Breanna Ameigh, BCCD, Event Coordinator  
Bradford County and the surrounding region have been filled with agricultural practices of all shapes and sizes since its beginning. You likely couldn’t travel for five miles in any direction without seeing some type of farm – beef, sheep, vegetables, flowers, etc. The men and women of the industry make up the backbone of this area. As a generally male dominated field (literally), women are often not thought of as often as playing an integral role. However, according to the USDA, women make up approximately 36% of the producers of the United States. Bradford County, specifically, has around 55-59% of its farms having at least one female producer. 

​Open AI. 2025. “PA State Fish.” ChatGPT (February 1 version). February 1, 2025. https://openai.com
In the clear, cold streams and rivers of Pennsylvania, one fish reigns supreme as a symbol of the state's natural beauty and commitment to conservation: the Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Designated as the state fish in 1970, the Brook Trout represents the purity of Pennsylvania's waterways and the rich fishing heritage cherished by its residents.
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The Brook Trout, referred to as the "brookie," is renowned for its vibrant colors and delicate beauty. With its olive-green back, marbled pattern of lighter shades, and distinctive red spots surrounded by blue halos, the Brook Trout is a visual marvel. Its belly can range from yellow to bright orange, especially in males during the spawning season. These striking colors not only make the Brook Trout a favorite among anglers but also a symbol of the pristine environments it inhabits.

Lacy Powers, Conservation Technician, BCCD
At the Bradford County Conservation District (BCCD) our goal is to help conserve, protect and restore our natural resources.  One of the ways we work to achieve that goal is through our delegation agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in Chapter 102 for Erosion and Sediment Control and Chapter 105 for Waterway, Wetland and Waterbody Management. By having this agreement with DEP, we can handle permit reviews, approvals, and provide educational opportunities to our community - resulting in faster permit turnaround times and being able to better assist our community in their environmental needs.  Through this agreement we are also delegated to handle environmental complaints for DEP and attempt to receive voluntary compliance when environmental laws have been broken under Chapter 102 or 105 regulations. 

Dan Rhodes, Education Coordinator, BCCD
As the days and weeks go forward, the weather gets warmer and the days longer, many of us that enjoy recreation along the Susquehanna River in the form of boating and especially fishing, might be shocked to know about a poorly understood but highly important fish in our local freshwater systems: the American eel. Cagey and somewhat snake-like, the American eel is certainly a fish that many people today would not describe as overly majestic. Most people, if they were even lucky enough to see one up close would question if the animal were even a fish at all. Going back thousands of years however, the American eel was once a prized aquatic food staple for Native Americans and Colonial settlers alike. Additionally, in the past, just as is true today, the existence of the American eel is critically important to the health, water quality, stability and functioning of our aquatic systems as a whole!

Kevin Brown, Ag Resource Specialist, BCCD
We all love our acronyms in this day and age so I will use one for part II of the biosolids article (The News Article No One Wants To Read).  Last week I focused on biosolids just being nutrients.  The same nutrients that make up our bodies, our food, our clothing, etc.  To my knowledge, we don’t ever really gain or lose nutrients.  They just move from form to form. 
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Biosolids can be controversial, as with a lot of things, but if we can just get them put back on the ground for use in their next form, that is probably the best place for them.  The Penn State Extension newsletter* referred to at the end of this article says it best, “Three viable options now exist for disposal or use of this sludge: landfill placement; incineration; and recycling through application to farm, forest, or mine land. Although each of these options has its place, recycling efforts have increased in recent years because of growing recognition that our society cannot afford to throw away the valuable resources in sewage sludge (biosolids).”  

Kevin Brown, Ag Resource Specialist, BCCD
I have batted around the idea to write an article on this for quite some time.  It is quite controversial, to say the least.  Not only is it controversial, but it will probably “lean” away from the direction most people would like it to.  Sorry.  The topic, biosolids.
I had the idea a couple months ago to write an article on this subject.  As I started my research, I got wind of some negative things going on around the county and I chickened out.  Last week I received a letter in the mail asking me to write one on the subject.  Part of my job is education; educating the general public on all things conservation oriented.  I started to do some research on the subject so I could give you the best information that I could.  Wow is there a lot to this.  I will have to consolidate as much as I can.

Glenn Bell, Ag Resource Specialist BCCD
Did you know that our state leads the nation in the number of farms and acres permanently preserved for agricultural production?  The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program was created to add resilience to Pennsylvania’s agricultural economy by protecting prime farmland. Through this program, state and county governments (sometimes federal) can purchase conservation easements on farmland which prevents the land from ever being developed. Since its start in 1988, Pennsylvania has preserved roughly 6,400 farms totaling 645,000 acres. 

Kevin Brown, Ag Resource Specialist, BCCD
The last two articles on this subject where about “what we do” and “how we do it”.  I have ran into a couple instances in just the last couple weeks where it has come up that the process we must go through apparently needs to be explained also.  I say all the time, “we work at the speed of government”.  For anyone who may be confused by what that means, it is painfully slow.  Nothing happens quickly.  We have people stop down on a regular basis and are like, “I need a facility for my animals, and I need it built in “x” timeframe”.  Um, that is not the way it works through this office.  First off, you need to have an environmental issue.  You need to be in a position of potentially polluting the Waters of the Commonwealth.  We can debate whether this is the way it should be done or not, but the fact is, this is the way the programs work.  The higher the chances are that it is polluting something, the better your chances of getting help.

Kevin Brown, Ag Resource Specialist, BCCD
The article I wrote the other day talked a little bit about what we do here.  To expand on this, here is a little bit more information.  (Disclaimer- This is how I understand it.  It is very close to correct, but may not be exactly right with some government agency out there somewhere.)  In 1985, it was determined that the Chesapeake Bay was in trouble.  The issues were dead zones created by excess algal blooms.  The algal blooms themselves are not the cause of the dead zones.  What is, is the fact that when all those algae die, it sucks all the oxygen out of the water as it decomposes.  Just like us, most living organisms need oxygen.  No oxygen, no life (dead zone).  What is the reason for the bigger and bigger algal blooms?  Excess nutrients and sediment in the water.  Those nutrients and sediment are coming from upstream (us).