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| navigate: home: magazine: fall 2003: article | |
| Cooperative Extension and PENNTAP partnership aids farmers By Kerry A. Newman | |||||||
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Resourcefulness equaled success for a joint venture between Penn State Cooperative Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP). In October 2002, pollution prevention/energy efficiency assessments were conducted at two dairy farms in northwestern Pennsylvania. Titled “Pollution Prevention/Energy Efficiency,” or P2/E2, the goal of the assessments was twofold: to reduce the impact of daily farming activities on the environment and to help farmers increase the viability of their operations. Roger Price, a senior technical specialist with PENNTAP, worked to put together the pollution portion of the farm assessment projects. The assessments were funded by the Pennsylvania P2/E2 Site Assessment Grant Program, a state-regulated program through the Department of Environmental Protection. Approximately 80 percent of the costs associated with each assessment were covered by this grant. Price’s background working in environmental consulting addressing issues such as pollution prevention and waste management made him the ideal candidate for the project. “Right away it occurred to me that it was a natural fit for Cooperative Extension, too. Here was a service that they could provide,” Price said. The pollution portion of the assessments was conducted by Price with assistance from Tom Wilson, an agricultural engineer and Cooperative Extension agent based in Crawford County. Wilson is a member of the northwest dairy team, a group of professionals who provide assistance to farmers within the region. His expertise lies in helping farmers with animal housing and handling issues and farming efficiencies. Some topics he has assessed include stray voltage and power usage. The P2/E2 assessment employed the strengths of both organizations. “Roger’s expertise is in pollution prevention and mine is in farm processes and how to create savings,” Wilson said. The P2/E2 assessments can help the farmers improve the overall efficiency of their farms, as well as help them cut down on waste and contaminants released into the environment, reduce the amount of water used and decrease energy consumption. “We’ve received good feedback from the farmers. It’s been very positive,” Wilson said. “P2/E2 is a great program, because it helps identify ways to be more efficient on the farms and may also provide funding sources to implement recommended improvements.” As a result of the program’s success, Price outlined a proposal for the development of a standardized program that Cooperative Extension could deliver for farmers. The proposal includes plans for conducting P2/E2 assessments on farms across the Commonwealth. In addition, the report addresses other elements, such as customizing the P2/E2 initiative for specific farm operations, not just dairies, identifying and creating recycling outlets for farming wastes and assisting farmers with grant applications that can help them obtain the funds needed to purchase and install equipment. To accomplish these initiatives, the report also calls for the creation of a staff position to administer the program. “We want to show that this is a valuable service; that it is helping farmers save money and improve their production,” Price said. “The goal is to improve the environment and make the farms more profitable,” Wilson added. By instituting and delivering such a program statewide, it is projected total farm waste can be decreased by 500 million pounds per year, and 2.5 million kilowatts of energy can be saved per year. In terms of operational costs, farmers could save $500,000. Price and Wilson both agree the key to successful collaborations is knowing about the resources that are available. Price said ongoing contact and communication with one another is paramount to capitalizing on the opportunities. Penn State’s statewide network provides a framework of expertise and a plethora of tools with almost limitless potential. “In some respects, it’s almost overwhelming,” he said. “In Cooperative Extension, we try to find the areas where there is a need on the farms that industry isn’t able to fill or service,” Wilson said. “We try to fill that void. We are in a unique position, because we have the resources of the University to work with.” As Price and Wilson have demonstrated, by combining efforts and using the strengths of both Cooperative Extension and PENNTAP, they can help meet the needs of individuals and then expand upon the work to potentially aid others with the same concerns. For more information, contact Roger Price by phone at 412-675-9482 or e-mail at rogerprice@psu.edu (Web site: http://www.penntap.psu.edu) and Tom Wilson by phone at 814-333-7460 or e-mail at thw3@psu.edu. | ||||||
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