Westmoreland Conservation District video of Unity farm receives state award

The Westmoreland Conservation District’s recent video recognizing its 2020 Conservation Farmer of the Year award winner has, in turn, won an award.

The local conservation district created the video, saluting the Ralph Frye family of Pleasant Lane Farms in Unity, because covid-19 pandemic precautions prevented it from holding its annual in-person awards presentation.

That video topped the General Audience category in the inaugural Conservation District Video Awards unveiled this month during the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts’ virtual Building for Tomorrow leadership development staff conference.

A panel of judges presented awards to 11 videos from among 32 submitted by various conservation districts in the state. The Westmoreland Conservation District’s entry was awarded 11.18 points, out of a maximum 12 points, based on its technical production value, presentation and overall message effectiveness.

The videos were judged by communication and education professionals from the state conservation district association and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the state Department of Environmental Protection, the State Conservation Commission and the Pennsylvania Envirothon.

The winning Westmoreland video was written and produced by Karen Jurkovic Communications of Greensburg and Doug Webster of Sonoma CRM, Monroeville.

The 6-minute video details the conservation measures the Fryes installed on their 180-acre dairy farm over the past 50 years to control erosion and protect local water quality, and it notes other recent improvements on the farm.

The Fryes previously won the Conservation Farmer of the Year award in 1983. They’ve added fencing and cattle crossings and planted buffer zones to protect two tributaries to Sewickley Creek that traverse their farm. They also created a diversion ditch and made new improvements to the farm’s original 18th-century barn to control water runoff.

“We want to keep the streams clean downstream for our neighbors,” said Jason Frye, one of Ralph’s three sons who share in farm management.

Jason Frye oversees the farm’s latest venture into cheese production. He said the family installed a second vat that has boosted potential cheese production to a maximum of about 1,400 pounds per day.

Work is nearing completion on an associated robotic milking parlor and a smart barn that will allow automated control of lighting and ventilation and will track the movements and needs of the farm’s 40 milking cows.

The farm hosted educational programs for veterans as part of the Pennsylvania Veteran Farming Project. Ralph Frye is a Marine Corps veteran and his son, Todd, is an Air Force veteran and sergeant first class in the Army National Guard.

The Fryes hope eventually to offer farm visits for schoolchildren.

The Frye farm video and related information can be viewed by visiting the Westmoreland Conservation District website, westmorelandconservation.org, and scrolling sideways so the image at the top of the page reads “2020 Conservation Awards.”