PLENTY magazine Fall Harvest Issue 2021 | Page 16

Farmers and Non-Operating Landowners Partnering for Conservation Success

by severn smith

Maryland ’ s farms provide a wide array of benefits to all Marylanders , including food , open space , and jobs . However , agriculture is also the largest source of nutrient and sediments pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay , that are primary drivers degrading water quality . Maryland farmers lead the nation in the adoption of conservation practices . However , to restore a healthy Chesapeake Bay , we need more widespread adoption of conservation farming practices to provide clean water and increased carbon sequestration — all while improving the financial sustainability for the farmer and / or landowner .

A new study led by The Nature Conservancy ( TNC ), with the support of partners from American Farmland Trust ( AFT ), Harry Hughes Center for Agroecology , University of Maryland Carey Law , Agriculture Law Education Initiative , and Trust in Food ( TIF ) reveals that significant conservation gains can be made by strengthening the partnerships between farmers and non-operating landowners . The study consisted of 53 Maryland farm landowners and 116 Maryland farm operator tenants . The group of 169 individuals provided significant insights into the relationships between farmers and landowners in Maryland , and ways that those partnerships can be strengthened to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay .
The study revealed several opportunities to bridge gaps in awareness , education , and implementation of conservation practices on leased farmland across the Chesapeake Bay watershed . One of the most important takeaways from the study is that building comprehensive conservation plans into leases — particularly long-term leases — is a foundational best practice to formalize a conservation partnership
between landowners and farmers , and to create a road map for how that collaboration will unfold .
On Maryland ’ s Upper Eastern Shore , a partnership nearly two decades in the making provides a shining example of how farmers and landowners can work together to use soil health and nutrient management practices for the benefit of their business , the environment , and their community . Trey Hill , owner of Harborview Farms , operates more than 10,000 acres of rented farmland in very close proximity to the Chesapeake Bay . Joe Hickman , owner of Blackhorse Flag Farm , is one of the 60 landowners from whom Trey rents . For more than 20 years , Hill and Hickman have worked closely together to make Hickman ’ s farm both productive and environmentally sustainable . “ If you own a farm , it ’ s not like owning alphabet stocks ,” says Hickman about his farm . He continues , “ It ’ s a long-term play . I can get anyone to plant corn . But I need someone to tell me how my farm is better next year , and more importantly , 10 years from now .”
Hickman isn ’ t alone in his need to be educated around the farming practices that are being implemented on his land . The new study led by TNC
16 plenty I autumn harvest 2021