An angler pulls in his net as the sun rises over the Chesapeake Bay near Mathews, Va., in this 2009 file photo.
Nine Lancaster County farmers will share nearly $2 million in state and federal grants for barnyard improvements to keep soil and manure from running into local streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Some $1,002,715 was awarded to the Lancaster County Conservation District to be split between these farms:
• Daniel Miller, 2455 Bachman Road, Strasburg Township, for a waste storage facility, heavy-use area protection, subsurface drain and an underground outlet.
• David King, 329A Centerville Road, Gordonville, for a waste storage facility, roof runoff structures, heavy-use area protection, subsurface drain and waste transfer.
• Melvin Zook, 27 Williams Road, Christiana, for a waste-storage facility, heavy-use area protection, subsurface drain and an underground outlet.
• Abram Stoltzfus, 574 Spring Garden Road, Gap, for a waste-storage facility, heavy-use area protection, composting facility, subsurface drain and an underground outlet.
• Rob Meck, 912 N. Old Road, Strasburg Township, for a waste-storage facility, subsurface drain and waste transfer.
• Art Hess, 400 Becker Road, Warwick and Manheim townships, for a waste-storage facility, heavy-use area protection, subsurface drain and an underground outlet.
The projects were submitted by Team Ag. Inc., a Lancaster-based agricultural consulting company.
These farms will share $915,760:
• Elmer Sensenig, 2692 Noble Road, Little Britain Township, for a pumping plant, manure transfer, heavy-use area protection, roof runoff structures, stream bank fencing, stream crossing for livestock and closure of current waste impoundments.
The measures will reduce runoff into Octoraro Creek.
• Aaron Zeiset, 213 School Road, Leola, for a pumping plant, heavy-use area protection, waste-storage facility, access road, manure transfer, roof runoff structures, underground outlet, critical area plantings and closure of current waste impoundments.
The measures will reduce runoff into the Conestoga River.
• Joe Hess, 488 Anderson Ferry Road, East Donegal Township, for a new liquid waste storage facility, compost facility, solids separation and heavy-use area protection.
The measures will reduce runoff into Donegal Creek.
The projects were submitted by Red Barn Consulting, a Lancaster-based agricultural services consulting firm.
Money for the projects comes from state funds approved by voters and from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
