Lacy Powers, Conservation Technician, BCCD
In the 1930s a devastating disaster known as the “Dust Bowl” took place in the Great Plains of the United States. This was due to poor farming practices that had historically stripped the land of topsoil and a severe drought that caused an erosion catastrophe. These issues became so bad that soil was in the air they breathed, water they drank, and hardly any was left on the ground for viable crops to grow. Thousands of acres of farmland were depleted from erosion, destroying livelihoods and adversely impacting people’s quality of life. Let’s break down the ramifications of the Dust Bowl so we can truly appreciate just how large an issue erosion and sedimentation can be to our environment and our economy.  

Jonathan Vannoy, Natural Resource Specialist, BCCD
Let’s take a minute to think about conservation.  After all, conservation is the primary focus of what we do here at the Bradford County Conservation District.  It’s in our name!  The mission of the BCCD is to: Lead, Educate, and Empower people to manage resources wisely. 
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When it comes to resource management, we need to look at what the resources are and what our objectives or goals are when we are deciding how to manage them.  Resource management can look different depending on our goals.  For example, in forest management, the goal can be to promote and encourage habitat for deer to thrive in.  In this scenario, cutting the forest’s biggest canopy trees may be advised to let daylight in and promote the growth of young forest for deer to browse.  Alternatively, if the goal of your forest management plan is to promote old growth trees, you may not want your trees to be cut down (however, a complete hands-off approach may still not be feasible when considering things like invasive species, etc.).  While either approach requires planning, the difference between the two is the difference between Conservation and Preservation. 

Miranda Neville, Ag Resource Specialist, BCCD
In recent months, we’ve had quite a few calls concerning Biosolids. The location, the smell, but mainly the fear of the unknown. Though biosolids aren’t new to our county, it is still a relatively new discussion for a lot of areas. I’ll admit, I didn’t know much when I received our first call, so that led me down a rabbit hole of videos, articles, and emails. The only fact I knew was that farmers use biosolids as an affordable source of Nitrogen for their growing crops. There are several articles that were written by staff here at the BCCD in January 2025 that are a good starting point that discusses the fertilizer concepts and Nitrogen. Here are a few non-technical, common Q&A’s to add to those. I spoke with representatives of “Clean & Green” regarding “Slow-Release N-Fertilizer” and the Class A-EQ Biosolids they market, which are popular in our county.