The Lancaster Farmland Trust's Smart Farms program helps farmers implement conservation practices to improve farm profitability and protect natural resources. It offers technical assistance for practices like barnyard runoff controls, manure storage, terraces, no-till farming, cover crops, streambank protection, and nutrient management. The program provides on-farm consultations and can help farmers apply for funding to implement conservation practices on their preserved farmland.

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ONE FARM at a TIME125 Lancaster Avenue u Strasburg u Pennsylvania u 17579
ph: 717-687-8484 u fax: 717-687-9705
farmland@lancasterfarmlandtrust.org u www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org
SMART FARMSMore Conservation Practices for Smart Farms
To learn more about conservation practices, please contact:
Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606
717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org
Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program
can help you implement other conservation practices to
make your farm more profitable while protecting the soil,
water and other natural resources, including:
Barnyard Runoff Controls
Barnyard runoff controls reduce the amount of water
that flows through the barnyard and directs manure-
contaminated runoff away from wells, ponds and
streams.
Benefits include:
• Improved water quality
• Improved animal health
• Easier manure management
Manure Storage
A manure storage facility holds manure until it can be
used in a controlled manner. Storage facilities include
pads for stacking manure, earthen or lined ponds and
above-ground or in-ground tanks.
Benefits include:
• Improved water quality
• Improved animal health
• Manure can be applied when it is best
used by crops
• Saves time and equipment wear and tear
Terraces and Diversions
Terraces and diversions intercept runoff and reduce
erosion. They break up one long slope into a series of
shorter slopes to slow down the rainwater and allow the
soil to settle. Terraces are usually built so crops can be
grown on them. Diversions are permanently planted
with grass. Diversions can be used in cropland and also
to protect farmsteads and barnyards from runoff.
Benefits include:
• Reduced soil erosion
• Improved water quality
• Improved animal health
Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS
SMART FARMS
Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program can
assist you with converting to a no-till system and using
cover crops to protect and improve your farm’s soil and
water quality.
Farmers using no-till plant directly into crop
residue or cover crops without tillage. They keep
the soil covered year-round, rotating crops and using
equipment—planters, drills and transplanters—that
reduce soil disturbance.
Cover crops can be annual or perennial grasses, small
grains, legumes and other plants.
No-till and cover crops make
your farm more profitable by:
• Increasing crop yields by improving soil
No-till planting and cover crops increase organic
matter, one of the most important indicators of soil
quality. When soil is tilled, organic matter is destroyed;
the deeper the tillage, the greater the loss.
• Reducing fertilizer costs
Cover crops capture nutrients from applied manure
and the previous crop. “Green manure” legume crops
convert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere into nitrogen
that plants can use. When cover crops decompose,
they release stored nutrients into the soil, making them
available for the next crop.
• Reducing erosion and improving water quality
Erosion removes the topsoil that contains most of the
plant nutrients and organic matter. Keeping the surface
covered with crop residue and cover crops protects
the soil and reduces runoff. No-till planting offers the
greatest protection.
• Reducing time and equipment costs
Eliminating or reducing tillage saves time when
planting crops and reduces expenses for fuel and
tillage equipment.
• Providing additional forage
Cover crops include annual or perennial grasses, small
grains, legumes and other plants that can be harvested
or used as pasture.
“Soil erosion on our farm has been cut from
14 tons per acre per year to almost nothing.
With the ground covered by plant residues and
not loosened by vigorous tillage, the soil stays
rather than getting washed away during heavy
rainfall. Organic matter has gone from 2.7%
to 5.4%. Yields have increased 10%.”
— Farmer Steve Groff, Cedar Meadow Farm, Martic Township,
owner of preserved farm
Smart Farms can help you convert all or part of your fields
to no-till. Smart Farms can also help you make the most of
cover crops by providing advice on when and what to plant to
protect and improve the soil.
No-Till & Cover Crops for Smart Farms
To learn more about no-till and cover crops, please contact:
Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606
717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org
Lancaster Farmland Trust Smart Farms insert designs — 5 stepped sheets
SMART FARMS
Streambank Protection for Smart Farms
To learn more about streambank protection, please contact:
Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606
717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org
Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program
can help you protect your farm streams and improve the
water quality for you and your animals.
Excluding livestock and establishing buffers are the
fundamentals of streambank protection. Fencing, stable
crossings, prescribed grazing systems, riprap and corridors
of trees, shrubs and other plants growing along the
stream work together to reduce erosion, improve water
quality and provide habitat for fish and other wildlife.
Streambank protection makes
your farm more profitable by:
• Reducing the amount of pastureland lost to erosion
• Improving animal health
Livestock have cleaner drinking water and less contact
with waterborne bacteria. Fencing and stable crossings
reduce the risk of injuries due to eroding streambanks.
• Improving water quality
Fencing prevents animals from breaking down stream-
banks, destroying plants and stirring up sediment.
Grasses, trees and shrubs planted along the banks
filter runoff and absorb nutrients before they enter the
stream. Fish, birds and other wildlife also benefit from
the cleaner water and streamside vegetation.
Smart Farms can assist with all aspects of streambank
protection, from financing to installation. It is a proven
method for improving animal health, water quality, and
the environment.
“I can see a big difference. The stream is in
much better shape: it’s cleaner, clearer and
there are much better fish. I would encourage
every farmer to do what they can. There’s still
plenty of water for the animals, and the water
our animals get is much healthier.”
— Farmers John and Susie Fisher, Paradise Township,
owners of preserved farm
PhotocourtesyofUSDANRCS
SMART FARMS
Nutrient Management for Smart Farms
To learn more about nutrient management, please contact:
Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606
717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org
Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program can
help you develop a plan for managing what, when, where
and how to apply nutrients to get the best crop yields.
Nutrient management plans emphasize the efficient
use of nutrients from all sources: manure, compost,
legume crops and commercial fertilizers.
Nutrient management makes
your farm more profitable by:
• Increasing crop yields
• Reducing the need to purchase fertilizer by using
on-farm nutrients to their fullest potential
• Improving water quality by reducing the nutrients
entering surface and groundwater
• Improving animal health
“By testing our soil, we know exactly what we
need and where we can apply manure. Our
farm is in the wellhead protection area of the
Mt. Joy community. Thanks to conservation
planning, I can look at our streams after a
heavy rain, and they look good. That’s a great
feeling.”
— Farmer Luke Brubaker, Brubaker Farms,
East Donegal Township
Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS
Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS
SMART FARMS
Smart Farms Program
To learn more about the Smart Farms program, please contact:
Lancaster Farmland Trust • 125 Lancaster Avenue • Strasburg, PA 17579-9606
717-687-8484 • www.lancasterfarmlandtrust.org
Funding provided by MidAtlam ntic Farm Credit.
Lancaster Farmland Trust works in partnership with
farmers to preserve the productive agricultural land of
Lancaster County. The Trust’s Smart Farms program
offers assistance with conservation practices to owners
of preserved farms. Conservation practices can increase
farm profits by improving and protecting soil, water and
animal health.
Smart Farms Technical Assistance
Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Smart Farms program offers
on-farm consultations with the Trust’s Stewardship
Coordinator and other experts in agricultural operations
who can address concerns you are having on your farm
and assist you in complying with regulations affecting
agriculture.
The Stewardship Coordinator is certified to write
conservation plans and can help you implement
conservation practices that will improve both your farm
and your bottom line, from no-till and cover crops to
nutrient management and streambank fencing. The
Stewardship Coordinator can also serve as your link
with private consultants and other partners that can
provide assistance and funding.
Smart Farms offers annual workshops and other
education opportunities to highlight conservation
practices and new programs of interest to farmers.
“I like this way of farming, using no-till and
cover crops. It makes sense. The water soaks
in much better. I don’t have any muddy water
running off the fields between the house and
barn. I don’t lose the soil down the creek, and
I don’t lose fertilizer and manure.”
— Farmer Jacob Zook, Rapho Township, owner of preserved farm
Smart Farms Funding Assistance
Lancaster Farmland Trust may be able to offer financial
assistance to implement conservation practices to
owners of preserved farms and their tenant farmers.
The Trust may also be able to provide financial
assistance for streambank protection and converting
some or all of your fields to no-till and can help you find
funding for other conservation practices.