Pennsylvania in Balance

Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension are synonymous with fostering stakeholder collaboration to solve complex agricultural problems.

Partnerships like Pennsylvania in Balance, an offshoot of a series of conferences and working sessions called Pennsylvania in the Balance, are working to meet federal cleanup requirements and improve water quality for communities across the commonwealth. This initiative unites farmers, policymakers, industry leaders, environmental groups and researchers.

Excess nutrients and sediment runoff from agriculture raise water quality concerns across the United States. Solutions must strike a balance between the agricultural sector, local water quality and available state and federal resources. No easy fix exists. The number of Pennsylvania farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed adds complexity.

The college and other partners hosted the first Pennsylvania in the Balance Conference in 2016. More than 120 diverse stakeholders began identifying solutions to maintain productive agriculture while meeting water quality goals for rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay.

The committee included representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the state Department of Environmental Protection, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA's Agricultural Research Service, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Commission, PennAg Industries Association, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Stroud Water Research Center.

Matt Royer, director of the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center, and Mary Seaton, assistant director of college relations, led the planning committee for Pennsylvania in the Balance.

"We worked hard to get all the partners to the table to discuss this vision of what agriculture in balance would look like," Seaton said. "We got those groups talking with and trusting each other, which was critical to the work done later. It opened many doors, and we saw truly organic partnerships start to form."

A list of recommendations and priority action items was developed. The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center heads the effort. The center collaborates with public and private partners to address water quality challenges related to land use and management.

In October 2024, Pennsylvania in the Balance received the Penn State Ag Council's 2024 Leadership in Action Award for fostering collaborative efforts between agriculture and environmental stakeholders in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding praised Pennsylvania in the Balance for convening critical stakeholders and building consensus on conservation priorities.

"I credit Pennsylvania in the Balance with convening the right stakeholders, building consensus on priorities, and developing the path forward that has led to Pennsylvania's success in conservation and water quality," Redding said.

—Kelly Jedrzejewski