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Agriculture
is of prime importance to the watershed as it has historically been the
largest source of income for a majority of counties. It plays a crutial
role in the environment and economy of the Juniata watershed. In the Juniata
watershed, agriculutrue encompases 26% of the land; this is second to
only forested land which comprises of 67% of the watershed.
Approximately
14% of this land is considered to be “prime farmland.” This
is specifically designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “land
that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics
for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops and is available
for these uses” (USDA, 1998). Approximately 15% of the farmland
within the watershed is considered to be of “statewide importance.”
Farmland of statewade importants is not as high quality as prime farmland,
but it is nevertheless valuable agricultural land.
Markets range from fruit, grain, and dairy to poultry, hogs, and cattle.
Agricultural land and services are decreasing throughout the watershed
due to increase in population size and regional development. Of the seven
main counties in the Juniata watershed, a 13 percent loss of farmland
has been seen between 1958 and 1978, and another 10 percent, or 87,000
acres, was lost from 1982 to 1997. Most of the acreage lost over the past
50 years was due to erosion and development of prime farmlands.
Greening
your farm:
-
Sustain and improve agricultural productivity.
- Create cleaner, safer, and more dependable water supplies.
- Reduce damages caused by floods and other natural disasters.
| Conservation
Practices: |
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Government
Assistance Programs: |
There
are a series of conservation practices that you can employ on your
farm. These practices work to cut erosion, reduce the need for pesticides
and herbicides and instigate water control.
Click
here for a list of conservation practices |
A
series of programs are available for farmers and home owners where
eligable land owners can recieve financial aids for employing conservation
practice on their land.
Click here for more information. ( link to be included) |
More
Links of Interest
- EPA's
National Agriculture Compliance
Assistance Center - A wonderful resource for information about environmental
requirements that affect the agricultural community. Here you will find
comprehensive, easy-to-understand information about compliance -- commonsense,
flexible approaches that are both environmentally protective and agriculturally
sound.
- Building
Better Rural Places Federal programs for sustainable agriculture,
forestry, conservation, and community development is a publication of
the USDA agencies working together for sustainable rural development.
- The
Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Program is dedicated to protecting
and enhancing the intersts of agriculture land preservation in Pennsylvania.
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