We’re piecing together the landscape...

ONE FARM at a TIME125 Lancaster Avenue u Strasburg u Pennsylvania u 17579ph: 717-687-8484 u fax: 717-687-9705

farmland@lancasterfarmlandtrust.org u www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org

SMART FARMSMore Conservation Practices for Smart Farms

To learn more about conservation practices, please contact:

Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606

717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org

Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program

can help you implement other conservation practices to

make your farm more profitable while protecting the soil,

water and other natural resources, including:

Barnyard Runoff Controls

Barnyard runoff controls reduce the amount of water

that flows through the barnyard and directs manure-

contaminated runoff away from wells, ponds and

streams.

Benefits include:

• Improved water quality

• Improved animal health

• Easier manure management

Manure Storage A manure storage facility holds manure until it can be

used in a controlled manner. Storage facilities include

pads for stacking manure, earthen or lined ponds and

above-ground or in-ground tanks.

Benefits include:

• Improved water quality

• Improved animal health

• Manure can be applied when it is best

used by crops

• Saves time and equipment wear and tear

Terraces and Diversions

Terraces and diversions intercept runoff and reduce

erosion. They break up one long slope into a series of

shorter slopes to slow down the rainwater and allow the

soil to settle. Terraces are usually built so crops can be

grown on them. Diversions are permanently planted

with grass. Diversions can be used in cropland and also

to protect farmsteads and barnyards from runoff.

Benefits include:

• Reduced soil erosion

• Improved water quality

• Improved animal health

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS

SMART FARMSLancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program can

assist you with converting to a no-till system and using cover crops to protect and improve your farm’s soil and water quality.

Farmers using no-till plant directly into crop residue or cover crops without tillage. They keep the soil covered year-round, rotating crops and using equipment—planters, drills and transplanters—that reduce soil disturbance.

Cover crops can be annual or perennial grasses, small grains, legumes and other plants.

No-till and cover crops make your farm more profitable by:

•Increasing crop yields by improving soil No-till planting and cover crops increase organic

matter, one of the most important indicators of soil quality. When soil is tilled, organic matter is destroyed; the deeper the tillage, the greater the loss.

•Reducing fertilizer costs Cover crops capture nutrients from applied manure

and the previous crop. “Green manure” legume crops convert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere into nitrogen that plants can use. When cover crops decompose, they release stored nutrients into the soil, making them available for the next crop.

•Reducing erosion and improving water quality Erosion removes the topsoil that contains most of the

plant nutrients and organic matter. Keeping the surface covered with crop residue and cover crops protects the soil and reduces runoff. No-till planting offers the greatest protection.

•Reducing time and equipment costs Eliminating or reducing tillage saves time when

planting crops and reduces expenses for fuel and tillage equipment.

•Providing additional forage Cover crops include annual or perennial grasses, small

grains, legumes and other plants that can be harvested or used as pasture.

“ Soil erosion on our farm has been cut from 14 tons per acre per year to almost nothing. With the ground covered by plant residues and not loosened by vigorous tillage, the soil stays rather than getting washed away during heavy rainfall. Organic matter has gone from 2.7% to 5.4%. Yields have increased 10%.”

— Farmer Steve Groff, Cedar Meadow Farm, Martic Township, owner of preserved farm

Smart Farms can help you convert all or part of your fields to no-till. Smart Farms can also help you make the most of cover crops by providing advice on when and what to plant to protect and improve the soil.

No-Till & Cover Crops for Smart Farms

To learn more about no-till and cover crops, please contact:Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606

717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org

Lancaster Farmland Trust Smart Farms insert designs — 5 stepped sheets

SMART FARMS

Streambank Protection for Smart Farms

To learn more about streambank protection, please contact:Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606

717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org

Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program can help you protect your farm streams and improve the water quality for you and your animals.

Excluding livestock and establishing buffers are the fundamentals of streambank protection. Fencing, stable crossings, prescribed grazing systems, riprap and corridors of trees, shrubs and other plants growing along the stream work together to reduce erosion, improve water quality and provide habitat for fish and other wildlife.

Streambank protection makes your farm more profitable by:

•Reducing the amount of pastureland lost to erosion

•Improving animal health Livestock have cleaner drinking water and less contact

with waterborne bacteria. Fencing and stable crossings reduce the risk of injuries due to eroding streambanks.

•Improving water quality Fencing prevents animals from breaking down stream-

banks, destroying plants and stirring up sediment. Grasses, trees and shrubs planted along the banks filter runoff and absorb nutrients before they enter the stream. Fish, birds and other wildlife also benefit from the cleaner water and streamside vegetation.

Smart Farms can assist with all aspects of streambank protection, from financing to installation. It is a proven method for improving animal health, water quality, and the environment.

“ I can see a big difference. The stream is in much better shape: it’s cleaner, clearer and there are much better fish. I would encourage every farmer to do what they can. There’s still plenty of water for the animals, and the water our animals get is much healthier.”

— Farmers John and Susie Fisher, Paradise Township, owners of preserved farm

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SMART FARMS

Nutrient Management for Smart Farms

To learn more about nutrient management, please contact:Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606

717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org

Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program can help you develop a plan for managing what, when, where and how to apply nutrients to get the best crop yields.

Nutrient management plans emphasize the efficient use of nutrients from all sources: manure, compost, legume crops and commercial fertilizers.

Nutrient management makes your farm more profitable by:

•Increasing crop yields

•Reducing the need to purchase fertilizer by using on-farm nutrients to their fullest potential

•Improving water quality by reducing the nutrients entering surface and groundwater

•Improving animal health

“ By testing our soil, we know exactly what we need and where we can apply manure. Our farm is in the wellhead protection area of the Mt. Joy community. Thanks to conservation planning, I can look at our streams after a heavy rain, and they look good. That’s a great feeling.”

— Farmer Luke Brubaker, Brubaker Farms, East Donegal Township

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS

SMART FARMS

Smart Farms Program

To learn more about the Smart Farms program, please contact:Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606

717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org

Funding provided by MidAtlam ntic Farm Credit.

Lancaster Farmland Trust works in partnership with farmers to preserve the productive agricultural land of Lancaster County. The Trust’s Smart Farms program offers assistance with conservation practices to owners of preserved farms. Conservation practices can increase farm profits by improving and protecting soil, water and animal health.

Smart Farms Technical Assistance Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program offers

on-farm consultations with the Trust’s Stewardship Coordinator and other experts in agricultural operations who can address concerns you are having on your farm and assist you in complying with regulations affecting agriculture.

The Stewardship Coordinator is certified to write conservation plans and can help you implement conservation practices that will improve both your farm and your bottom line, from no-till and cover crops to nutrient management and streambank fencing. The Stewardship Coordinator can also serve as your link with private consultants and other partners that can provide assistance and funding.

Smart Farms offers annual workshops and other education opportunities to highlight conservation practices and new programs of interest to farmers.

“ I like this way of farming, using no-till and cover crops. It makes sense. The water soaks in much better. I don’t have any muddy water running off the fields between the house and barn. I don’t lose the soil down the creek, and I don’t lose fertilizer and manure.”

— Farmer Jacob Zook, Rapho Township, owner of preserved farm

Smart Farms Funding Assistance Lancaster Farmland Trust may be able to offer financial

assistance to implement conservation practices to owners of preserved farms and their tenant farmers.

The Trust may also be able to provide financial assistance for streambank protection and converting some or all of your fields to no-till and can help you find funding for other conservation practices.