CBF has long called for greater use of conservation practices on farms throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
But what are these practices and how will they help protect the Bay?
Conservation practices, frequently called best management practices, or BMPs, are tools that farmers can use to reduce soil and fertilizer runoff, properly manage animal waste, and protect water and air quality on their farms. Often these tools can help improve a farmer's bottomline as well by reducing operational costs.
The five most cost-effective conservation practices include:
- Streamside Buffers
- Streamside Fencing
- Nutrient Management Plans (NMPs)
- Continuous No-Till
- Cover Crops
These practices reduce the most amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus per dollar spent.
It is estimated that widespread use of these five priority practices on Bay region farms could reduce the amount of nitrogen pollution going into the Bay from nonpoint sources by as much as 60 percent. That's why these practices are so important. Well-managed farms can be among the Bay's best friends.

Streamside Buffers
Streamside buffers are areas bordering stream banks that are taken out of crop production or pasture use and planted with native trees, shrubs, or grasses. These buffers are at least 35 feet wide on either side of a stream, and filter and absorb runoff pollution such as excess fertilizer before it can reach streams. The buffers also help shade streams and provide food and homes for wildlife.
Streamside Fencing

Streamside fencing keeps livestock and their waste out of farm streams, thereby reducing pollution and erosion and helping prevent the spread of waterborne disease.
Nutrient Management Plans

Nutrient Management Plans (NMP) help a farmer know how much and when fertilizers should be used on crops. By developing and using the nutrient management plan, farmers can minimize fertilizer costs and reduce nutrient runoff into local waterways.
Continuous No-Till

Continuous no-till (also known as conservation tillage) reduces erosion and runoff by minimizing soil disturbances. This practice also builds the soil's health and its ability to hold moisture. Traditional plowing and tilling, on the other hand, disturbs the soil, leaving it unprotected and allows more erosion to occur.
Cover Crops

Cover crops are planted to absorb excess fertilizer left in fields after the main crop is harvested.

Cover crops help reduce runoff and erosion and enrich the soil with organic matter.
(Left: before cover crops; Right: after cover crops)
Conservation practices, frequently called best management practices, or BMPs, are tools that farmers can use to reduce soil and fertilizer runoff, properly manage animal waste, and protect water and air quality on their farms. Often these tools can help improve a farmer's bottomline as well by reducing operational costs.
Stories About Best Management Practices
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Back to the Future: Saving Dairy Farms and the Chesapeake Bay
Compared to conventional corn farms and concentrated animal feeding operations, grazing pastures reduce sediment runoff to nearby streams by 87%.
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Chesapeake Farmers Reducing Pollution and Improving Business
Six Virginia farmers are profiled for using environmentally friendly practices like no-till planting, crop rotation, and the use of cover crops.
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Grazing Cows Green Equals More Green
Farmers who graze their herds have lower costs for feed, fertilizer, pesticides, and equipment.
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Headwaters Agricultural Stewardship Project
CBF's Headwaters Agricultural Stewardship Project is working with farmers in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley to put practices in place that lead to cleaner local waterways.
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Mountains-to-Bay Grazing Alliance
A multi-state program supporting farmers interested in grazing their livestock.
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Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP)
The Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program provides tax credits to support conservation efforts on farms, to help sustain the farm's long-term financial viability and also protect water quality in nearby rivers and streams.
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The Benefits of Grazing
Grazing operations benefit the the animals, the farm, and the environment.
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Time for Pennsylvania to Live up to Promises Made
August 31, 2020
Since more than half of the freshwater that pours into the bay comes from the Susquehanna River, saving the Bay is only possible if we first save the local Pennsylvania rivers and streams that feed into it.
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Better Buffers? There’s an App for That
April 4, 2020
CBF’s new mobile tool puts water-quality decisions in farmers’ hands.
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Yes, Clean Water Can Be Costly for Farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed but There’s an Answer for That
February 20, 2020
Environmental farm upgrades can be a burden for farmers to install. That’s why environmental organizations that work on the ground with farmers have advocated for government assistance to help fund these upgrades.
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Trees and Grasses Make a Haven for Wildlife and Clean Water
December 17, 2019
Planting trees to protect Elk Creek in Centre County has given landowner Chip Brown more bang for the buck by improving habitat for fur, feathered, and finned wildlife.
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No-Till Pioneer on a Mission for Soil Health
December 10, 2019
Leroy Bupp uses no-till farming as a way of growing crops without disturbing the soil through tillage.
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Bringing the Farm to Life
October 30, 2019
Planting trees is part of treating the land—and cattle—right at Drager Farms in Lancaster County.
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Pennsylvania Farmers Experience the Bay Their Efforts Can Save
October 3, 2019
Pennsylvania farmers recently spent a weekend on the Chesapeake Bay to see and feel the effects of their clean water efforts are having downstream.
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How Will the Story of Chesapeake Bay Restoration End? Virginia’s New Plan Is a Crucial Chapter.
September 5, 2019
It's up to Virginia state legislators to ensure the funding and programs are in place to make Virginia's strong Chesapeake Bay Blueprint a reality.
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Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Heads in the Right Direction
September 4, 2019
Virginia recently released a strong, detailed and practical plan to reduce pollution to its portion of the Chesapeake Bay and the tidal rivers that feed it. Now, Gov. Ralph Northam and the General Assembly must turn the plan into action.
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Saving the Bay, Fighting Climate Change: Two Sides of the Same Coin
June 4, 2019
Record breaking storms in 2018 across the Bay watershed increased polluted runoff, but the damage was not as bad as it could have been thanks to the implementation of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint
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