PA Farm News
April 29, 2008
Dauphin County Farm Receives REAP Tax Credits for No-till Planting Equipment
HARRISBURG -- Governor Edward G. Rendell proclaimed Soil and Water Conservation Week April 27-May 4 to recognize the efforts of farmers doing their part to conserve soil and water resources with improved management practices.
“Every Pennsylvanian is charged with adopting conservation practices to protect our soils and our water supply,” Governor Rendell said. “The state’s 58,000 farm families have a special responsibility to be good stewards of the land, keeping their agricultural operations and the industry viable for the next generation.”
To further protect Pennsylvania’s soil and water, the Resource Enhancement and Protection program, or REAP, was developed in 2007 to allow farmers and businesses to earn tax credits in exchange for implementing best management practices to enhance farm production and protect natural resources.
Today, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff celebrated the success of the REAP program by presenting the Kopp family of Stoneylawn Farm in Dauphin County with $19,500 in tax credits.
The Kopps used the credits to purchase no-till planting equipment that will prevent water runoff from their fields. The family has instituted many other conservation practices, including developing a nutrient management plan, installing a manure system and adopting cropping practices specific to erosion prevention.
“REAP helps farmers cut costs when implementing conservation practices that will reduce soil and nutrient loss impacting Pennsylvania’s streams and watersheds,” said Wolff. “The significant response to this first-time program shows our farmers’ commitment to protecting the environment.”
The State Conservation Commission administers the REAP program and reviewed the applications on a first-come, first-served basis. In the first 10 days that applications were accepted, the requests surpassed the $10 million credit allotment for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. To date, 277 eligible projects were approved by the commission, which will receive the tax credits from the Department of Revenue.
Approved conservation practices include nutrient management plans, stream bank fencing and riparian buffers, manure storage systems and alternative manure treatment practices, filter strips, grassed waterways and intensive grazing systems, among others. In addition, the tax credits can be used to purchase no-till planting equipment like the Kopps.
“Conservation programs like REAP give farmers new ways to incorporate the most efficient management practices specific to their operations,” Wolff added.
For more information on REAP, contact program administrator Mary Bender at 717-787-8821 or at mabender@state.pa.us, or visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us/REAP.
HARRISBURG -- Governor Edward G. Rendell proclaimed Soil and Water Conservation Week April 27-May 4 to recognize the efforts of farmers doing their part to conserve soil and water resources with improved management practices.
“Every Pennsylvanian is charged with adopting conservation practices to protect our soils and our water supply,” Governor Rendell said. “The state’s 58,000 farm families have a special responsibility to be good stewards of the land, keeping their agricultural operations and the industry viable for the next generation.”
To further protect Pennsylvania’s soil and water, the Resource Enhancement and Protection program, or REAP, was developed in 2007 to allow farmers and businesses to earn tax credits in exchange for implementing best management practices to enhance farm production and protect natural resources.
Today, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff celebrated the success of the REAP program by presenting the Kopp family of Stoneylawn Farm in Dauphin County with $19,500 in tax credits.
The Kopps used the credits to purchase no-till planting equipment that will prevent water runoff from their fields. The family has instituted many other conservation practices, including developing a nutrient management plan, installing a manure system and adopting cropping practices specific to erosion prevention.
“REAP helps farmers cut costs when implementing conservation practices that will reduce soil and nutrient loss impacting Pennsylvania’s streams and watersheds,” said Wolff. “The significant response to this first-time program shows our farmers’ commitment to protecting the environment.”
The State Conservation Commission administers the REAP program and reviewed the applications on a first-come, first-served basis. In the first 10 days that applications were accepted, the requests surpassed the $10 million credit allotment for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. To date, 277 eligible projects were approved by the commission, which will receive the tax credits from the Department of Revenue.
Approved conservation practices include nutrient management plans, stream bank fencing and riparian buffers, manure storage systems and alternative manure treatment practices, filter strips, grassed waterways and intensive grazing systems, among others. In addition, the tax credits can be used to purchase no-till planting equipment like the Kopps.
“Conservation programs like REAP give farmers new ways to incorporate the most efficient management practices specific to their operations,” Wolff added.
For more information on REAP, contact program administrator Mary Bender at 717-787-8821 or at mabender@state.pa.us, or visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us/REAP.
POSTED 080429_1900 ET
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