Stewardship
It is essential for a farmer to practice conservation and stewardship on their land for the health of the environment and to sustain the productivity of agricultural lands. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is especially sensitive to sediment, nutrients and other substances that reach its’ waters.
There are many activities that promote stewardship on a farm. These include:
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Cover Crops
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Buffer Strips
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Crop Rotation
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Manure Storage
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No-Till planting
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Nutrient Management
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Woodland Management
For more information -
University of Maryland Woodland Stewardship Website
The Woodland Stewardship Education (WSE) program helps connect woodland property owners to their land. Through a variety of Extension offerings, WSE brings together professionals from such fields as forestry, wildlife ecology, and natural resource management to enable woodland property owners to make sound and informed decisions about managing their land.
University of Maryland Nutrient Management Program
The University of Maryland Extension's Agricultural Nutrient Management Program, which is a component of the University of Maryland's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, focuses on reducing the pollution of the Chesapeake Bay by plant nutrients from cropland.
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Originally established by Congress in 1935 as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), NRCS has expanded to become a conservation leader for all natural resources, ensuring private lands are conserved, restored, and more resilient to environmental challenges, like climate change.
Seventy percent of the land in the United States is privately owned, making stewardship by private landowners absolutely critical to the health of our Nation’s environment.
NRCS works with landowners through conservation planning and assistance designed to benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animals that result in productive lands and healthy ecosystems.
Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts
The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts (MASCD) serves as the voice for Maryland's 24 soil and water conservation districts on state legislative issues. It also provides a forum for training, policy-making and the exchange of information at their annual and quarterly gatherings.
MASCD Mission is to: promote practical and effective soil, water, and related natural resources programs to all citizens through individual conservation districts on a voluntary basis through leadership, education, cooperation and local direction.
Maryland Department of Agriculture
The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Office of Resource Conservation—in partnership with soil conservation districts and a host of local, state and federal agencies—is pulling together with Maryland farmers to place even more conservation practices on farmland—practices that balance crop and livestock production with the need to protect natural resources and the Chesapeake Bay