The staff and board members recognized Hem-View Farm and the Johnson family as Conservation Farmer of the Year.

“Not only have the Johnsons used conservation practices on their land but they have also shared that passion along with their passion for farming with others,” District Manager Heather Wilcox said. “Dean Johnson was a Farmer Director of the Warren County Conservation District for 37 years. As a former 4-H leader, Dean helped to shape the lives of several members. Melinda, a current 4-H leader, continues to share their passion for farming and good quality dairy cattle with young people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about farming or show dairy cattle. All three of Dean and Melinda’s sons participated successfully in the Warren County Envirothon.”

“The Johnson family has been farming on Hem-View Farm on Frantz Road in Glade Township for over 100 years,” Wilcox said. “Dean Johnson’s grandfather, Chase, and his great-grandmother, Ina, purchased the farm on Oct. 31, 1912, and started farming in 1913.”

“For the first 15 years or so, Hem-View was a subsistence farm, growing vegetables in a large garden and raising cows, pigs and chickens,” she said. “The Johnson family added dairy farming to their operation around 1928 and shipped cream to the Warren County Dairy. By the 1980s the farm was in its third generation when Dean and Melinda were milking about 85 head of Registered Holsteins.”

Jean Gomory, Warren County Conservation District (right) presents the 2019 Conservation Educator of the Year award to Heather Cass of the Tidioute Community Charter School (middle) and Melissa Mahaney, also of the Tidioute Community Charter School.

“Over time the farm’s direction has changed, focusing now on crops and raising beef,” Wilcox said. “While they have not milked cows on the farm since 2003, the fourth generation of Johnsons continues farming the Hem-View. Colter Johnson and his wife Paige moved back to the farm in 2015.”

“The farm currently consists of a total of 400 acres with 160 acres being farmland and an additional 160 acres of leased farmland,” she said. “The Johnson’s now raise a small herd of beef cattle which are direct marketed to the consumer.”

“They grow all their own feed for the cattle as well as a large amount of dry hay which is sold to other small farms or as mulch hay to the oil and gas industry,” Wilcox said. “With the development of a written Manure Management Plan in 2014, the Johnsons are able to utilize on-farm nutrients efficiently to grow their crops. A typical year would consist of 20 acres of field corn, 20 acres of oats, 10 acres of food plots and the remaining farmland acreage being grass hay for either pasture or harvest of dry hay.”

The 2019 Conservation Educator of the Year is Heather Cass. She is the office manager at Tidioute Community Charter School.

“Heather is responsible for designing and helping students to install two gardens on school grounds,” Wilcox said. “These gardens not only enhance aesthetic appeal, they also help prevent erosion and improve water drainage. They also provide an outdoor area for teachers to hold classes.”

Laura Ayers, Natural Resources Conservation Service (right) and Tyler Chamberlin, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (left) present the 2019 Forest Landowner of the Year award to Vinnie Marold (center).

Vinnie Marold is the 2019 Forest Landowner of the Year.

“Vinnie has worked with Warren NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) to develop a Forest Management Plan for his properties in Warren and McKean counties totaling 270 acres,” Wilcox said. “The objectives outlined in the plan include: improve both forest overstory and understory health; rehabilitate the stands from past timber sales; enjoy the aesthetic benefits of the property; provide riparian habitat; promote songbird, woodcock, ruffed grouse, and turkey habitat as well as mammal habitat; and create a family legacy to pass on to future generations.”