Congratulations, Melissa, on being the Alliance’s 2026 Pennsylvania Watershed Champion!

Melissa Erdman (second from left) at Charvin Organic Farms

The Alliance’s annual Taste celebration presents an opportunity for like-minded clean water advocates to gather and celebrate our beautiful watershed and all we have accomplished to protect it. Each year at the Taste, the Alliance recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Chesapeake watershed through innovative thinking and developing impactful partnerships. We’re thrilled to award Melissa Erdman as our Pennsylvania Watershed Champion!

Melissa Erdman is a District Conservationist with USDA-NRCS in Juniata County, PA. She has been with NRCS for over 20 years, 15 of which have been serving the agricultural community of Juniata County. She is a 2005 graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Agricultural Science and a Minor in Watersheds and Water Resources. She was the 2023 recipient of the Northeast U.S. Hugh Hammond Bennett Excellence in Conservation Award. Beyond the professional sphere, she also serves as the Envirothon advisor at Juniata Christian School.

Join us as Alliance CEO, Kate Fritz, sits down with Melissa to discuss her work in Pennsylvania and with the Alliance.

Kate: Melissa, could you tell us what it means to you to receive the Pennsylvania Watershed Champion Award?

Melissa: I feel honored. I’m humbled. I’m excited. But, I think more than anything, this award is proof positive that the conservation partnership in Juniata County is alive and well. This award really is a testament to what I’ve done because I don’t work in isolation. I work with a group of people and this group of people really comes to work every day and has been the force behind what we do here. It’s a testament to that conservation partnership working here. Secondly, I think it’s really a testament to the agricultural community here. We work on private lands and we would not be getting conservation on the ground if we didn’t have farmers who are willing to partner with us. I believe 100% in the model of voluntary conservation and that it is the best strategy to bring long-lasting, meaningful environmental stewardship. We can’t accomplish anything on private lands without those partners.

Kate: Can you tell us about your partnership with the Alliance, and why that partnership has been such an effective one in helping you achieve what you need to be doing in your position?

Melissa: In recent years, the Alliance started to really expand the geography that they were working in. That expanded up through central Pennsylvania and into Juniata County. One of the first farm visits with the Alliance, I met with Mauricio [Senior Agriculture Projects Manager]. I think that’s what brought us together. He was genuine. And I got the vibe right away that he was one of those kindred spirits that was “ruthlessly committed” to helping others. I just got that sense really early on that he was committed to helping make these projects affordable for the farmers that wanted them. It brought us together and has kept us together.

Listen to the full interview below to learn more about Melissa!

 

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Join us at the Taste

Melissa has worked closely with the Alliance and has shown a deep commitment to putting farmers first in agricultural conservation projects in Juniata County. She has helped provide meaningful solutions to farmers and boost the Alliance’s work towards advancing environmental stewardship in the agricultural community.

Congrats, Melissa! We can’t wait to celebrate with you at our annual Taste: Celebrate the Chesapeake event on September 3 from 6-8 pm at The Railroad House Inn in Marietta.

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