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Every year, America loses 1.2 million acres of farmland, much of it our best and most productive farmland near where most Americans live. Nearly 50,000 acres of farmland per year are converted to development in Pennsylvania. Statewide, Pennsylvania is losing farmland at the 6th highest rate in the country.
What's New
What if three farmers could neutralize the water pollution caused by 418 suburban homes? That's exactly what the Lancaster County farmers enrolled in our BMP Challenge did last year when they prevented more than 5,800 pounds of fertilizer from flowing off their farms into the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation estimates that the average household in the watershed releases 14 pounds of nitrogen into the Chesapeake every year—so each farmer was able to offset the nitrogen pollution footprint of several cul-de-sacs! Plus, thanks to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection's Nutrient Trading Program, the farmers’ efforts generated "certified nutrient trading credits" worth over $4,700, which our Mid-Atlantic Regional Director, Jim Baird, donated to the Lancaster Farmland Trust.
Way to go, Pennsylvania! In 2009, Pennsylvania residents protected over 21,500 acres of farmland on 232 farms. That brings the state’s all-time total to 425,000 acres of protected farmland, with significant all-time milestones crossed in four counties: Berks, Bucks, Franklin and Lancaster. Pennsylvania's farmland protection success illustrates what can be accomplished when governments, non-profits and active citizens work together to save the land that sustains us.
In May 2009, President Barack Obama issued an executive order for a fresh look at the federal government’s role in Chesapeake Bay cleanup. The EPA and four cabinet-level departments recently released draft reports that estimate meeting water quality goals will require a 44 percent reduction of nitrogen entering the bay. Agriculture is one of the contributors to pollution in the bay, and reducing run-off while ensuring farms stay in business is no easy task. Fortunately there are some tools that that help farmers improve water quality, while allowing them to keep the farm business alive.
 AFT received a $650,000 grant to support the Mid Atlantic Clean Water Initiative which will implement Enhanced BMP challenge programs in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
AFT launched the Mid Atlantic Clean Water Initiative to assist farmers enhance their nutrient management and reduce high nutrient levels that impair local and regional water quality, The new project has started with a $650,000 Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant was part of a $5 million fund specifically for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. By working with producers in the field and at the policy level, AFT hopes to reduce between 200,000 and 270,000 pounds of nitrogen and set the stage to expand the program in each state over three years.
Focus on Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, one man’s treasure is another’s cow manure. Mike Brubaker recently completed his first year's experiment with an anaerobic digester and discovered that his cow pies could make even more energy than he expected. Now Mike is selling the power and buying back what he needs for the dairy because the Brubakers get paid a premium price for their renewable power. “It is a remarkably efficient system,” says our Mid-Atlantic expert Jim Baird. “Cows produce manure, the manure produces electricity and the electricity becomes additional income. After the manure is processed for electricity, dried material becomes bedding for his cows and nutrient-rich water fertilizes the soil, which in turn helps grow premium dairy feed.”
Federal Farm Policy and The farm bill
What’s in the farm bill and why is it important? Find out what’s next for the farm bill and how we can make sure the legislation's promises are turned into programs on the ground.
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Pennsylvania Farmers Improve Health of the Bay
Pennsylvania Farmland Protection Milestones
