Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance Invites Farmers To Participate In Cover Crop Research; Upcoming Field Days In July; Farm Planting Guides

The Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance invites farmers to participate in a cover crop research project and attend Summer Field Days Workshops in July and to take advantage of new farming guides.

Cover Crop Research

Maria Teresa Tancretti, a PhD candidate and researcher at the University of Georgia, is looking for Pennsylvania farmers to share their opinions on use of cover crops. 

This research is part of the Precision Sustainable Agriculture (PSA) project and focuses on farmer perspectives on cover crops in commodity agriculture. 

Farmers who participate will help researchers better understand farmers’ viewpoints on cover crops and develop support for growers interested in adopting or expanding their use of cover crops.

Participants will be asked to:

-- Rank different statements about farm management and cover crops.

-- Discuss their opinions on cover crops and other management issues.

-- Provide demographic information via a survey.

To receive more information or sign up for the research, please contact Marie Teresa at mariateresa.tancredi@uga.edu (preferable) or at (706) 351 8637.

Summer Field Days

The extremely popular and informative No-Till Alliance Summer Field Days have been scheduled for July 19 and July 22. More details and locations will be forthcoming. 

Both will be preceded the evening before by “Meeting of the Minds” dinner programs.

As a follow up to the successful session last fall, Schrack Farms, Loganton, PA, will be hosting a regenerative dairy transition workshop provided by the nationally known Soil Health Academy.

Check the PA No-Till Alliance Events webpage for more information.

Farming Guides

As planting season arrives, farmers with questions about no-till, cover crops or planting green are reminded that the Alliance has “guides” developed by farmers from their own experience for each of these topics--

-- “No-Till Tips” is focused primarily on proper planter set-up for various conditions along with a planter check-list.

-- “Cover Crop Tips” is a quick reference guide covering topics such as why plant cover crops, seed selection, inter-seeding and how to take the “next step.”

-- “Planting into Green Living Cover Crops” explains the concept and benefits of planting green, explores how to address potential challenges, and describes techniques for various types and heights of cover being planted into.

The guides were prepared by experienced no-till farmers to provide other farmers with “plain English” assistance and are laminated to survive the farm shop or toolbox. 

All are available for free by contacting the Alliance administrator Jay Howes at jhowes@pennag.com. 

How Clean Is Your Stream?

Check DEP’s 2022 Water Quality Report to find out how cleans streams are near you.

Related Articles - DEP Healthy Waters Newsletter:

-- Farm Conservation Excellence Grants Expanded To Seven Counties, $5 Million Awarded

-- NFWF Chesapeake Bay Program Offers Cost Share For Farms To Implement Split Applications Of Nitrogen

-- Penn State Farm Conservation Practices Survey Responses Due April 1

-- USDA Grassland Conservation Reserve Program Open

-- REAP Farm Conservation Tax Credit Requests Exceed $14 Million

-- Federal Chesapeake Bay Watershed Currents Newsletter Resource For Local Governments

(Reprinted from the DEP Chesapeake Bay Office March Healthy Waters newsletter.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)

[Posted: March 21, 2022]  PA Environment Digest