More Than a Hoop Barn: One Farmer's Path to Conservation

Building a Farm Foundation

Dixie Richmond grew up on a dairy farm. She understood the rhythms of the land, the demands of livestock, and what it meant to farm with care across generations. But when she acquired a property in Crawford County that had sat largely dormant since the 1950s, she faced a different kind of challenge: building a functioning sheep operation from the ground up, on land without the infrastructure to support it.

"My plan was just to put up a hoop barn and let them run," Richmond recalled.

What followed was something more, and it has made all the difference.

A Property with Potential

The farm Richmond acquired had roots in the region. Nestled in the rolling hills of northwest Pennsylvania, the property was originally developed in the 1950s by a Pittsburgh family who raised chickens. The land had since been maintained for crop rotation. Richmond and her family had farmed the acres for over a decade, keeping the soil active and productive. But as her sheep flock at the family's nearby dairy grew too numerous and too disruptive, she began to see the property in a new light.

The property also lacked the infrastructure to manage two of the most common resource concerns in Crawford County agricultural operations: stormwater runoff and manure management. Without proper facilities, nutrient-laden runoff posed risks to surrounding soils and waterways, and Richmond’s sheep had no adequate shelter or footing for the region’s long, wet winters.

"My sheep were running rampant down at the dairy farm," she said. "The kids were saying, get them out of the fields and keep them in the fence."

With her sheep crowded, muddy, and out of place at the dairy operation, Richmond decided to move them to the new property and build what they needed. That decision brought her into contact with staff from the Crawford County Conservation District and USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and introduced her to the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).

Administered by Pennsylvania's State Conservation Commission, ACAP provides farmers with financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices that protect soil and water quality. Funding is allocated at the local level through county conservation districts, allowing each to prioritize practices that address the most pressing resource concerns in their communities.

From First Contact to Full Project

The relationship between Richmond and the conservation district had already begun through earlier Growing Greener work, which included access road construction and stream rehabilitation at the property. That history gave Richmond a foundation of familiarity with the local conservation team before the larger project took shape.

When Breann Dilley, the district's Agricultural Conservation Specialist, and staff from the local NRCS office visited the new sheep operation, the scope of possibility expanded quickly. "It was like, gee, we got all kinds of things we can do here," Richmond recalled. "So, it just kind of bloomed from there."

Working in partnership, the conservation district and NRCS designed a comprehensive set of improvements funded through state and federal funding that included the following best management practices:

• Roofed heavy-use area
• Grazing fencing
• Improved access road
• Stabilized animal walkway
• Roof runoff controls
• Watering system

The roofed heavy-use area is at the heart of the project's conservation value. Crawford County's climate creates real challenges for livestock operations: high annual rainfall and long winters leave fields and barnyards saturated for extended periods. "We get a lot of rain days," said Dilley. "We see a huge need for animal heavy-use areas and manure storage that allow farmers to store manure until the weather is better."

With proper shelter, footing, and water access now in place, Richmond’s sheep have a stable environment year-round, reducing mud, erosion, and unmanaged nutrient runoff from an operation that previously lacked the infrastructure to address either.

Project Funding

Funding for the project was secured through a partnership between ACAP and the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), with ACAP contributing $107,993.57 and NRCS contributing $324,759.00.

Beyond financial support, NRCS provided critical technical assistance throughout the project, including conservation and rotational grazing plan development, engineering design, pre-construction meetings with the farmer and contractors, and construction inspection and certification to USDA NRCS standards.

For Richmond, that combined investment made the difference between a basic shelter and a fully functional conservation system. "If it hadn't been for ACAP, I probably wouldn't have all of this," she said. "It wouldn't be what it is now."

Overcoming Hesitation

Perhaps the most striking element of Richmond's story, though, is what she brought to the process alongside her livestock and her land: a deep-seated wariness of government involvement in her operation.

Richmond’s father, a lifelong farmer, had instilled a deep skepticism of government programs. That perspective stayed with her as the conversation with the conservation district began. "I was scared," she admitted. "I was scared to get involved in it. But what happens down the road? Are you going to want your money back?"

What changed her mind was not paperwork or policy. It was a conversation. District staff came to the property, walked it with her, and explained clearly what the program could do. "Once they came out and talked to me and said, 'No, we can do this,' that was it," she said.

The experience reshaped more than her farm. "They're not as bad as everybody makes them sound," Richmond reflected. "They work out pretty good."

For Dilley and the district, building that trust is central to the work. “ACAP has generally seen a positive experience with farmers,” she said. “They’re able to construct things they have needed on their farm, increase their productivity, and meet our goals as far as stopping soil erosion and nutrient pollution.”

A New Chapter

Richmond moved her sheep to the property before snowfall in late 2024, getting them out of the mud at the dairy farm in time for winter. The completed facility far exceeded what she had originally planned.

"It's a little overboard as to what I would have spent personally," she said, "but it's a fantastic facility. It's a good place. The fences are great. The building is great."

Looking ahead, Richmond envisions a herd of 30 to 40 sheep, individual lambing pens, improved feeding systems, and refined grazing rotations. The infrastructure now in place gives her room to plan and grow on her own terms.

For Crawford County Conservation District Manager Tracey Crawford, projects like Richmond's reflect what ACAP is built to accomplish. "Agriculture is so important," Crawford said. "ACAP is allowing us to really take a big look at the county and figure out where our money would be best suited and really play a role in the future of agriculture in Crawford County."

For Penn State Extension's Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT), which supports ACAP implementation across the state, projects like Richmond's reflect the program's broader purpose. "Dixie's experience reflects how ACAP works at its best," said CACAT Director Jennifer Fetter. "CACAT supports districts statewide so they can focus on what they do best—working with farmers to turn conservation plans into lasting improvements on the land."

In a county where small communities run on word of mouth, Richmond's experience is already doing what Dilley hoped: encouraging neighbors to ask what might be possible on their own land. "If we have more positive projects and good outcomes," Dilley said, "that tends to do us a lot of good here."

Richmond, for her part, has no regrets about taking the leap. "If you want to expand and do it right," she said, "you should look into it. The people are wonderful. And it's just rewarding."

This article is a companion piece to the Northwest PA ACAP Farmer Success Story video featuring Dixie Richmond’s farm, included below. This article and the video were produced in collaboration with the Penn State Extension Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT).