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Maryland farmers show soil working like a sponge
The full story behind my Short: regenerative agriculture in Frederick County, Maryland.
The short version
On 15 October 2026, about one hundred farmers, partners and policymakers toured two Frederick County farms using regenerative agriculture: Moon Valley Farm, a diverse vegetable operation, and Johnsville Meadows Farm, focused on cattle and livestock grazing. The event was coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Mobilize Frederick [1].
~100farmers, partners and policymakers at the tour [1]
188,000+ acresof farmland in Frederick County [1]
2 farmsvegetables, and cattle/livestock grazing [1]
The principles on show
CBF says regenerative practices make land more spongey, increasing its ability to absorb heavy rainfall, reduce polluted runoff and erosion, and make farms more resilient to drought and flooding [1]. The principles listed are: minimise disturbances such as tillage and pesticides that can harm soil biology; keep soil covered with crops; diversify plant cover; prolong root life to maintain photosynthesis, sequester carbon and feed soil microbes; and rotational grazing of livestock [1].
Presenters demonstrated rainfall simulators, slake soil tests, and greenhouse gas and carbon sequestration calculators. Agriculture covers roughly one-third of Maryland and is the largest source of pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay, per CBF [1].
Watch the Short
Video links coming soon.
About this page
The Short uses real, illustrative photos from Wikimedia Commons (credited below); they are not photos of the study itself. This was a farm tour and demonstration reported by an advocacy foundation, not a controlled trial: the page reports no measured infiltration, runoff or yield results from these farms. Claims about benefits are CBF's stated rationale for the practices.
Why it matters
- Clean water link. Stopping pollution at the source is presented as a cost-effective route to Chesapeake Bay goals [1].
- Business angle. CBF says the practices can limit the need for costly fertiliser and irrigation [1].
- Experience counts. One host has grazed livestock for 35 years and says he is still learning [1].
Sources
- [1] Chesapeake Bay Foundation (16 Oct 2026). “Maryland Farmers Demonstrate Multi-Faceted Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture.” cbf.org
Credits
Photos (illustrative, Wikimedia Commons): Soil Survey09 (39041768842) (USDA NRCS Montana, Public domain); Sunrise Farm - geograph.org.uk - 6755198 (N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0); Alamar organoponic (organic farm) cityscape (SamHolt6, CC BY-SA 4.0); Nick's Organic Farm (20130712-AMS-LSC-0436) (USDAgov, Public domain); Aerial view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, connecting Annapol (Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain); Aerial view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, connecting Annapol (Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain); 2004 0609 Italian ryegrass cover crop (Alan Manson, CC BY-SA 3.0); Charged and inoculated biochar ready for soil application (Tim Brunauer on behalf of Deutsche Gesellschaft für…, CC BY-SA 4.0); Nick's Organic Farm (20130712-AMS-LSC-0541) (USDAgov, Public domain); Rainfall Simulator (7687079306) (USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain); RainfallSimTrlr at the BFSO (7687041720) (USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain); Nick's Organic Farm (20130712-AMS-LSC-0394) (USDAgov, Public domain); Chesapeake Bay from the Air (DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0).