Doing Right by the Creek: ACAP Helps a Perry County Farm

When Sheldon Nolt talks about conservation, he's not trying to make a statement. He's just talking about home.

The Nolt farm is situated in the Shermans Creek watershed in Perry County. Sheldon runs Holsteins on his dairy and plants corn and beans for feed. Over the past several decades he has worked to implement conservation management practices such as no-till and cover crops. However, like many farms with livestock, Sheldon faced some real challenges around heavy-use areas and manure management during wet seasons. Barnyard areas can get muddy fast… and in Pennsylvania, "mud season" can feel like it lasts most of the year. When stormwater flows through those areas, it can carry runoff contaminated by manure and sediment toward nearby streams. Sheldon will tell you straight, he doesn't want manure ending up where it doesn't belong.

"It's About This Place — Not Just Somewhere Downstream"

Sheldon knows the farm is part of the larger Chesapeake Bay watershed, but for him, conservation isn't about being blamed for big problems far away.

It's about protecting the creek down the road. It's about keeping Shermans Creek clean.

Nobody wakes up in the morning thinking, "Today I'd like to contribute to a watershed issue." They wake up thinking, "How do I take care of this farm the right way?"

Practical Improvements That Make a Difference

With support from Pennsylvania's Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) and the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), Sheldon worked with the Perry County Conservation District and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to put some on-the-ground improvements in place.

Before, manure hauling was a constant winter chore that took time, labor, and the right weather window. In Pennsylvania, the weather doesn’t always cooperate, so planning ahead matters.

Through ACAP and EQIP, the farm installed:

• Heavy Use Area Protection to stabilize high-traffic areas
• Barnyard stormwater management through concrete and waste capture improvements
• A slurry/manure storage system

These conservation practices help both manage stormwater to prevent muddy areas and to store manure until conditions are right to apply those valuable nutrients and organic materials on fields.

Real Results — For the Farm and the Stream

This is the kind of project that pays off every time it rains.

Sheldon notes that runoff is no longer reaching the creek, and he is proud that Sherman Creek is flowing nicely and clear. The project has also made day-to-day management easier, saving time and reducing the pressure of frequent winter hauling. In other words, fewer headaches, better efficiency, and a cleaner stream. That's a pretty good combination.

A Piece of Farmer Wisdom

When asked what he'd tell other farmers who may be considering a project like this, Sheldon didn’t overcomplicate it.

He just said, "Better to put thought into it than to rush it."

Through ACAP and other conservation programs, farmers like Sheldon Nolt are making practical improvements that protect local streams, strengthen their operations, and keep Pennsylvania agriculture moving forward, one good decision at a time.