Funding Available in Maryland

Posted on January 27, 2022January 27, 2022 by Jenell Eck | Posted in Uncategorized

This funding is available through the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project Sustainable Chesapeake secured in partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Delaware-Maryland 4R Alliance. EQIP-eligible farmers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and in Harford County will be able to secure funding for precision nutrient management and soil health conservation practices.

Interested individuals should call or visit their local soil conservation district to confirm eligibility and complete an application by April 1, 2022. Harford County farmers can learn more online here.

Mid-Atlantic 4R Farmer Survey

Posted on December 8, 2021December 10, 2021 by Jenell Eck | Posted in Uncategorized

Queenstown, Maryland (December 8, 2021) – The Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association is discovering barriers to 4R (right Source, Rate, Time, and Place) practice adoption. In the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, 2,700 randomly selected farmers will receive a mailed survey from the University of Delaware. The overall goal of this survey is to inform outreach efforts and communication strategies about the 4Rs to better serve farmers like you. By understanding the barriers you face in making nutrient management decisions, the survey will also inform voluntary state and federal agricultural cost-share programs. We ask that if you receive this voluntary survey, that you complete and return the survey.

The survey consists of questions about your farm and your experience with nutrient management and has an estimated completion time of 20 minutes. Responses are completely confidential! Those who complete the survey by January 15th will be eligible to enter a drawing for a $250 Visa gift card (10 available), a $100 Visa gift card (20 available), or a $50 Visa gift card (99 available).

The study is being conducted by the University of Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association (the parent organization for the Pennsylvania 4R Alliance and the Delaware-Maryland 4R Alliance).

For more information about the survey, feel free to contact the project manager, Dr. Kelly Davidson at 302-831-8034.

PA4R Nutrient Stewardship Alliance to Offer “4waRd Thinking” Training to Farm Advisers

Posted on October 14, 2021October 14, 2021 by Jenell Eck | Posted in Uncategorized

Shillington, Pennsylvania (October 14, 2021) – The Pennsylvania 4R Nutrient Stewardship Alliance (PA4R) has received funding through a 2021 Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) Professional Development grant to provide education to Pennsylvania’s farm advisers about 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices. This funding includes the development of six webinars on 4R topics as well as the creation of “4waRd Thinking” cohort designed to help 30 farm advisers gain in-depth, in-field education and exposure to 4R practices.

The first set of webinars are open to farm advisers in both the public and private sector and will be held on three consecutive Tuesday afternoons – October 26, November 2, and November 9, 2021. The topics to be covered include:

• Crop Planning+: Using 4R Agronomic Practices to Ensure Profitable Regulatory Compliance
• The Evolution of Nitrogen Management (Beyond the Mass Balance Calculation)
• Using Advanced Nitrogen Management Technologies to Move the Needle

CCA (Soil and Water or Nutrient Management, depending on the topics) and Act 38 Nutrient Management Credits will be available for all sessions.

The second set of webinars will be held in the fall of 2022. Dates, times, and topics to be announced at a later date.

In addition to the planned webinars, PA4R is excited to roll out its “4waRd Thinking” learning cohort of farm advisers working in Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay watershed. This deep-dive learning opportunity will kick off in February 2022 and is open to any adviser working in the Bay watershed who connects with farmers on decisions related to the Right Rate, Source, Time, & Place (4Rs) of nutrient applications. Thirty participants will be selected from the applicant pool to attend specialized in-person workshops, receive personalized coaching, and participate in virtual learning opportunities focused on applying 4R practices at the operational level and facilitating conversations around adoption with the farmers they serve. Throughout the 18-month cohort learning experience, each participant must commit to working with ten of their farmer clients to advocate for the implementation of RIGHT Nutrient Stewardship practices.

Registration for the 2021 webinars and applications for cohort participation can both be found at 4RMidAtlantic.com/events.

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The Pennsylvania 4R Alliance is a non-profit organization committed to working collectively with farmers and farm advisers to deliver science-based systems that improve crop productivity through increased nutrient use efficiency and reduce losses of nutrients to the environment.

Mid-Atlantic 4R Pilot Survey

Posted on October 4, 2021October 5, 2021 by Jenell Eck | Posted in Uncategorized

Queenstown, Maryland (October 4, 2021) – The Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association is discovering barriers to 4R practice adoption. Across the region, 300 random farmers will receive a mailed survey from the University of Delaware. The overall goal of this survey is to inform outreach efforts and communication strategies to better serve farmers like you. By understanding the barriers you face in making nutrient management decisions, the survey will also inform voluntary state and federal agricultural cost-share programs. We ask that if you receive this voluntary survey, that you complete and return the survey.

The survey consists of questions about your farm and your experience with nutrient management and has an estimated completion time of 20 minutes. Responses are completely confidential! Those who complete the survey by October 21st will be eligible to enter a drawing for a $250 Visa gift card (1 available), a $100 Visa gift card (2 available), or a $50 Visa gift card (9 available).

The study is being conducted by the University of Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association (the parent organization for the Pennsylvania 4R Alliance and the Delaware-Maryland 4R Alliance).

For more information about the survey, feel free to contact the project manager, Dr. Kelly Davidson at 302-831-8034.