Based in Hamburg, Berks county, JJS has a deep-rooted tradition of sustainability and conservation that spans nearly a century.
The business’s conservation efforts focus on waste reduction and responsible land stewardship to protect and preserve natural resources.
Working with a network of more than 50 family farms to grow out its livestock, JJS reinvests in its farming partners through this collaboration with the Alliance, helping them achieve meaningful conservation goals.
“The impact of these partnerships are rooted in the sheer scale and importance of the Chesapeake Bay watershed—an enormous system stretching from Cooperstown, New York through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia,” stated Brittany Smith, Senior Agriculture Project Manager at Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. “As the largest land-to water ratio coastal watershed in the world, its 64,000 square miles of land drain into a single estuary that supplies drinking water to 75% of the 18 million people who live within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”
With so much land funneling runoff into one interconnected system, the potential for pollution is immense. That is why upstream conservation partnerships are essential.
Protecting upstream areas directly safeguards water quality, public health, and the long-term resilience of the entire Chesapeake Bay region.
“This collaboration leverages the technical and grant funding expertise from the Alliance to help our increasing network of grower farms install conservation best management practices,” added Dr. Jim Jurgielewicz, president of Joe Jurgielewicz & Son, Ltd. “As fourth generation farmers, we are committed to protecting our land and natural resources for future generations. These practices directly address nutrient pollution, sediment loss, air emissions, and water quality degradation—top concerns in agricultural regions feeding into the Chesapeake Bay.”
Targeted BMPs Deliver Measurable Environmental Gains
Growers based in the Chesapeake watershed that express interest in participating in the conservation program receive technical, implementation and financial support to deploy a suite of USDA and Alliance recognized best practices.
Soil Health Practices
Through manure injection on 155 acres and additional acreage planned, farms are incorporating nutrient management plans that protect the soil, reduce surface runoff, and improve nutrient efficiency.
These practices also reduce odors associated with farming, improving air quality in the community.
Mortality Management Facilities
Three mortality management projects-- one completed in 2025 and two additional projects currently under development-- are strengthening farm biosecurity while reducing environmental risks.
These facilities protect carcasses from scavenging wildlife, isolate avian pathogens, and reduce odors and other impacts on air quality.
These mortality management facilities benefit farms by turning losses into usable nutrients for the crops, while reducing emissions and the reliance on commercial fertilizers.
Manure Management Systems
Many livestock farms like dairy or beef farms add duck barns to diversify their livestock.
The Alliance assists farmers in designing and installing manure storage structures that prevent nutrient rich runoff from entering streams during rain events.
At one JJS‑affiliated farm, a storage facility built in 2024 now keeps beef cattle manure out of the rain, reducing nitrogen and phosphorus runoff that can cause algal blooms, fish kills, and low oxygen in waterways.
To quantify the potential benefits of manure management systems, the Alliance uses the Adapted Chesapeake Nutrient and Sediment Load Reduction Model, which tracks reductions in nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids.
Based on provided data and the model’s algorithms, the model projected 850.82 pounds of nitrogen, 37.26 pounds of phosphorus, and 19,722.86 pounds of suspended solids are reduced from entering the water system on an annual basis.
Expanding Riparian Forest Buffers to Protect Waterways
A central focus of the partnership is the planting of Riparian Forest Buffers (RFBs)-- streamside zones planted with native trees and shrubs that stabilize streambanks, filter pollutants, and improve aquatic habitat. In April 2024, JJS growers and the Alliance implemented a 4.5-acre buffer along the Chiques Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
RFB plantings feature diverse native species such as white oak, sycamore, red maple, arrowwood viburnum, American plum, eastern redbud, and persimmon, each selected for site specific resilience and ecological value.
These perennial plantings help trap sediment, remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus, and cool water temperatures—boosting habitat quality for aquatic life.
Educational materials shared with farmers explain how forest buffers progress over time, beginning with tree shelters in the first year and maturing into dense, fully functioning buffers by year ten.
Vegetative Environmental Buffers (VEBs): A Win for Air Quality and Farm Biosecurity
In addition to water-focused practices, the partnership also supports installation of Vegetative Environmental Buffers (VEBs) around poultry barns.
These strategically designed windbreaks—consisting of grasses, shrubs, deciduous trees, and conifers—capture dust and ammonia emissions, reduce energy costs, and increase shade for birds.
A typical VEB includes:
-- Row 1: Native grasses or shrubs
-- Row 2: Deciduous trees
-- Row 3: Conifer windbreaks that function year round
Species commonly used include switchgrass, big bluestem, pitch pine, eastern red cedar, river birch, and dogwood varieties.
The Alliance customizes each design to farm size, available space, and grower preferences-- and fully cost shares planning, installation, and initial maintenance in most cases.
VEBs planted through this partnership already account for dozens of acres of improved on-farm air quality and biosecurity, with 968 native trees planted across VEB and RFB projects combined.
A Partnership Built on Conservation, Stewardship, and Shared Responsibility
“JJS partnered with the Alliance because of the emphasis on a whole farm approach: addressing manure, cropland, air emissions, stream protection, and biosecurity,” added Dr. Jim.
“This approach ensures that improvements are sustainable and last for many generations.
“This partnership aligns with our commitment to humane and responsible production, sustainable farming, and environmental stewardship to ensure our family farm partners are around for many more generations, as well as our focus on protecting the natural resources for the community and everyone who lives in the Chesapeake watershed.”
Funding for many of the projects comes through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with additional grants leveraged as needed.
Participating growers receive individualized conservation planning and project oversight from the Alliance’s agricultural specialists.
Looking Ahead
As demand for sustainable and resilient food production systems continues to increase, the JJS–Alliance partnership stands out as a model in the Chesapeake Bay region.
More conservation practices are planned for the coming years, including additional manure injection acres, expanded mortality management, and new opportunities for VEB installation across JJS’s increasing network of grower farms.
With every buffer planted and every nutrient runoff risk reduced, the partnership is helping restore waterways, protect drinking water, strengthen farm operations, and protect the long-term health of the Chesapeake Bay.
More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events on the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Alliance, Like the Alliance on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, and visit the Alliance’s YouTube Channel. Click Here to support the Alliance’s work.
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-- Essential Utilities, PA Environmental Council Award $60,000 In Grants To Support Projects To Protect Drinking Water In Bucks, Chester, Delaware Counties [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna University, Chesapeake Conservancy Collected 100,000 Live Stakes To Expand Riparian Forest Buffers [PaEN]
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-- Help Wanted: Armstrong County Conservation District Watershed Specialist [PaEN]
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[Posted: April 22, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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