Teamwork Leads to Penn State’s New Aquaponics Lab

There is something to be said about teamwork!  Foster, a junior Horticulture major with a minor in Wildlife and Fisheries Science has teamed up with greenhouse manager, DiLoreto to develop the first aquaponics system at Penn State.

"She expressed an interest in working with aquaponics from the very beginning,” DiLoreto said.  "She was pretty serious about it. You could tell she had read a lot and had really thought it out. It's uncommon to find someone who is that motivated."

In case you aren’t familiar with aquaponics, here is a quick overview:

Aquaponics is an integrated fish-culture and plant-propagation system that relies on a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants. Fish, such as tilapia -- grown for human consumption -- are cultured in tanks.  Those tanks are connected to a hydroponic plant-growing area. The tank water, which becomes rich in fish wastes as the fish grow, flows to the hydroponics system, where the plants take up and utilize the nutrients in the waste to grow.  The fish wastes, especially the nitrogen component, are toxic to fish, so the plants perform a service to the fish by purifying the water. The clean water is then pumped back to the fish tanks -- and the cycle continues.  Aquaponics differs from hydroponics in that it relies on the natural nutrients in fish waste, rather than added nutrient salts.

"Aquaponics is the coupling of two biological systems," DiLoreto explained. "The plants feed off the fish and the fish purify the water for the plants -- so at the end you have two products, fish and plants. It's a much more natural process."

Current plans for the Penn State aquaponics system include using two 300-gallon tanks to grow tilapia, and a large hydroponics area where basil, lettuce, mustard greens and micro-greens will be grown.

Teamwork really can lead to great outcomes – Way to go, Foster and DiLoreto! We think their plan is pretty awesome, what do you think?

Landis Valley Museum: a history book comes to life

When you take a stroll through Landis Valley Museum, you are delightfully overwhelmed with the rich history of Pennsylvania German heritage and agriculture.  Deep in the heart of Lancaster County, brothers, Henry and George Landis founded the museum in 1925 to ensure that future generations would be able to see and remember how farmers used to operate.

The 100 acre property is home to 16 historic buildings and thousands of artifacts that contribute to the 18^th and 19^th century atmosphere.  The museum’s curator, Bruce Bomberger, maintains the artifacts and oversees the 70,000 visitors each year.  Bruce says he enjoys sharing the stories behind the artifacts with people to help bring their visit to life.

You may have also seen Landis Valley Museum on television when they were was featured during the fourth season of America’s Heartland.  To read more about Pennsylvania’s “best kept secret”, check out page 8 in our Farm Credit Leader magazine.

Kempton Country Fair – Are you going?

You heard it right…it’s officially June and that means it’s FAIR TIME!  If you live in the Kempton, PA area (or you are looking for a mini road trip), the Kempton Country Fair begins today, Tuesday, June 12^th and runs through Saturday, June 16^th.

The fair is only $7 to enter and includes free parking, rides, and entertainment.  On Saturday, adults and kids can join the fun by participating in various contests such as pedal tractor pulls, bale pitching, raw egg tosses, corn cob tosses, and more! 

For an adrenaline rush, be sure to check out the tough trucks, tractor pulls, and stock races that will take place on the track.  Also, enjoy tons of local food stands and don’t miss the fireworks on Friday night at 10 pm.

If you do attend, be sure to snap an ag-related photo and enter it in our fair photo contest on Facebook - you could win up to $250! The photo above is a 2011 entry from Cynthia McDaniel.

If you are looking for something to do this week, head out to the Kempton Country Fair – it is sure to be some good ol’ family fun!

Frequently Asked Questions to a Lender

What's your rate? How much are closing costs? You got questions. We got answers! At Farm Credit, our loan officers meet with hundreds of customers a year who ask those exact questions. So, what's the answer to those questions you ask?

Q: What are your interest rates? A: It depends. This isn’t the answer most people want to hear, but it’s the most honest one. Before a loan officer can quote rates, they need to gather as much information as possible – amount of loan, loan type, desired terms, etc. There is a wide range of rate products that are available depending on your needs. It’s also important to remember that rates change daily (even several times a day for mortgages).

Q: How much are closing costs? A: It depends. Most closing cost fees are tied to the loan amount, and a purchase has more costs than a refinance. Some of the things that are included in the closing costs are: transfer tax, recording costs (we are exempt in MD), title work, initial escrow (to pay taxes and insurance), appraisal, daily interest (interest from settlement to the first payment) and origination fee.

Q: How much down payment is needed? A: It depends. There are many different products available that have a wide variety of down payment requirements. For farm loans, the general down payment is 20%. For residential mortgages, it can vary from 0% (depending on program qualifications) up to 20% (in order to avoid mortgage insurance). In general, the more down payment you have, the more likely for both approval and a great rate.

As you can see, the answer to many of these questions is often “it depends.” We look at every loan request as unique and individual. If you have other questions you'd like answered, leave a comment or email info@mafc.com. In the meantime, look for our next blog listing the 26 factors that go into quoting a rate.

Historic rifle display to be exhibited next month at Pennsylvania farm museum

At least 50 long rifles steeped in tradition and heritage will be presented early next month at a museum in Southeast Pennsylvania, according to a press release.

The Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster County is presenting "The Golden Age of an American Art Form: The Lancaster Long Rifle" and the display pieces will be drawn from the museum, other museums and and private collections. Some of the rifles to be displayed will be presented for the first time ever.

"Lancaster County gunsmiths were craftsmen who excelled at producing exquisite, hand-made pieces incorporating highly refined artistic carving, engraving and inlaying while at the same time satisfying the need for accurate hunting weapons," museum site director James Lewars said.

Some rifles were crafted by renowned gunsmiths and demonstrate detail and effort that establish the rifles within the purview of artwork.

Also on display will be pistols, powder horns, game bags, gunsmithing tools and contemporary images of the long rifle.

Opening March 11, the exhibit - which is receiving funding from a Richard C. von Hess Foundation grant - runs through December.

Pennsylvania farmer nearly set to display electricity, energy producer

A Northwest Pennsylvania farmer is within months if not weeks of unveiling a mechanism that converts bales of switch grass into a burnable heat source, according to The Associated Press.

Calvin Ernst of Crawford County said the wood-like pellets that are generated also can produce electricity or can absorb moisture. The 71-year-old and his son have been working on the contraption and are pleased with their progress thus far. The plan is to have the device up and running in April, when it will generate five tons of pellets per hour.

"We have like 25 different motors in this thing all trying to work together. It would be easy for something to go wrong," he told the news service.

The pellets that come from processed switch grass generate 5 percent less energy than pellets that come from wood. Yet the switch grass pellets are capable of producing two times as much energy in one year per acre.

The effort is funded by an $896,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Department. Ernst's idea has long been in the planning stages as he planted 1,000 acres of switch grass in 2007.

Pennsylvania ag event helps educate young farmers

Seasoned agriculture operators, beginning farmers and people just curious about the trade recently gathered in Pennsylvania for the 34th Annual Wayne County/Sullivan County (N.Y.) Dairy Day/Ag Day.

The Honesdale High School gymnasium was abuzz on February 20 as a variety of people attended workshops and presentations on a number of subjects, according to the Wayne Independent.

The topics and issues addressed at the event ranged from connecting young farmers with older operators looking to pass their land on to someone to using previously overlooked materials for biofuels.

State Representative Mike Peifer told the people at the event that farming was essential to the Keystone State.

"Agriculture is huge," he said, reports the news provider. "It's not here like it used to be, but as a whole Pennsylvania still has a huge agricultural community. Pennsylvania agriculture may have its challenges, but it’s still the biggest business in the state. That's a big deal. It gives the ag community a lot of clout in Harrisburg. There is strength in numbers."

Farming touches a huge number of people's lives in Pennsylvania as there are more than 63,000 agricultural operations in the state, which cover nearly 8 million acres of land.

Students, FFA members meet with Pennsylvania ag secretary

A group of high school students in Pennsylvania who are considering becoming young farmers recently spoke to the state's secretary of agriculture.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary George D. Greig met with six students from Kutztown High School who are all members of the Future Farmers of America, according to the Reading Eagle.

Greig spoke with the students about a number of issues including sewage sludge being used as fertilizer. In response to a question from a student about this matter, Greig said that he didn't think the sludge should be used on land that produces food for human consumption but added that it might be useful in other applications.

In addition, Greig talked about his life as a dairy farmer and about his time as an FFA member.

"Continue to improve yourself," Greig told the students. "You never know where you're going to end up."

These beginning farmers will be vital to Pennsylvania as agriculture is crucial to the state. There are about 63,000 farmers in Pennsylvania, and these properties - which average 124 acres in size - cover nearly 8 million acres of land. 

Pennsylvania farming cooperative to offer subscription produce, meat service

A group of farmers in Pennsylvania is starting a service that will deliver fresh, organic agricultural products right to consumers' doors.

Oasis at Bird-in-Hand, which is aided by 30 Plain Sect farmers, is planning to start a subscription service that will deliver a variety of farm products to people's houses every week, according to the York Daily Record.

Reuben Stoltzfus, with Bird-in-Hand, is one of the principals behind the effort and has worked to put the cooperative together featuring young farmers from Lancaster County.

Leroy Miller is one of the farmers that is part of the cooperative that will provide the meat and produce for the subscription service. He said he is happy that so many beginning farmers are learning how to farm using traditional methods.

"Farmers younger than me are willing to learn the old ways," he said.

Consumers can also buy the fresh farm products at an Oasis in Ronks.

There are more than 63,000 farms in Pennsylvania and these operations cover about 7.8 million acres of land. Pennsylvania farmers produce more mushrooms than any other state in the union, averaging more than 440 million pounds in annual production.

Workshops to be held to help Pennsylvania farmers understand regulations

Young farmers in Pennsylvania and anyone else interested in learning about compliance to certain agricultural programs will have an opportunity to learn about them at upcoming workshops.

The York County Conservation District and Penn State Cooperative Extension will be hosting a number of meetings and workshops to go over requirements for Manure Management and Ag Erosion/Conservation plan regulations, according to WHPTV, a CBS affiliate. These plans are designed to help agricultural and animal operators manage the resources on their land and prevent run-off into waterways.

Some of the specific topics that will be held starting on February 28 and ending March 20 will include the responsibility and role landowners must play in regards to water quality, what roles the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the York County Conservation District play in enforcing compliance and how to get help with creating a plan and putting it into practice.

Founded in 1938, the York County Conservation District is dedicated to helping locals deal with environmental and natural resource concerns. The entity accomplishes this by "providing conservation education, technical services, and financial assistance, in order to enable the citizens of York County be good stewards of our natural resources," according to its website.

Proposed regulations are bad for Pennsylvania farms, advocates assert

Farmers in Pennsylvania take exception to some proposed federal regulations that aim to prohibit children younger than 16 years of age from various tasks that are helpful to farms, The Associated Press reports.

Among those jobs are operating power machinery, assisting in silos and applying pesticides but the proposed regulations would not apply to children at their parents' farms but they would if those farms are incorporated. At least 4,000 remarks have been submitted to the U.S. Labor Department, which asserts the government must step in to address statistics indicating a child is killed on a farm every three-plus days.

But Larry Cogan, vice president of the farm bureau in Somerset County, told the Daily American of his resistance to the federal regulations enacted as law.

"It is very important that kids help; it goes back to the idea that they are family farms," he told the publication. "To have chores when you grow up on a farm is part of farm life. You learn by doing. Think of our conservative population - Amish and Mennonites - it is ingrained in them to work on the farm."

Also opposing the regulations are the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the Pennsylvania State Grange and the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators.

Pennsylvania farms to be visited by agricultural officials

Randomly selected Pennsylvania farms will be visited by federal representatives probing conservation and farming practices' impact on the Chesapeake Bay watershed, according to The Reading Eagle.

The visits are part of a larger effort in the region as more than 1,500 farms in Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia and West Virginia also will receive the federal representatives through the end of next month.

"The National Agricultural Statistics Service wants to develop a science base for managing the agricultural landscape throughout the watershed in order to restore the health of the Bay," Reading-based field representative Elwood Blake with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection told the Reading Eagle. "The survey also will illustrate the good work of farmers, improve and strengthen technical and financial programs, and strengthen the bottom line of Pennsylvania's farm producers."

The representatives will ask farmers to show data on various production practices such as the application of chemical, fertilizer and manure, as well as how they handle integrated pest management. The federal officials also will look into adopted conservation practices.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service is under the umbrella of the U.S. Agriculture Department and it probes the gamut of agricultural issues in the nation.

Farmers often need to consider more than the crops they produce

While most people get into farming because they're interested in growing produce or raising livestock, there are many other considerations they have to make. After all - applying for a farm land loan means that a person will be attempting to buy a large tract of land. The responsibility of that kind of ownership can bring farmers into contact with many other economic forces.

For example, many agricultural operations chose to lease their land or grant permission to chemical and energy companies for drilling and exploration. In particular, some Pennsylvania farmers found themselves in business with the natural gas industry and have since felt the repercussions of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

Two dairy farmers will be appearing at Skaneateles First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles, New York, this week to share their thoughts about doing business with energy companies and the effects that the process had on crops, livestock, the land and their financial positions. This is the sort of information that is essential to take into account before engaging in some kind of agricultural operation. Consider that while farming may be the reason that a person applies for a farm land loan, other opportunities or situations might arise that cause them to use their land differently.  

Pennsylvania facilitates safe disposal of pesticides

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is making it easier than ever for agricultural businesses and pesticide applicators in 20 counties statewide to safely discard pesticides, according to a press release.

The 2012 options for CHEMSWEEP this year will differ from last year. The effort is especially necessary because pesticide products often are discontinued or phased out of service, which leaves questions as to how to dispose of them. Taking them to landfills is not an option since they often are toxic or dangerous.

"CHEMSWEEP provides a safe, legal way to dispose of unwanted pesticides," said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. "Since 1993, the program has helped our agriculture industry properly dispose of nearly 2 million pounds of unwanted or unusable pesticides, helping to safeguard our environment."

The pesticides typically present a hazard to public safety and they pose dangers to the environment if placed in barns, garages or other areas for the long-term.

The Department of Agriculture intends to hire an independent contractor to collect and package the pesticides, which will be checked out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and later incinerated. The program will cover expenses for the first 2,000 pounds and participants will be billed for the excess.