By Jesse Bussard
From Car Lot to Conservation
When Kinley Coulter moved his family from York County to Juniata County, Pennsylvania, 20 years ago, he traded in his used car lot for a different kind of enterprise: farming. Today, that decision has grown into Coulter Farms, a thriving certified organic, grass-based dairy operation that produces artisanal dairy products while implementing conservation practices to protect natural resources.
A Family Operation
The farm, managed by Kinley and his sons Jared, Jason, and Jacob, supports four families through its integrated dairy and processing operation. With approximately 300 acres of grass-based organic production, the farm maintains a milking herd of about 60 dairy cows and a small herd of replacement heifers. The operation produces and directly markets organic cheese, butter, yogurt and other dairy products to customers at farmers markets in the Washington, D.C. area.
"We're interested in keeping things as clean as possible on the farm," said Jared Coulter, who handles much of the day-to-day farm operations. "I feel like we're supposed to be stewards of God's creation, and part of that is keeping the environment clean."
Addressing Resource Concerns
This stewardship ethic led the Coulters to work with the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) and the Juniata County Conservation District to address resource concerns on their farm. A key focus was managing nutrient runoff from their dairy operation and imported poultry manure the family uses to fertilize their organic grasslands.
"Before, we were storing manure outside, and there was a lot of runoff," Jared explained. "We had manure stored on a pad up top, and it was running down through the driveway. Until now, we didn't have the resources to address it properly."
The Coulters worked with USDA-NRCS conservation planners and engineers to develop a comprehensive conservation plan beginning in January 2021 with an inventory and evaluation of the farm's resource concerns. Engineering specialists assessed soil conditions and designed appropriate structural practices to address nutrient leaching and runoff issues.
Making Conservation Affordable
Through funding from the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) and USDA-NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Coulters implemented multiple conservation practices including:
- A roofed heavy-use area with a concrete slab and curbing
- Covered manure storage facility
- Four-strand electric and woven-wire fencing
- Underground outlets and subsurface drainage
- Access roads and walkways
- Roof runoff management systems
ACAP, administered by the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, provides funding to help farmers implement agricultural best management practices that improve water quality. When combined with EQIP funding, these programs made the conservation project financially feasible for the operation.
"It would have been a stretch for us. I don't think we could have done it without the amount of funding we got because it was just out of our budget range," Jared noted.
While the project had challenges, including contractors adapting to prevailing wage requirements, the Coulters found strong support from their conservation partners throughout the process. Jared even assisted with some construction aspects, helping with water line installation and framing work.
Results and Impact
Fast forwarding to 2024, the Coulters have found that the new facilities have dramatically improved the farm's environmental impact and operational efficiency. The new covered manure storage protects both imported poultry manure and heifer manure from rainfall, preventing nutrient-laden runoff from reaching nearby streams.
"Imagine this filled with manure and raining like it is now," said Melissa Erdman, USDA-NRCS district conservationist for Juniata County, during a particularly wet farm visit. "The runoff situation has been completely transformed."
For farmers considering similar conservation projects, Jared highly recommends exploring available programs and working with local conservation professionals. The experience has helped Coulter Farms continue its mission of producing exceptional organic dairy products while protecting the Susquehanna watershed and the environment.
"It's important to keep the waterways clean as much as possible," Jared said. "It's also just nice to keep things clean and neat. It's a lot more motivating to work in an atmosphere that's not muddy and messy."
Farmers interested in following the Coulters' example can learn how to access ACAP funding in their county by contacting their local Penn State Extension office. With support from conservation professionals and available funding programs, other Pennsylvania farmers can implement similar practices to protect water quality while improving their operations.
Source : psu.edu