This weekâs podcast is the Steve Groff episode. Not only do we talk to cover crop pioneer Steve Groff from Cedar Meadow Farm in Holtwood, Lancaster County, where heâs growing hemp and launching a brand of CBD products for people and pets, but we also check back in with Dr. Steve Groff from Groff North America and Wyndridge Farm in York County.
Farmer Steve Groff explains how he is prepping his fields for this yearâs growing season, what kinds of cover crops work best for hemp production, and what it s been like to launch his own line of CBD products.
CASTLETON â A local teenager and pageant finalist created a fundraiser to benefit dairy farmers that she hoped would raise $100 by the end of the month but has already raised $500.
Madison Spafford, 16, a Castleton resident and student at Middlebury Union High School, began selling bows at the beginning of the month that can be placed on livestock or pets as âBoots and Bows.â She asks those who donate $1 for a bow take a photo of the animal once the bow is put on, post it to social media and âtagâ her so she can repost them to her Instragram page @maddie.p.spafford.
Carrying a long, narrow shovel, Steve Groff walked into a field on his Holtwood farm, pausing when he reached the right spot to thrust the tool into the earth.
Carrying a long, narrow shovel, Steve Groff walked into a field on his Holtwood farm, pausing when he reached the right spot to thrust the tool into the earth.
With a wiggle, he pulled up to remove a clump of dirt, showing how radish roots held the soil together as earthworms crawled through it.
It was a sign, Groff said, that the field was made up of healthy soil soil that can help capture water pollutants, reduce carbon emissions, soak up floodwaters and even produce more nutritious foods.
âItâs like the best of both worlds, really,â Groff said, emphasizing the benefits to both farmers and the environment.