Farming, the Bay, and Politics
Introduction
Agriculture is essential to the economy of the Eastern Shore, although the number of farmers has been gradually decreasing over the years as corporate farming increases and swallows up what once had been smaller family farms.
On the website of the Chesapeake Bay Program it is stated that agriculture is the largest source of nutrient and sediment pollution that enters the Bay. Of course, Eastern Shore farms are not the only nor perhaps the largest contributors to this runoff. The Susquehanna River has its origin New York State and collects sediment and polluters as it flows from there though Pennsylvania and into the Upper Bay. The Bay watershed, in fact, encompasses 64,000 square miles. One-third of the Bay watershed is devoted to agriculture.
The farming practices that have a negative impact on the Bay include over-irrigating, over-tilling soil and over-applying fertilizers and pesticides. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, based on 2022 estimates, agriculture contributes 48% of the nitrogen pollution that enters the Bay, 27% of the phosphorus, and 9% of the sediment.
The poultry industry and dairy farming here on the Eastern Shore also contribute to our economy in a major way. Farmers frequently use poultry litter and livestock manure to fertilize their fields. According to the EPA’s report Guidance for Federal Land Management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed the application of manure to the land is responsible for 19% of nitrogen and 26% of phosphorus pollution in the Bay. The same source reports that chemical fertilizers and pesticides are also major contributors to Bay pollution.
What is being done to counteract Bay pollution?
Farmers can use conservation practices to reduce agricultural runoff into rivers and streams and thence into the Bay. These practices also have the benefit of reducing the farmers’ costs and improving production. These conservation practices are subsumed under the term “regenerative agriculture” and include:
- Leaving a third or more of the land covered with crop residue or vegetation throughout the year
- Planting cover crops to prevent erosion during all or part of the year
- Providing forest buffers along the edges of farm fields and along rivers and streams
- Using fencing to keep livestock from waterways
- Developing a nutrient management program
- Careful management of manure and poultry litter by developing animal waste storage programs and transporting excess manure to areas in need.
Much remains to be done, because, as is evident from the title of a recent article in the Baltimore Banner (6/29/24) by Aman Azhar: “The Chesapeake Bay Program flunked its 2025 cleanup goals. What happens next?” The gist of the article is that the Bay is not on target to meet the 2025 cleanup goals.
The Chesapeake Bay and the 2024 election
What do the candidates for office in the upcoming election have to say about the condition of the Bay, and do they have proposals to improve the situation?
Blane H. Miller III, Democratic candidate for Congress in Maryland’s District 1, has stated the following: “The Chesapeake Bay is not just an environmental treasure, it’s a critical part of Maryland’s economy and heritage. I will push for stronger protections and federal funding to preserve the Bay, restore its ecosystem, and support the industries that depend on it. My opponent has failed to champion policies that protect this vital resource — I'll make it a priority.”
Rep. Andrew P. Harris is the Republican candidate for re-election to Congress in District 1. On his campaign site, he makes a general statement on the importance of the Bay as follows: “Watermen, oystermen, crabbers, farmers, hunters, restaurants, and the tourism industry depend on a healthy, clean Chesapeake Bay for their livelihood. I am committed to commonsense, multi-state solutions that protect the Bay and its precious waterways. In order to make meaningful progress, we need to make sure that all of the stakeholders have a seat at the table, and that everyone has a voice in repairing our beautiful estuary.” He does not, however, give any indication of what his policy recommendations are. Based on his voting record in Congress, the League of Conservation Voters gives him a score of 0 in 2023 and a lifetime score of 2%.
Maryland’s Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Angela Alsobrooks, has already taken action on the Chesapeake Bay as County Executive of Prince George’s County by investing $1.3 billion in storm water management. As a candidate, she advocates for increasing funding to clean up the Bay. She is also a strong advocate of Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s (D) proposal to designate a Chesapeake National Recreation Area as a protected National Park.
The Republican candidate for the Senate is former Maryland governor, Larry Hogan. As governor he took some positive steps on behalf of Bay cleanup efforts. In 2020, he directed the state’s attorney to sue the EPA and Pennsylvania to protect Bay restoration efforts, and in 2021 he signed a regional climate pact in efforts to protect the Bay from further pollution. Nevertheless, the Chesapeake Accountability project, a coalition of four environmental groups, declared that the environment took a back seat to pro-business policies when Hogan was governor. He mostly received C grades from the League of Conservation Voters. I found no indication of Chesapeake Bay cleanup policies in Hogan’s Senate campaign literature online.
While Miller and Alsobrooks clearly have more to say on the environment than their Republican counterparts, not one of the candidates seems to have even considered, let alone promoted, regenerative agriculture as one solution to Chesapeake Bay contamination. Clearly none of them are in tune with agricultural practices, but given that farming has such an important role in our state, I would encourage them to give it more of their attention, particularly in promoting a cleaner Chesapeake Bay.
A native of Wicomico County, George Shivers holds a doctorate from the University of Maryland and taught in the Foreign Language Dept. of Washington College for 38 years before retiring in 2007. He is also very interested in the history and culture of the Eastern Shore, African American history in particular.
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
