Key Takeaways:
- New Contract: The Maryland Department of the Environment has awarded the Conservation Innovation Fund and AGgrow Tech a $1.4 million pay-for-performance contract to implement regenerative farming practices aimed at reducing nutrient runoff into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
- Project Approval: The Maryland Board of Public Works approved this initiative on April 4, marking it as the first project under the Clean Water Commerce Account Program.
- Regenerative Practices: This project will support the expansion of regenerative farming across over 320 acres of farmland, improving water quality and enhancing soil health.
- Community and Environmental Benefit: The initiative aims to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment runoff, alongside promoting biodiversity and carbon sequestration through cultivating perennial crops.
Project Details and Goals
In collaboration with local Maryland farms, the Conservation Innovation Fund and AGgrow Tech have embarked on a ten-year project funded by a recent $1.4 million contract from the Maryland Department of the Environment. This initiative is designed to foster regenerative agricultural practices that reduce nutrient runoff to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, a significant environmental concern.
Implications for Local Agriculture
Ashley Allen Jones, Founding Chair of the Conservation Innovation Fund, highlighted the importance of local farmers in this initiative: “Local farmers are stewards of private land, and their land has great potential to provide a valuable public benefit. This first-of-its-kind contract uses an efficient market-based system to compensate farmers for the nitrogen reductions achieved by growing perennial crops, supporting sustainability in the supply chain.”
This contract under the Maryland Clean Water Commerce Act of 2021 will focus on nitrogen reduction, a critical factor for the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The project aims to annually eliminate 7,000 lbs of nitrogen, 70 lbs of phosphorus, and 80,000 lbs of sediment runoff. It also promotes carbon sequestration, estimating a reduction of 1 ton of carbon per acre per year, enhancing the environmental benefits of this initiative.
Strategic Agricultural Innovations
The farms involved, including Luthy Farms and Tribbett Farms, will cultivate over 2,500 acres of FREEDOM® Giant Miscanthus. This perennial plant is known for its robustness in marginal croplands, drought and rain tolerance, and nutrient retention abilities in the soil, which make it an ideal crop for ecological farming practices.
Travis Hendrick, CEO of AGgrow Tech, commented on the project’s broader impacts: “This initiative allows farmers to diversify crops and enhance income opportunities, improving both their economic stability and the environmental quality. We are excited to bring this conservation-based market approach to the Maryland farming community.”
Community and Environmental Impact
The introduction of FREEDOM® Giant Miscanthus is expected to transform local agriculture by reducing dependency on high-input crops like corn and soybeans, which are less sustainable and more chemical-intensive. John Luthy of Luthy Farms noted, “Since we began working with FREEDOM®, we’ve converted a significant portion of marginal farmland to this perennial grass, which supports the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by reducing input costs and enhancing the soil’s health.”
Dave Tribbett of Tribbett Farms added, “Growing FREEDOM® on land where traditional crops fail has allowed us to produce a crop that benefits the environment and provides us with a cost-effective, high-quality product for poultry bedding.”
Photo by Olivia Meshell on Unsplash
