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The Pennsylvania Farm Evaluation Program (Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst) is a voluntary farm evaluation that can be used to confirm that a farm is being managed in an environmentally sensitive way. Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst also promotes an awareness of existing site conditions or management practices that threaten the quality of groundwater and surface water.
Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst is adapted from the national Farm·A·Syst program that was developed by the University of Wisconsin in cooperation with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Cooperative Extension Service. The Pennsylvania version underwent technical review to ensure that it reflects Pennsylvania's style of agriculture and is consistent with state regulations.
Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst is just getting started. Although it will eventually cover the entire farm, the first emphasis is on the farmstead around the barn, farm home, and other buildings.
The preliminary screening quiz contains some simple questions about the practices and conditions on the farmstead, which will direct the evaluator to the next step, based on the answers to the quiz.
The farmstead map (drawn by the evaluator) is a handy way to locate important farm items (buildings, roads, wells, septic systems, streams, water bodies, etc.) and to determine the potential sources of pollution based on the location of these items.
Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst worksheets guide
evaluators through the practices and conditions on the farmstead
that help prevent contamination of groundwater and surface water,
or that may need improvement to preserve the quality of water for
farm families and neighboring residents. The Pennsylvania
Farm·A·Syst worksheets currently available are the heart of
this program. These worksheets are designed to be completed
independently, but they also complement each other.
Completing the worksheets will:
The program also offers an overall farmstead ranking worksheet that transfers the ranking scores from the individual worksheets onto one worksheet for easier comparison, and encourages the evaluator to consider a few changes that could be implemented in the future.
The Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst program can be part
of a county education program. A Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst
facilitator may be available from a local extension office,
conservation district, or USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) field office. In addition to assisting with the
farm evaluation, facilitators may be able to help the farmer find
solutions to potential pollution sources. Also available is a
sample of a post-evaluation survey. The sample is designed to be
adapted by a group or agency that is promoting
Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst worksheets and is interested in
feedback from anyone who has completed one or more of the
worksheets.
Information derived from Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst worksheets is intended only to provide general information and recommendations to farmers regarding their specific farm practices. It is not the intent of this educational program to keep records of individual results. However, at the option of the farmer, they may be shared with others who can help the farmer develop a resource management plan.
These materials can be obtained from the local Cooperative Extension office or Conservation District.
What's in the Future? Other worksheets may become available at a later date, and will be available from the same sources as the previous worksheets.
Contact your local Cooperative Extension office, Conservation District, or the Pennsylvania Farm·A·Syst Program.
Go to Pennsylvania's Directory Page
