Maryland Farmers Demonstrate Multi-Faceted Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture

Event Featured Two Frederick County Farms Improving Their Land’s Climate Resilience

Yesterday, about one hundred farmers, partners, and policymakers explored two Frederick County farms utilizing regenerative agriculture. These farming practices improve soil health, water quality, climate resilience, and biodiversity.

Agriculture is the second largest land use in Maryland—covering roughly one-third of the state—and the largest source of pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay. Frederick County has the most farmland out of all Maryland counties with over 188,000 acres.

Fortunately, Maryland farmers are at the forefront of regenerative agriculture solutions. These practices make land more spongey, increasing its ability to absorb heavy rainfall, reduce polluted runoff, erosion, and make farms more resilient to drought and flooding.

“Agriculture must be part of the solution for improving our soil and the Chesapeake Bay,” said Rob Schnabel, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Restoration Scientist. “Innovative local farmers are proving that regenerative agriculture can restore a farm’s soil health, making their land more resilient and productive, while at the same time reducing the need for chemical fertilizer.”

Regenerative agriculture practices such as crop diversification and rotational livestock grazing can also benefit farm businesses by limiting the need for costly fertilizers and irrigation systems that supply water to lands and crops. Buying food directly from local farms is one of the easiest and most effective ways consumers can support local economies and reduce the food system’s carbon footprint.

“While we’re growing food for the community, we also can’t grow it without them,” said Moon Valley Farm owner Emma Jogaz. “Community involvement is essential to a regenerative farming operation, because it requires long-term investment and immediate returns.”

The October 15 event, coordinated by CBF and Mobilize Frederick, toured two unique farm businesses that are implementing regenerative practices, including Moon Valley Farm, a diverse vegetable operation, and Johnsville Meadows Farm, which focuses on cattle and livestock grazing.

“We really look forward to these events each year because we learn so much,” said Johnsville Meadows Farm owner Steve Derrenbacher. “We’ve been grazing livestock for 35 years and we’re still learning. It is always a win-win working with these partners.”

During the event, presenters demonstrated the immediate water quality benefits of regenerative agriculture through rainfall simulators, slake soil tests, and greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration calculators.

Presenters included representatives from Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Mobilize Frederick, University of Maryland Extension, American Farmland Trust, Future Harvest, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services, Trees for Grazers, Frederick County Office of Agriculture, Maryland Forest Service, Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership, Peaceful Beekeeping, and more. Funding for this event was provided by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

As a nonprofit focused on climate solutions for Frederick County, Mobilize Frederick has prioritized support for regenerative land management, farmland preservation, and building local food security as a core part of its mission. Mobilize Frederick Executive Director Karen Cannon said, “Preserving farmland and healthy soils is an essential part of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering carbon and water, and helping farms remain economically sustainable. We hope that events like this will help county farmers expand their regenerative practices, encourage residents to support their local farms and farmers, and increase support for this work.”

Healthy soil and biodiversity are critical for a prosperous farm. They are also a natural shield against flooding, absorbing rainfall and reducing polluted runoff, rather than letting it flow into our waterways.

“Local farms matter. Healthy food matters,” said Jared Planz, farm manager at Moon Valley Farm. “Regenerative agriculture practices are a way we can put health back into the soil and support the next generation.”

The top principles of regenerative agriculture include:

• Minimizing negative disturbances like tillage and pesticides that can harm soil biology;
• Always keeping soil covered with crops to prevent erosion;
• Diversifying plant cover;
• Prolonging root life to maintain photosynthesis, sequester carbon, and feed soil microbes, and;
• Rotational grazing of livestock, which spurs diverse manure probiotics for better plant growth and deeper roots.

Implementing these principles through a system of conservation practices across the Chesapeake Bay watershed is an efficient and cost-effective way to stop pollution at the source, meet the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint’s clean water goals, and provide economic resilience to farmers. Maryland must invest in the financial and technical assistance that farmers need to implement regenerative agriculture.

Learn more about regenerative agriculture and how it benefits the health of the Chesapeake Bay.