PA Project Grass is not just Another Educational Enviromental Group! |
|
|
|
Due to lack of funding in July 2007 PA Project Grass became a Non Profit Charitable Organization with the Board consisting of Private Sector Members. This action was done to preserve the then 27 year old educational out reach programs of PA Project Grass. Two years later this grazing program is going strong, continuing their goals of;
((c) PA Project Grass 2009) |
|
|
|
|
| PA Project Grass is a Multi Conservation grazing improvement program that works well with many conservation construction sites. From Project Grass's first DEP 319 grant in 1996 - with the Marriage of Nutrient Management and Rotational Grazing. Project Grass has now evolved to combining many other practices with grazing. |
|
|
| Examples of best management practices that are applied to Rotational Grazing farms are: best water quality practices, stream bank fencing to keep livestock out of streams, riparian buffers, solar-pumps for getting water to grazing paddocks, bio-energy warm season grasses, wildlife protection, youth, economics, terraces, animal health care, Youth Education, and so on... |
|
|
|
The PA Project Grass State Steering Committee
creates a platform for interagency educational communication, public relations, and a collaboration between all the various agricultural conservation personnel as well as an opportunity for all participants to interact with other grazing farmers, government, private, non-profit entities, and with the five Project Grass Regions, |
|
|
|
PA Project Grass State Steering Committee writes grants, does mailings, Publicity, Edit and publish Magazines - Web-sites, writes and publishes Educational Pamplets, helps coordinate, the Annual October Two Day State-wide Conference and Farm Tour Day - the Annual Youth Scholarship Grazing Evaluation Contest,- Distributes Grazing Sticks, Grazing Books,and PA PG Logo Signs.
This year thanks to Western Pennsylvania Watershed, PA Project Grass is able to provide grants for PA counties state-wide for Project Grass County Field Days. PA Project Grass By-Laws; CLick Here: http://community.webtv.net/PAProjectGrass/PAProjectGrassBy; |
PA Project Grass Annual State-wide Grazing Conferences |
|
|
|
| Rotational Grazing pretty much fits into most of the on ground conservation practices. But along with these best management practices Project Grass still has to educate Producers, the Youth, Legislators, Conservation Districts, Government Agencies, Private industries on how to get grazing and best management practices done, plus the accomplishments of this grazing program. |
Youth College Scholarship Program |
|
|
|
|
PA Project Grass Youth Program is proud to Announce their 2009 "Grazing with Conservation Essay" Scholarship Winners
Picture Left to Right 1st Place $500.00 Scholarship Constance Anderson, Penn State College Sophomore Animal Science Equine Science Minor Block and Bridle Horse Chair 2nd Place $250.00 Scholarship Sarah Schick 12th Grader Clarion Limestone High School Vocational Agriculture and Welding Class Student at Clarion Limestone High School and a student. |
|
|
|
Project Grass is achieving these education goals with Field Days, PA Project Grass Web-sites, Youth Grazing Evaluation Scholarship Contest, PA Project Grass Magazines, PA Project Grass Annual 2 Day Grazing State wide Conference and Farm Tours, and Project Grass Field Day Farm Tous in counties across the state.
PA Project Grass Web-sites
|
|
|
|
2009 PA Project Grass State-wide Grazing Conferene and Farm Tour - October 14 ~15, Potato City Country Inn, Potato City, Potter County, PA.
|
|
|
| Pennsylvania Conservation Districts, work with Project Grass by distributing the Project Grass awarded grants cost share in their counties, with implementation and technical assistance to the producers in their counties. |
|
|
|
|
| USDA/ARS, Pennsylvania Pasture Research Laboratory, works with Project Grass through research, helping with Project Grass Grazing Books and Sticks, and providing speakers for Project Grass Conferences, and articles for the Project Grass Magazine. PA DEP, Bureau of Watershed Protection, and U.S. Environmental Protection's Agency's 319 Program - Project Grass has received many Pennsylvania Growing Greener Grants, EPA 319 Grants for on farm grazing with watershed projects, also Project Grass has been awarded Harvest Energy Grant for Solar pumps. |
|
|
|
Many groups who support PA Project Grass year round - supported these Project Grass Public Relations and educational efforts, through Funding, Technical Assistance, and Research:
Thank you to; PA NRCS, Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD), PA Department of Environmental Protection's Chesapeake Bay Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Section 319 Program ARS PA Pasture Lab, USDA - PA RC&D's, and Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Coalition. Because of the financial, technical, and research support from the Project Grass Sponsors and Partners, the Project Grass Producers benefit from the education and cost share of grazing practices on their farms. These efforts Technical Assistance, and Research happens year round with PA Project Grass and their Partners. FUNDS RAISED AND GRANTS AWARDED TO THE PROJECT GRASS GRAZING PROGRAM HAS EXCEEDED OVER THREE MILLION DOLLARS SINCE 1996. OVER 2000 PA FARMS ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECT GRASS GRAZING - MULTI CONSERVATION PROGRAM. THANK YOU!!! PA Project Grass Web-site Links: PA Project Grass Home-site"27 Years Strong!" www.paprojectgrass.org; Project Grass 2007 State-wide Grazing Conference; http://community-2.webtv.net/candacesburke/ProjectGrassState/ PA PG Youth Program; http://community-2.webtv.net/candacesburke/ProjectGrassYouth/; Pasture Based Foods List; http://community-2.webtv.net/PAProjectGrass/PastureBasedFood/ |
ORIGINAL FOUNDING FATHERS JIM (Crash) GETTINGER, GRAHAM (Munk) MUNKITTRICK, TOM CALVERT, NEVIN ULERY, BILL STOUT. |
|
|
|
|
A Story of Two Project Grasses, 1980 to Present
By Tom Calvert, Retired Project Grass Coordinator 1980 ~ 1995 This article was prepared for the February 14, 2005 Wisconsin State Grazing Conference The Project Grass story is actually a story of two Project Grasses. The first started a year or so before I was hired as Project Coordinator. The second started at my retirement when the County Coordinating Committees determined that, due to lack of funds, my position would not be filled. Keep in mind that in 1989, Pennsylvania USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service hired a State Grazing Specialist. Project Grass started as a Perm's Comer Resource Conservation & Development Council proposal, ( picture Nevin Ulery Coordinator) by Greene County, to find a way to make the abandoned farms of the county useful or to make permanent cover valuable. The person who started to answer the request was Pennsylvania State USDA-SCS (today known as NRCS) Conservationist, Graham Munkittrick. If it had not been for his strong support or recognition of the value of pasture and permanent forages. Project Grass would not exist today. He had the proposal developed and presented it at a meeting of Pennsylvania County, State & Federal farm groups and agencies during either the January 1979 or January 1980 Pennsylvania State Farm Show. There was some weak support but rejection was the bigger response. "Munk" still believed there was a future for the project so he continued on his own. In September 1980 I was hired as Project Grass Coordinator. I must also add that "Munk" was fortunate that James Gettinger, the Area III Conservationist, and my direct supervisor, respected him and very strongly supported the proposal. In November 1990 I prepared the following for my column, "Pasture Ponderings" in our quarterly Pennsylvania Forage & Grassland Council Newsletter. It was the 10 year anniversary of my hiring. "Project Grass was called, "A grassroots effort toward rural development in southwestern Pennsylvania'. A couple of other quotes from the first page of the proposal, 'It would appear that existing pastureland is presently underutilized. It would also appear that a substantial amount of land could be converted to pastureland and that resource problems indicate the need for the conversion of another substantial amount. The rising cost of fuel and transportation seems to indicate that it would be desirable to raise and market more grazing animals in the populous northeast United States. A program should be developed to satisfy these needs. The objective listed was, 'This program is an activity in rural development to assist farm operators in utilizing and protecting land, according to its capability for forage production. The program will strive toward an improved economic condition, protection of the environment and an improved forage resource base.' The first paragraph under, developing the Program was, "In order to develop these objectives, first in southwestern Pennsylvania and later statewide, it will take the inputs of many agencies and groups through a coordinated and cooperative effort." This could be directed by the USDA State Coordination & Administrative Committee, The State Rural Development Committee, and local Conservation Districts.' The one page description of Project Grass was, 'Project is a concerted effort to improve the livestock and forage industry in Southwestern Pennsylvania. This project is spearheaded by SCS who has assigned a combination project coordinator and resource person to serve the twelve counties Tn SCS, Area III. His headquarters is in the Somerset Area Office. The role of the coordinator is to provide leadership to improve the livestock and forage industry. Major areas of concern are pasture and hay land management, animal husbandry, markets, information and training needs. Five broad objectives have been identified for the project area. They are: 1. Enhance Pennsylvania agriculture through better utilization of grasslands. 2. Improve the economic position of Pennsylvania farmers, particularly small farmers. 3. Increase the amount of livestock production in the Commonwealth to increase energy efficiency. 4. Develop improved marketing capabilities for feeder calves, fat cattle, sheep and hay. 5. Achieve better utilization of land and water resources for improved environmental quality. We can easily see that expertise outside SCS (NRCS) will be required to achieve these objectives. It will be the project coordinator who will pull all the people and information together to make the project work.' Priority of goals will be set forth in each county plan. ASCS (USDA-Agriculture Stabilization & Conservation Service) made some funds available this year (1st year). The decision was made to use these funds on cooperators that would be "demonstration farms". Hopefully, these cooperators will carry out a management system that can be used to demonstrate the "state-of-the-art" in practice installation. There is no money available to the project except through regular cost-share programs. Therefore it is up to us to sell the objectives of Project Grass. Each of you are an agricultural leader in your county and it is up to you to promote Project Grass with other agricultural leaders and producers. Actually, SCS (NRCS) technical assistance in Project Grass is a part of our ongoing program. Under this project we are emphasizing treatment of the livestock producer's grassland resource. We want to go as far as to seek out these producers, both cooperators and soon to be cooperators, to offer technical assistance. Not only SCS (NRCS) assistance, but that of (Extension) livestock specialists, ASCS, FmHA, and others that may be needed by the producer. Conservation plans recorded by SCS (NRCS) will be no different than those that we should write on the resource management system to improve or maintain the quality in the standard of living. There are many things that have not been done to meet the early objectives of Project Grass but strides have been great. Many changes have taken place. Almost all of the agencies have in some way become involved in the pasture picture. The program is fast becoming a statewide program. In 1989 the Pennsylvania State SCS (NRCS) Conservationist, Richard Duncan hired Duane Pysher to become our State Pasture Specialist, as soon as he finishes Masters Degree work on pastures at Penn State University. The emphasis on pasture and grazing has spread to all parts of PA. Pastures have become important nationally, not because of Pennsylvania but because of many economic pressures to the livestock industry. Many places throughout the USA have been promoting and researching the benefits both economically and environmentally. The time is right." ** The Project Coordinating Committee, with farmer representatives from each county plus any or all of the technical advisory individuals from each of the counties (Extension, Conservation District, SCS, ASCS etc.) which held their first meeting March 23,1982, worked hard to make the program go, but until after my retirement in September 1995 it operated as if it was my committee instead of their committee. They assumed that things would continue on forever and ever or so it seemed. |
In 1995 |
|
|
|
|
This is where Project Grass part two began to develop. When the State Conservationist, due to lack of funds, decided not to immediately hire a replacement coordinator, the committee realized they needed and wanted a coordinator. They decided that continuing to have a regional pasture management specialist and committee coordinator was a worthwhile and necessary objective.
The coordination committee, with the help from the technical support in the counties, developed a plan to get the person in place. The initial part was to get temporary funding to hire a coordinator and at the same time keep pressure on The NRCS (formerly Soil Conservation Service) State Office to come up with funding for the fall time NRCS staff person to serve as the Southwest PA Grazing Specialist and Project Grass Coordinator. A 319 DEP Grant was applied for By Washington County Conservation District Gary Stokum, funding was received. Somerset Conservation District Dave Steele District Manager was willing to housed the new Coordinator. The coordinator, JB Harrold was hired and within two years or so was place in a full time NRCS position. Important points in the progress of Project Grass: 1. An RC&D Council that identified a need. A State Conservationist that recognized the need and was committed to the project even though lots of people thought it wasn't needed or would not work. 2. A Project Coordinator and enough county individuals to keep the program moving. There were usually one or two persons, within the technical support group that wanted the program to work. It was spread over all groups. In some places it was the NRCS person, in others it was the Conservation District and others the County Extension Agent. In most cases, ASCS and FMHA were strongly behind us but did not directly do field work. 3. After my retirement, a Coordination Committee that was made up of strong individuals that were willing to work hard to get their goals achieved. The advent of the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. The Pennsylvania GLCI Committee was formed shortly before I retired and was in full swing when I retired. This made available at the national level of NRCS funds for grazing land work. 4. Two Pennsylvania State Conservationists that wanted to see grazing become an established part of Pennsylvania's program. 5. Both Janet Ortly and present State Conservationist Robin Herd found funds to gradually bring back the original Project Grass position and then to add the additional four grazing specialists. 6. We had excellent support from USDA ARS PA Pasture Research Lab Bill Stout, Kathy Soder, Ray Bryant, Matt Sanderson, and Pennsylvania DEP support ( Carl Rohr) Presently Project Grass has grown to a full coverage of Pennsylvania with five Project Grass Chapters and five Grazing Specialists/ Coordinators plus a State Grazing specialist. "The road hasn't always been smooth, and there are no guarantees, but it has worked." Happy 25th Project Grass! *EDITOR"S NOTE: In 2000 the word on the work being done by the Project Grass Grazing Program was spreading out among other counties not in the Project Grass 18 county Chapter. Letters of request to Project Grass from other parts of Pennsylvania to have a Project Grass Chapter in their area started to come in. 2001, Project Grass formed an Expansion Committee traveled all over Pennsylvania to help the different regions to form a Project Grass Chapter. PA NRCS STATE Conservationist hired four new Grazing Specialist to accomendate te regions. |
PA Project Grass 2007 Part 3 - Due to lack of funding |
|
|
|
Due to lack of funding in July 2007 PA Project Grass became a Non Profit Charitable Organization with the Board consisting of Private Sector Members. This action was done to preserve the then 27 year old educational out reach programs of PA Project Grass. Two years later this grazing program is going strong, continuing their goals of;
((c) PA Project Grass 2009) |
Project Grass A History of New Challenges |
|
|
|
|
By Dave Steele Southern Alleghenies RC&D Coordinator
Like the great philosopher, Yogi Bera once said, "It's like Déjà vu all over again". In the case of Project Grass, every year is like Déjà vu all over again. Every year brings a new set of challenges for farm operators trying to incorporate grazing into their farm operations, as well as for those of us working with them. Facing challenges is nothing new to the Project Grass partnership. From the very beginning, the idea of trying to help farm operators change their view of grazing and pasture management was an uphill climb. In the early days, Tom Calvert and Roger Wentling were among the first to lead the charge. The first challenge was to get their supervisors, and the SCS state leadership to agree to invest technical assistance funding in the effort. The willingness of the Conservation Districts in Western Pennsylvania to work closely with the SCS (NRCS) field office personnel was critical to the success of Project Grass in the early years. Pastures had traditionally been treated as some of the least valuable farmland; generally relegated to the purpose of a" sacrifice area" to hold and feed cattle outside of the barn. The rotational grazing concept was contrary to the conventional wisdom of production agriculture experts of the time. The primary emphasis on maximizing output by managing inputs and carefully controlling dairy feed rations would seem to be at odds with a simplified philosophy of reducing inputs and production costs by managing pastures like crop fields. New challenges had to be faced in 1995 when Tom Calvert retired from government service. The Project Grass Coordinating Committee, led by Washington County Conservation District Manager Gary Stokum and Candace Burke, stepped up to the plate and was successful in securing a three-year EPA Section 319 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to hire a new Coordinator. Tom's retirement left Project Grass with some really big shoes to fill, and J.B. Harrold was more than ready to meet the challenge. In addition to continuing the good work that Tom had initiated with technical assistance to grazing farmers, the new funding provided seed money to help start new grazing systems and an opportunity, for the first time, to quantify the economic and environmental benefits of managed grazing in real world situations. The results of this new effort were astounding. More than 80 farms received cost-share funding to initiate or expand their grazing systems in exchange for providing Project Grass with valuable data that is still being used today to show how beneficial managed grazing is to the environment and to the bottom line. It was through these early efforts to keep the Project Grass partnership alive and growing that today we have a state-wide organization that is ready to meet every new challenge we will face in the future. Happy 27th Project Grass! Editors Note: Thanks to the awarding of the DEP 319 Grant, JB Harrold was hired in 1996 by the South West Project Grass Committee. But Project Grass needed a place to house the new PG Grazing Coordinator, and it was the Somerset Conservation District, and then Manager Dave Steele who also came up to the plate and housed JB Harrold, and thus as Tom Calvert stated in his article A Story of Two Project Grasses "This is where Project Grass part two began. "Things do not just happen ~ People make them happen. End |
PA Project Grass State-wide Programs and Other Web-site Links
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
