Ryan Graham of Graham Haven, a grain farm in Connoquenessing Township, loads hay onto a truck to be delivered to farms in Ashland, Kan., in 2017. Butler Eagle File Photo

A Butler County farmer’s hard work was honored with a prestigious industry award Thursday, July 17.

Ryan Graham was honored for his two decades of work in agriculture when he received the Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer Award at a ceremony in Cambridge, Md.

Graham was one of three farmers recognized during the 92nd annual ceremony, which acknowledges outstanding individuals in the agricultural community in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia.

Graham takes care of three farms in Franklin and Center townships, which take up more than 200 acres of land. He grows crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. He specializes in “no-till” farming — planting crops without the use of tilling or plowing — and serves as a board member on the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance.

Instead of plowing, Graham makes use of “cover crops” — plants which are solely meant to cover the soil and protect it from erosion.

“No-till is the challenge of saving soil and saving costs,” Graham said. “We don't do any plowing anymore. It’s all direct-planted.”

Among the challenges of being a no-till farmer reliant on cover crops is moisture has a more pronounced chance of making or breaking his harvest than it does for farmers who plow.

“One of our major challenges is to be able to withstand a drier season. 2025 has not been a drier year, but 2024 was a real dry year,” Graham said. “Wherever our cover crops were, that added a lot of extra bushels for us at the end of the year, because where we had the soil covered, we conserved moisture.”

Pennsylvania stepped up to preserve 170 acres of the Graham farm as part of its Farmland Preservation Act in June 2024.

While Graham said he performs most of the work on his farms, he does have a little bit of help, all from his immediate family.

“My wife’s involved. My son’s getting involved,” Graham said. “It’s all family help.”

In addition to his work on the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance, Graham is a member of the Franklin Township board of supervisors.