he McKean County Conservation District will be holding a Free No-Till Demo Day on May 2, 2023 from 12:00 – 2:00 PM at the McKean County 911 Center, 17175 Route 6 in Smethport.  The field day will give participants a demonstration of the District’s recently purchased Great Plains 10’ No-Till Drill.  Participants will also learn more about the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Farm Bill related programs on grazing and pasture practices that are available.  Please contact our office at 814-887-4002 to register for the Demo Day.

This field day will serve as the kick-off for the District’s No-Till Drill Rental Program for landowners within McKean County.  The following rates have been established:

¨ $12.00 per acre or $24.00 per acre if used on conventional tilled ground. 

¨ Free use of the drill up to 30 acres if planting a non-harvested cover crop. 

The District will transport the drill; however, landowners leasing the drill will pay a $25.00 delivery fee within McKean County. When completed with the drill, all seed and fertilizer must be cleaned from the machine. Failure to clean the drill will result in a $25 clean out fee. 

No-till farming is an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till farming decreases the amount of soil erosion tillage causes in certain soils, especially in sandy and dry soils on sloping terrain. Other possible benefits include an increase in the amount of water that infiltrates into the soil, soil retention of organic matter, and nutrient cycling. These methods may increase the amount and variety of life in and on the soil. While conventional no-tillage systems use herbicides to control weeds, organic systems use a combination of strategies, such as planting cover crops as mulch to suppress weeds.

Landowners can utilize a no‐till drill to establish a cover crop after harvesting corn silage. Rotate or convert annual crop land to hay or pasture. Improve their hay or pasture and/or establish legumes (i.e. soybeans) or cereal grains without primary tillage.

Rental is FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, contact Adam Causer, Watershed Specialist at 814-887-4003 or accauser@mckeancountypa.org to schedule your anticipated use TODAY!