MT. JOY, Pa. — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding celebrated National Ag Day by touring Brubaker Farms, which incorporates innovative and sustainable practices generating energy and improving water and soil quality.
The Lancaster County dairy, poultry and crop farm is owned and operated by Mike and Tony Brubaker and their father, Luke.
“The notion of ’sustainability’ is at the forefront of a lot of the conversations we find ourselves in today, but it’s important to really stop and think about what it means,” said Secretary Redding. “As we contemplate a world in the not-too-distant future, where we must feed two billion more mouths by 2050 with the same amount of water and land, we have an urgent need to produce food in a way that is efficient, but also in a way that cares for the land and the natural resources we depend upon to do so.
“That means innovating to produce energy, enrich the land, improve water quality and protect against soil erosion — all while staying profitable. Today, we’re celebrating National Agriculture Day, but our quality of life every day depends on agricultural producers like the Brubakers, who, along with farmers across Pennsylvania, work very hard to ensure that all of us continue to have Food for Life,” added Redding, referring to the theme of this year’s National Agriculture Day.
Redding addressed guests in a 500-heifer dairy barn featuring natural ventilation, solar panels and a gravity-flow system that generates hot water heating and additional electricity. The tour also highlighted Brubaker’s methane digester, which recycles manure to generate energy, as well as crop fertilizer that is processed to control odor, and is 99.9 percent free of disease-causing pathogens.
The Brubakers’ solar system and methane digester together generate enough electricity to offset energy costs for several of their area farms.
The farm tour also highlighted conservation tilling methods that add nutrients to the soil and improve water quality, as well as more technological innovations that have improved output, quality and biosecurity; and have provided his operation with diversified income sources to cushion against market fluctuations, weather and other risks tied to food production.
These and other innovations Brubaker has implemented have been supported through a combination of state, federal and private grants, loans and tax credits.
“Brubaker Farms illustrates what happens when the ingenuity and dedication of farmers is backed by public and private investment in the future,” Redding added. “Together, we have been committed stewards of Pennsylvania’s rich land and water resources, and the financial resources entrusted to us.”
Part of Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program, the Brubakers’ 300-year-old, 78-acre farm has been preserved permanently for agricultural production. This measure further ensures that he and his family will give back to the community.
Established by the Agricultural Council of America in 1973, National Ag Day recognizes and celebrates the value of American agriculture. In honor of the celebration, Gov. Tom Wolf issued a proclamation observing the 2017 celebration and declaring March 19-25 as Agriculture Week in Pennsylvania.
For more information about 2017 National Ag Day, including national photo, essay and video essay contest winners, visit www.agday.org.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, visit www.agriculture.pa.gov.
— Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture