DownloadJune 15, 2009 issue
An adviser for ‘plain sect’ farmers
Land stewardship is motive for work with Old Orders
By Heidi Martin For Mennonite Weekly ReviewPage:
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LANCASTER, Pa. — As a poultry and grain farmer in Lancaster County for 28 years, Dennis Eby knows the value of caring for land and water.
Dennis Eby makes connections with “plain sect” farmers for the Lancaster County Conservation District. — Photo provided
He’s made conservation a habit on his own land with various projects, including streambank fencing, since the early ’90s.
Today, his efforts extend to Old Order Mennonite and Amish farmers throughout Lancaster County.
“I do whatever I can to promote good water and land stewardship,” he said.
In the fall of 2007 Eby was in the process of transitioning the farm to his son James when an article in the Intelligencer Journal newspaper caught his eye. It described a new position with the Lancaster County Conservation District, or LCCD, focusing on outreach to “plain sect” farmers.
“I went to my sons for help to write a resume,” said Eby, who had never gone through a formal job-application process in his adult years.
The position was established in response to needs identified by the county’s Sustainable Agriculture Blue Ribbon Commission. The panel found that plain sect farmers are not always aware of new regulations that affect them.
Also, Old Order Mennonite and Amish farmers are not likely to ask the government for help in understanding new environmental laws and programs.
In response, the Lancaster County Commissioners and the Natural Resources Conservation Service agreed to match funds to allow for the LCCD to create a part-time position as a resource for the plain sect communities.
In November 2007 Eby began working two days a week for the LCCD in “Plain Sect Outreach.” In January 2008 he moved to 30 hours a week. Since January 2009 he has worked 40 hours a week with more projects, including “Park the Plow,” a program that helps farmers transition to no-till farming.
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