Latest News
Summer interns working with the Conewago Initiative develop video to describe ecosystem services provided by best management practices - and what land managers can do to enhance them.
Ag Progress Days are just around the corner! Be sure to check out Penn State's Agriculture and Environment Center while you are there. The AEC is focusing on one best management practice for water quality; riparian buffers. Stop by to learn all you need to know about riparian buffers and what they can do for you and your land.
Penn State Extension & the Conewago Creek Initiative Offers “Equine Environmental Stewardship” Course in Dauphin County. Don't miss out on this special workshop designed for horse owners!
Weeds, manure, slugs, cows and a vegetable oil-powered tractor are all part of a unique study being conducted in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
A news release from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Natural Resource Conservation Service explains the accomplishments made in the Chesapeake Bay and how they are making a difference in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. "Landowners using financial, technical assistance to improve water quality."
Recent, tragic loss of life in conjunction with an open air manure storage facility brings to the front the critical need for conversations with all agriculturalists about how to prevent future losses. This fact sheet, developed by Penn State Extension specialists who work with farm safety and manure handling, provides a checklist for ensuring the welfare of those who work near and in manure storage areas.
This week's Conewago Currents looks at on-the-farm and on-the-lawn efforts that make a difference for water quality in local waters.
The PAOneStop program is an online tool to help you draw out a professional map of your land. A farm map is an essential part of your Manure Management Plan, farmers. Currently there are over 350 users of the system who have mapped over 1,000 different farms.
USDA Expands Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program by 20,000 Acres to Benefit Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Mid-Atlantic States.
Maintenance is an integral part of successfully establishing a riparian buffer and includes mowing, removing weeds and invasive species, straightening and securing tree stakes and tubes, and generally making sure that the trees have the greatest chance for survival. A thriving buffer has enormous payoffs to the landowner and environment.
At the next Project Advisory Team meeting for the Conewago Initiative, Aileen Molloy (Tetra Tech) will discuss stormwater BMPs and stream restoration within non-agricultural areas (developed, commercial, residential). The public is invited to join us for this discussion by webinar from noon to 1 PM on June 12.
The Conewago Initiative is a diverse partnership made up of many partners at the federal, state, and local levels, both public and private sectors. One of our private sector partners is Tetra Tech, Inc. 'This work is important because cleaning up the Conewago cannot be borne by our farmers alone; everyone is part of the solution.'
Conewago watershed-based farmers gathered for a mid-winter 2012 meeting to hear updates on conservation programs and opportunities available to them as a part of a "showcase" watershed initiative. Topics included manure incorporation, addressing bare spots in pastures, riparian buffers, and practices to improve nitrogen management and efficiency.
As part of its second quarterly meeting in Washington, D.C., the Chesapeake Bay Commission hosted an in-person briefing for Congressional staff and invited guests on the subject of nutrient trading. Due to space limitations, others were able to join via webinar, courtesy of Penn State University. To view the recorded webinar, click on the link below.
Drs. Tony Buda, USDA ARS, and Patrick Drohan, Penn State Department of Crop and Soil Science, joined by USDA NRCS - Dan Dostie - discuss the research conducted by PA USDA NRCS, USDA-ARS, and Penn State to look at how saturated soils and soils with fragipans have contributed to higher runoff. These wet landscapes are often critical sources of phosphorus that contribute to loads of pollutants in streams—and should be targeted for conservation practices.
The Conewago Initiative seeks ways to improve homeowner design and installation of stormwater practices like rain gardens.
The CRP Conservation Plan training, a nationally developed and recognized curriculum, will be held May 1 and 2 in Auburn, NY and May 7 and 8 in Charlottesville, VA. There are still a few available seats for conservation professionals who are working (or plan to work with) producers and other landowners seeking/renewing CRP and CREP contracts.
Learn some tips for on the farm and around the home this fall!
Two major tree plantings are planned for this October in the watershed, and you are invited to help!
