Miranda Neville, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD
There has been a lot more discussion in the world surrounding mental health in recent years but even though there are efforts to reduce the stigma there is still a lot of discomfort around the topic. Speaking specifically about farming, in the agriculture community, there are still so many voids in mental health care options. Most farms in Bradford County aren’t seasonal cropping operations, meaning it’s 365/24/7 and with that comes a large physical and mental toll. There’s rarely any down time for farmers to decompress, which means they are at a higher risk of becoming mentally (setting aside physically) exhausted. Burnout is the number one mental health concern among farmers.

Kevin Brown, Ag Resource Specialist, BCCD
I was watching the local news the other day (I won’t say which one as to not incriminate them) and they started talking about this new study that was out where they had looked at “heat islands”.  Have you ever heard of a “heat island” before?  I would not expect that many people to have heard of such a thing, and I didn’t really expect the anchors to know about it, but I was pretty surprised that the weatherman didn’t really seem to know what it was referencing.   No, it is not anything like Love Island, LOL.  Heat Islands are urban areas that, just by their nature, absorb more heat during the day and then continue to stay a lot warmer during the nighttime hours.  Then, guess what happens the next day?   They heat back up even faster than the day before- and so the cycle continues.  What is the end result?  You guessed it, it is a lot warmer than surrounding, non-developed land.  What can confound the problem even more is that the wind typically blows less in the cities.  That makes it even harder for these areas to dissipate heat.  As we continue to see Mother Earth getting warmer, we tend to blame a lot of things.  Maybe some of these things are real, and maybe they are a figment of someone’s imagination to get you to donate to their cause.  However, anyone that knows anything about concrete and asphalt will tell you that these products definitely hold in more heat for longer periods of time than soil or grass.  So, the more we build, the worse it gets.  Have you ever tried to walk across asphalt on a 90-degree day with the sun beating on it?  (Don’t try it!)  Now walk across your plush yard.  Think there is a difference?  Uh, yea. 

Kevin Brown, Ag Resource Specialist, BCCD
So, occasionally we get calls or requests from residents for monies to do certain things.  We, here at the district, do have grant monies that we work with in order to help with certain things.  We don’t typically have money at the ready, but rather apply for it once we know there is a need (from you).  We have an Ag group and a Stream group and a Dirt and Gravel Roads group.  I am part of the Ag Team, and we specialize in ag stuff.  People will see some of the projects we do as they drive around.  Some counties get lots of funds because they have lots of things to do in that particular area, and some counties get very little because they don’t.  For example, Philadelphia County doesn’t have a whole lot of agriculture or dirt and gravel roads so they would get very little money in those two programs. Bradford County, on the other hand, is one of the top ag counties (although that is fading fast), and the top county for the Dirt and Gravel Roads Program. 

Brad Cummings, Conservation Technician, BCCD
A pond can be an excellent addition to your property, offering many hours of fun and enjoyment for your family, friends and future generations, but it would be wise to do a little homework before committing the often-significant financial investment for construction.  An essential part of this “homework assignment” should be to contact one of our friendly District staff and request a site inspection to assess what level of permitting your project may or may not require.  We hope the following brief guide to new and existing pond permitting will be helpful.