2018 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour: Bringing Back the Bay (GALLERY)
We here at PrecisionAg.com and PrecisionAg Professional recently had the opportunity to attend the 2018 Conservation Technology Information Center’s annual Conservation In Action Tour, which took place in various locations around the Chesapeake Bay region in Maryland, July 10-11.
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Hans Schmidt
The day began with a presentation from Maryland's Assistant Secretary of Resource Conservation Hans Schmidt. Schmidt shared an update on the current progress and status of Maryland's Nutrient Reduction Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay, which was formalized in 2009 with the establishment of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) nutrient level monitoring and enforcement for the watershed. "We have to make this final push to 2025 if we're going to meet our reduction goals," Schmidt shared. "Ag, for its part, has made great strides in reducing nitrogen and phosphorus leeching into the Bay."
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Tour Stop 1: Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Cordova, MD
After departing the hotel after breakfast, the first stop on the day's agenda was the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center in Cordova, MD.
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Panel Discussion, Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Cordova, MD
The panel discussion at Tour Stop 1 showcased ways that local agriculture producers and the burgeoning aquaculture scene in the Bay are "rising to the challenge of restoring water quality." The panel shared how the Keystone Oyster is being strategically deployed throughout the Bay as a biotech tool in helping filter nitrogen and phosphorus from the Chesapeake, as well as algae.
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Belinda Burrier, Farmer
Belinda Burrier and her husband Dave farm corn, soybeans, winter wheat, and hay in Maryland's nearby Frederick County. The Burriers are big believers in both precision technology as well as 4R Nutrient Stewardship. "It's really showed a good bump on our yields," Burrier shared.
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Tour Stop 2: Councell Farms, Cordova, MD
Councell Farms, Cordova, MD, shared with the group how its conservation and nutrient management plans guide many decisions across the farm. Councell Farms has been a longtime conservation advocate, having implemented nutrient management plans across the farm since the late 1950s. "I truly believe that partnerships and technology will solve our water quality issues in the U.S.," shared Chip Councell.
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Jenny Rhodes, University of Maryland Extension Ag Educator, and Chip Councell, farmer
Jenny Rhodes, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, University of Maryland Extension, and grower Chip Councell addressed the group, highlighting many of the 30-plus best management practices or conservation practices that Councell implements across his acres. "As farmers in Maryland, we have a responsibility to do the right thing," Councell said. "These (nutrient) regulations should be driven by science and common sense, not politics, but that's all I'll get into with that..."
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Councell Farms, Cordova, MD
The various public-private partnerships that have helped Councell fund and implement conservation practices across his farm was an ongoing theme of discussion at the stop. Agronomists, Extension agents, regulators, farm managers, fertilizer applicators, retailers, ag service providers — all have an active stake in helping Chesapeake Bay farmers keep nutrients out of the Bay.
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Tour Stop 3: Hutchinson Brothers Farm, Cordova, MD
The day's final farm stop found us touring the 3,500 acres of grain and vegetable crops at Hutchinson Brothers farm. Fifth-generation farmer Kyle Hutchinson and fourth-generation farmer Bobby Hutchinson have worked with local retailer Willard Agri-Service on nutrient management plans and implementation of conservation practices on the farm. "As a retailer we're looking for technologies that can scale across multiple operations and locations, and it's got to drive better decision-making for our growers," Mike Twining, director of sales and marketing, Willard Agri-Service, shared with the group.
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Kyle Hutchinson, Hutchinson Brothers Farm
Fifth-generation farmer Kyle Hutchinson, whose father was a founding member of the local soil conservation district, shared how the farm uses Greenseeker NDVI sensors in concert with Agronomic Technology Corp.'s Adapt-N nutrient modeling software to dial-in application timing and rates. "We're using all of these different tools, and sometimes when one recommends something different from the others they can tend to confuse you a bit," he admits. "But, if we are reducing our rates and keeping more (nutrients) in the field for the plants, that's a win-win."
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Bobby Hutchinson, Hutchinson Brothers Farm
Fourt- generation farmer Bobby Hutchinson gave some historical perspective on the farm's history of conservation practice implementation, being one of the original three brothers that founded Hutchinson Brothers Farm. Bobby shared with the group a list of 43-plus water quality-focused conservation practices the farm implements on an annual basis, as well as his memories of a locally infamous1998 fish kill that took place on the nearby Tuckahoe River that placed many local ag operations square in the cross-hairs of environmental regulators hoping to avoid another such incident in the future.
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Networking & Dinner: Triple Creek Winery
A beautiful and rather fitting end to the day was spent conversing over dinner and sampling local wines at Triple Creek Winery, where fourth-generation Maryland farmer Trey Hill (Harborview Farms) addressed the group on ways he is helping "bridge the gap between environmentalists and agriculturists" in the Chesapeake Bay.
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Hans Schmidt
Tour Stop 1: Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Cordova, MD
Panel Discussion, Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Cordova, MD
Belinda Burrier, Farmer
Tour Stop 2: Councell Farms, Cordova, MD
Jenny Rhodes, University of Maryland Extension Ag Educator, and Chip Councell, farmer
Councell Farms, Cordova, MD
Tour Stop 3: Hutchinson Brothers Farm, Cordova, MD
Kyle Hutchinson, Hutchinson Brothers Farm
Bobby Hutchinson, Hutchinson Brothers Farm
Networking & Dinner: Triple Creek Winery
Here are a few snapshots of what we saw along the way:
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Matthew J. Grassi was formerly the Technology Editor for Greenhouse Grower and American Vegetable Grower. Matthew joined Meister Media Worldwide in 2012 and held roles including Field Editor for CropLife and Senior Editor for PrecisionAg Professional.
See all author stories here.