Moving to Another Part of the State not the Solution to Bay Cleanup

On February 04, 2019

AGRI- TUDE

LISA GRAYBEAL

After farming here in Lancaster County since 1942, our third-generation dairy farm family is going to pick up and leave to begin a new chapter in agriculture in western Pennsylvania (not really, but stay with me on this).

A recently published study conducted by the state Department of Agriculture suggests moving more dairy and livestock farming to the western part of the commonwealth — Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland counties named as examples — to help relieve environmental pressure mounting in the Chesapeake Bay area.

The study focused solely on dairy and livestock farms. But I would argue that poultry and hog operations must be included to get the whole picture on the quantities of manure this area produces. But for the sake of this column I’ll go with the information I have. Let’s take a look at how this could work.

First thing’s first. Our 1,200-acre farm in the southern end is in farmland preservation. That means that if we made the decision to sell, it would have to remain in agriculture. That seems contrary to what this plan is trying to do. The other option would be to try to bargain with the farmland preservation board to pursue other options for the land, which they will not approve. The bottom line is that if we did sell, the use would likely stay the same.

But for the sake of this scenario, let’s just say that our farm sells at a good price and we make arrangements to look for land in the great west. But just how great is it out there?

The study suggests it’s fairly remote — the roads aren’t good and there’s little agricultural infrastructure,it states. That poses a significant problem if we’re planning to start building new barns and state-of-the art milking and young stock facilities, pouring concrete for all of these foundations, installing three-phase electric to run our pumps and motors, and excavating these buildings, manure storage areas and bunker silos.

I’m not sure what the support system is like out there as far as getting building permits, erosion and sedimentation plans and what agriculture engineering firms may exist there. We’re lucky to have a fully staffed Lancaster County Conservation District that handles environmental plans, and quite a few firms that will do engineering work right here.

The point is, we have all of these businesses here in Lancaster and surrounding counties. Infrastructure to support our farm is as close as a phone call away or quick trip in the farm pickup truck — equipment dealers, fuel suppliers, feed mills, seed and fertilizer companies are all close. Then there are the businesses like trash haulers, electricians and plumbers, tire repair shops and garages, hardware and farm supply stores, livestock and hay sales, insurance and accounting firms and agriculture friendly banks that are easily taken for granted because there are so many of them.

Rick Ebert, of Blairsville in Indiana County, who is president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, recently told a crowd at the All-Bay Agricultural Network Forum that he envies Lancaster County farmers because they can call in a fertilizer order and likely get it the same day. He said he has to plan way ahead because it may take 10 or more days to get the fertilizer order filled for his farm.

Moving on in this fairytale, let’s just say we establish our farm buildings and necessary structures and we’re ready to milk cows. Do we have a milk market in western Pennsylvania? How much is it going to cost to transport the milk from our new western farm to the east?

Of course, we have to feed our animals. We head out to start no-tilling the land to grow some crops and come to find out that this is nothing close to the rich soils and rolling hills we had on our Lancaster County farm.

The land of the three counties mentioned in the study consists mostly of silt loam. According to “The Soils of Pennsylvania” report, in the area known as the Pittsburgh Plateau, which includes central and southwest Pennsylvania, “The soils are usually well drained. The landscape of this region has rather steep slopes, and erosion is a major concern. Many of these soils also contain substantial amounts of rock fragments.”

Which brings up another finding in this study that looks at trucking excessive manure from the southcentral region to the western part of the state. That’s fine as long as there is a good plan for applying manure there. There are streams, creeks, waterways and rivers there just as there are here. But the topography and soil types there may prove an even bigger challenge if manure isn’t handled properly.

There is a reason agriculture is so strong in Lancaster County. It’s the most productive non-irrigated land east of the Mississippi. We grow crops in this area like no other place around.

For a quick example, in the 2017 Pennsylvania Soybean Yield Contest, a Lancaster County farmer placed first overall in the southcentral region with 107.17 bushels per acre. A neighboring Lebanon County grower also recorded more than 100 bushels per acre. The winners in the other areas of the state didn’t come close. The first-place winner in the western region came in at 71.08 bushels.

Now let’s consider the human factor in all of this. My brother and I are the third generation on our dairy farm and we are carrying on the legacy that our grandparents started in 1942. Our children were raised and go to school here. We are rooted in and have served our community for decades. We volunteer on boards of directors. We like where we live and work and it has been generally good to us. What’s the realistic incentive for us to move?

Our family has been practicing conservation on our land for a long time. This is not a new concept to farmers. Of course, more can be done as technology improves and new, innovative ways to manage our acreage are practiced. Picking up and moving isn’t the answer.

We can have farming in the Chesapeake Bay area and be environmentally sustainable at the same time. Above all, it makes economic sense. This out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach to agriculture and the environment doesn’t resolve these perceived environmental problems. Rather than spend money on absurd studies like this, the state needs to continue to work with farmers in the bay area to reach the goals that have been set.

The Graybeal family is staying put.

Lisa A. Graybeal is the chairwoman of the Lancaster County Agriculture Council. She was a journalist for 10 years before retiring to her family’s 1,200-acre dairy farm in southern Lancaster County.