Donald Cairns of Parkesburg, who has been farming for 25 years and is also devoted to community service, has been named a 2022 Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer.

According to http://www.midatlanticmasterfarmer.com, the Master Farmer designation is a lifetime achievement award in agriculture that recognizes "exemplary role models of outstanding management, land stewardship and community leadership."

Candidates for the award are nominated by individuals or agriculture organizations. This year, the applications were viewed and scored by a three-judge panel in February and March, and final selections were made in late March.

"I was very honored. It's pretty prestigious," said Cairns, who said he does not know for sure who nominated him for the award. "From what I understand, they look for people who have done excellent work with land stewardship and conservation practices and have been successful financially with agriculture. A big part of it is community service."

Cairns is very involved in Chester County 4-H and has been a volunteer for more than 30 years. "I have been on the board of the Chester County 4-H Center since 1989, and I have coached the 4-H livestock judging team for about 15 years," he noted. Cairns is also a member of the Chester County Agricultural Land Preservation Board.

At his farm, Cairns is responsible for growing 1,600 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat. "I have had cattle in the past, but the bulk of the farm operation is crop farming," he explained. "The wheat goes into the local bakery market. The corn and soybeans go into livestock feed and horse feed. Local feed mills buy our corn and soybeans."

He noted that working the farm, which he and his wife, Kelly, purchased 25 years ago, is a year-round job. "Even in the offseason we are hauling grain," he said, adding that farming practices have changed through the years. "We have transitioned to modern conservation practices. We work really hard to stay ahead of the curve as far as conservation work and preserving the soil."

Part of that effort, he explained, is not tilling the soil, which is when tools are used to stir up the soil prior to planting. "We plant right into the soil without tillage," he stated. "When you do tillage, it makes it more likely to erode. (Not tilling) protects the soil."

Another practice is using cover crops, which is the practice of planting crops such alfalfa or rye to cover the soil like mulch. The purpose of the practice is to slow erosion and to kill weeds. "We use cover crops over the wintertime. Typically we use rye," said Cairns.

He added that the weather plays an important role in growing crops. "We are at the mercy of the weather. This year has been pretty good so far. The corn is growing nicely," he said.

Other 2022 Master Farmer winners were Jeff and Sue Frey of Willow Street, who grow 900 acres of field crops, and Arthur King of Valencia, Butler County, who raises 137 acres of fruits and vegetables and runs a farm market just outside Pittsburgh.

They will be honored in person at this year's Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer Banquet on Friday, July 15, at 5 p.m. at Hotel Rock Lititz.