Kevin Brown, BCCD, Ag Resource Specialist
I have been going to write this for quite some time now, but something always comes up.  Now it is the time of year where it will make a little less sense, but hopefully you will understand what I am talking about.  Maybe it will help you put fields to bed for the winter in a little better shape than usual and be rewarded next spring.

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.

Kevin Brown, Ag Team Leader, BCCD
​Canton High School of Bradford County places 4th at the 2024 Pennsylvania State Envirothon. The Pennsylvania Envirothon state competition was held as a “hybrid” competition. The Oral Component was held May 15-17. Teams submitted their presentations electronically and then answered questions from a panel of judges through a Zoom Meeting. The Station testing was held in-person at Camp Mount Luther on May 23rd, 2024. High school students from 63 Pennsylvania counties participated in this year’s event. At the Envirothon, five-member teams participated in a series of field station tests that focused on five topic areas – soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and environmental issues. The 2024 current environmental issue focused on “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future”.

Kevin Brown, Ag Team Lead, BCCD
​Last week’s article was on noise pollution.  Even though it typically may not be thought of as “pollution”, it certainly can be.  We have become so accustomed to noise, that it just seems “normal” now.  However, take a stroll through a state or national park, or go find anywhere where you can get away from this, and you can really find a lot of inner peace just by sitting there and listening to nothing (or at least nothing except Mother Nature’s sounds).  There are actually people making money by taking you out into the wilderness, setting you on a rock, and telling you they will be back in 2 hours.  Sit there.  Soak it all in.  Stare at the ground.  Listen to the world around you.  (I admit, I published that article because I was pressed for time and didn’t have any real good subjects in mind, so I found that one and sent it on its way.  However, I did get a comment or two back so it resonated with some.)  

Ryan Reed- A Reprint from DCNR’s Forest Fridays

​“Of all the varieties of modern pollution, noise is the most insidious.” – Robert Lacey
 
There’s a saying that goes, “If it’s too loud, then you’re too old.”  You can count me in the “old” crowd, then, because I get much more satisfaction from moments of peace and quiet versus noisy events.  This observation leads me to ponder whether I’m the variable that has changed, or has society become louder?
 
One must not search long on the web to find a litany of subjects that not only bear evidence of a growing societal din, but myriad negative effects on humans and wildlife.  On any given day, it’s become difficult to ignore the seemingly ever-increasing, solitude-shattering noise, and much of it is intentional. 

Kevin Brown, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD
What is one of the worst things you can do to your garden?  Till it.  Yes, that’s right, till it.  Tilling is just like throwing a nuclear bomb in there every year.  It is like a tornado coming through every year and destroying everything in its path.  Think about it.  You are grinding and pulverizing everything in the soil, including its inhabitants.  There are so many beneficial microorganisms in your soil doing so many wonderful things to your soil and your plants, and you come through with a rototiller and grind it all to dust.  They need homes and food and shelter and air space just like we do, and you just destroyed it.  After tilling, they start to rebuild their lives again and get back to doing productive things, and along comes your rototiller again, taking out all forms of life once again.