By Molly Hoffman
from the Gettysburg Connection
Gettysburg has been a hub for agriculture even before it was on the map. Fertile soil and a temperate climate attracted hard-working settlers willing to live off the land. But the quiet rural life was suddenly jeopardized as soldiers marched into town in late June 1863. When it became clear that a bloody battle loomed, farmers fled town or hunkered down. Those who returned found their homes burned and their crops trampled.
Luckily, the story of farming in Gettysburg does not end there. As the land around Gettysburg transformed into a National Military Park, so too did the farms that suffered such an unfortunate fate. The National Park Service now ensures that visitors experience the well-known Spangler, Trostle, and Rose farms as they were at the time of the battle.
Corn and soybeans on the battlefield
What is less known to many people is that about 2,000 acres in the battlefield still operate as active farms. The Park Service calls it the agriculture program, or “ag program” for short. This program allows farmers to rent land from the park to grow their crops or raise their cattle. The farmers save the Park Service time and money by maintaining the area as an open landscape. Without the farmers, the Park Service would dedicate more resources to mowing fields and setting prescribed fires. “It’s a continual struggle to keep it in an open condition,” says Zach Bolitho, Chief of Resource Management for Gettysburg National Military Park.
How It Works
Before each growing season, the Park Service publishes an advertisement indicating that land is available for rent. Interested candidates then complete an application for a special use permit. Park rangers review the applications to determine who would partner well with the park. There are 15 pre-determined parcels of land for rent each year, with returning permit holders and new candidates alike applying for them.
Once selected, the farmers pay their rental fees. Row crop and hay farmers pay a rate per acre while cattle and horse owners pay a rate per animal. All of the farmers must adhere to the park’s guidelines and restrictions. This includes asking permission to use certain herbicides and only mowing their property at designated times.
What the farmers do with their crops is their choice. The Gettysburg Foundation, which leases the apple orchard next to the Spangler Farm, turns their apples into hard cider. Its partner, Good Intent Cider Company, makes and sells the cider while giving a portion of the proceeds back to the Foundation. Leftover apples are donated to community organizations, such as South Central Community Action Programs (SCAAP).
Not all crops in the battlefield are part of the ag program. The Park Service currently manages 180 acres of orchards in the park, including the peach orchard. This might soon change, however, as the Park Service is looking to lease those parcels as well. While it is also true that there are private holdings in the park, they are small in size.
Conservation
Recreating history is not the only goal when it comes to land management in the park. “We could get really purist about things, but we’re not,” says Bolitho. The Park Service also views the battlefields as habitats worthy of conservation. Instead of abiding by old property blueprints, the Park Service evaluates what is sustainable for the landscape. For example, the Park Service grows soybeans because it puts nutrients into the soil, not because it was grown during the battle. Seasonal grasses grow to resemble crops but mainly serve as breeding grounds for grasslands nesting birds. This could be the last summer for cattle in the park due to water quality and sedimentation concerns.
Farming is just one method of conservation in the battlefields. The Park Service also manages forest monitoring plots to study the evolving composition of the forest. Rangers take monthly water samples for a water quality index as per National Park Service guidelines. A new habitat rehabilitation project will help reintroduce the regal fritillary butterfly to the area. All conservation projects follow the park’s General Management Plan.
It doesn’t take a public lands expert to appreciate the rural beauty of the battlefields. Still, knowing the intricacies of what goes on in the Park can help us appreciate it that much more.