
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Afl Progress Section 2, Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, August 12, 2000-Page 3
or manure applications can
affect phosphorus loss from the
soil. Buses leave at 10 a.m. and 1
p.m.
Grazing and pastures. See the
effects of cow/calf pairs on
warm season grasses in an intro
duction to intensive grazing. Bus
leaves at 2 p.m.
Federal and state agencies, or
ganizations and private indus
tries participate in the Natural
Resource Conservation Partner
ship area, including the Chesa
peake Bay Foundation, the
Pennsylvania Bureau of For
estry, the Pennsylvania Fish and
Penn State Ag
Lancaster Farming
✓ Check Out Our
Web site
www.lancasterfarming.com
Boat Commission, the USD A
Farm Service Agency, the
USDA Grain Inspection, Pack
ers and Stockyards Administra
tion, the Pennsylvania
Association of Conservation
Districts, the Department of En
vironmental Protection’s Divi
sion of Conservation Districts
and Nutrient Management, the
Department of Environmental
Protection’s Bureau of Recy
cling and Waste Management,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engi
neers, the USDA Natural Re
sources Conservation Service,
Blackhawk Homestead and
Canaan .Valley Institute.
Contact your local
dealer for details.
Pennsylvania
ADAMSTOWN
Adamstown Equip. Inc
ALLENTOWN
Lehigh Ag Equipment
BECHTELSVILLE
Miller Equip. Co
EASTON
Geo. V. Seiple
ELIZABETHTOWN
Messick Farm Equipment Co
INTERCOURSE
Hoober, Inc
GREENCASTLE
Meyers Implement
GREENSBURG
J&M Machinery Co.
LEBANON
Umberger’s of Fontana
OAKLAND MILLS
Peoples Sales & Service
OLEY
Pikeville Equipment, Inc
QUARRYVILLE
Grumelli Farm Service
TAMAQUA
Charles Snyder, Inc
RISING SUN
Ag Industrial Equipment
ELMER
Pole Tavern Equip, Sales Corp
SEE US AT AG
PROGRESS DAYS
EAST sth5 th STREET