By: Jonathan VanNoy, Natural Resource Specialist
     If I were to tell you to close your eyes and describe what comes to mind when you hear the word “wetland”, what would you describe?  A stagnant, slimy waterbody?  A grassy, soupy area with cattails?  Maybe that lower field that you can only make hay on every few years?  How about that special place that you love to hunt ducks, or trap muskrats?  You may have an archery stand on the edge of a swamp that comes to mind.  You might describe that spot in your woods that pools water each spring, and for one or two warm nights a year is just crawling with toads or salamanders as they congregate to lay masses of eggs.  (Go to a local vernal pool, pond, swamp or wetland on a warm, spring evening and pull up a chair and just listen and watch.  There is NOTHING that can compare to the sound you will hear if the frogs or toads have congregated!)

By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader, Bradford County Conservation District
     Grazing season has arrived which means farmers and animals alike kick their heels in glee!  Supplemental feeding in the pasture, barn, or barnyard is expensive, labor intensive and stressful, so all are relieved to see the animals get out onto green pastures again.
     Grazers, what is one step you can take this year to make your operation more efficient or productive?  This is a good way to think about it.  When you think about all the things you want to do, you may get overwhelmed and stuck.  Selecting ONE allows progress.  Let me suggest one to get you thinking.

By: Miranda Neville, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD
     As temperatures are getting warmer and summer is rapidly approaching, farmers are gearing up for hay season and farm kids are preparing for cow shows. Like a kid going off to summer camp with butterflies of excitement to meet up with friends, have new experiences and make hundreds of memories, so many farm kids (and adults) are getting those butterflies thinking about packing up the cattle trailers and heading out to the county fairs. In the farming world, the cow show circuit is not only a place for cattle breeders to show off their top genetic cows- it’s also a place where they can connect with each other and have an opportunity to educate the public, but most importantly to have fun!

By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader, Bradford County Conservation District
     Sustainable food production and distribution is getting people’s attention today.  Thankfully, we have had leaders among us who haven’t taken this for granted.  Let’s remember some.

By Tess Flynn-Belles, Natural Resource Specialist
     Imagine this; it’s an early spring morning, the sun is shining and most of the snow has melted. You decide to take a walk down to your pond and see if the ice has melted off. You’re enjoying your walk, the warm sun softening the crisp of the morning air. As you approach your pond, you take in the light sparkling off the water. YAY!! The ice is off, time to start casting a line out and see what you catch. You’re cruising the edge of your pond when you notice a dead sunfish…. A little more walking… a dead largemouth bass. You look up and notice that the shoreline of your pond is littered with dead fish!! It’s then that it hits you in the gut…… FISH KILL!!!

By: Guest Columnist Cheyenne Bastian-Brown, Bradford County FFA President
What do you think of when you hear FFA?  When confronted with the concept of what FFA (formally known as the National Future Farmers of America Organization) is, many people focus primarily on the word farmer and look no further for any other explanation. Since the title includes the phrase “Future Farmer,” it is then believed that each member of the organization is in pursuance of one day becoming a farmer, a landowner, and someone to feed the world population… nothing else. Typically, this is the idea that most parent/guardians have in mind when their student pursues an interest in agricultural education.

By: Miranda Neville, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD

     Last week I wrote about how farmers and the industry are growing and evolving exponentially. This week, I’d like to focus on how gender roles have also changed and evolved in the agriculture world. 
     Historically agriculture has been a male dominated industry. Still true today, but the number of women with hands-on involvement or decision-making power on farms is rapidly increasing. Women are also serving an ever-increasing role in the agriculture industry in other ways such as agriculture educators, animal nutritionist, A.I. breeders, veterinarians, CONSERVATION DISTRICT employees, milk testers, and quality assurance inspectors, to name a few. 

By: Miranda Neville, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD

     In a fast-paced world that demands constant change with bigger-is-better ideals, many still look at small, conventional, dairy farming as an antiquated way of life. Often referred to as “stubborn farmers”, a term I’ve uttered myself more often than I care to admit…sorry husband, the advancement of farming practices has proven just the opposite.  Ironically, if you were to sit down with those “stubborn farmers” you could learn so much about the growth of the industry and how they’ve had to evaluate, adapt, and adjust to so many new pressures.
     The origin of the family farm was to provide a stable life for a family while supplying surrounding communities with farm fresh milk and locally grown produce. A simpler time. As communities got bigger, so did the demand on the farmer. Not only the demands, but more astringent regulatory requirements and increased skepticism from the general public. Though farmers are getting paid significantly less for their products, operating costs are at an all-time high and many cannot sustain. Dairy farmers are given two options: change to meet demands or sell the farm, the foundation of their family.