Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Year 3 of the project (October 2010 to September 2011) included the end of the project's second field season. During the second field season, the project doubled the number of fields (from 1 to 2 on each participating farm) where environmental performance was being assessed. The second field sites were chosen to provide a greater variety of conditions; the criteria for selection included different crop rotations, nutrient and field management, and soil types, as well as other factors, relative the farm's first field. The project's priority focus had become nitrogen (N) by this time, due to (1) the increasing recognition of the importance in controlling N loss from agriculture for the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and (2) the identified deficits of the Maryland Phosphorus (P) Site Index for use as a performance measure for P loss. The project quantified N performance using the Fall Soil Nitrate Test (FSNT) and P performance using the P Site Index for the selected fields on each participating farm. These measurements were taken by Jim Lewis and Jenny Rhodes of UMD Extension. The FSNT and P Site Index results showed improvement on most of the farms relative the previous year. The project rewarded the participating producers a total of $9,800 for their quantified environmental performance. This ranged from a low of $800 to a high of $2,000 per farm. Additionally, Dr. Tom Fisher and his staff from UMD Horn Point Lab measured phosphate, ammonia, and nitrate concentrations on the fields of 4 of the farms. The project held two meetings during the year. One was focused on obtaining input from the farmers and sharing experiences with the use of performance-based incentives. The other meeting was to inform the broader stakeholder group and solicit input. The project participated in the Policy Conference for CB in March 2011; the projects work was highlighted in presentations by Dr. Jim Shortle and Dr. Marc Ribaudo. The project team also developed an innovative idea to improve the cost-effectiveness of the MD Cover Crop cost-share program by rewarding farmers for quantified N performance using the FSNT and allowing them to determine (in August) which of their fields actually need a winter cover crop to absorb excess N. The project developed a poster to highlight this idea. The poster was presented at the Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Meeting in DC in July and at the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration in Baltimore in August. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Jonathan Winsten is the project coordinator. He is an agricultural economist and program officer at Winrock International. He is responsible for overall project implementation. Dr. Tom Fisher is a Professor at UMD's Horn Point Laboratory and is responsible for the water quality science and monitoring for the project. Mrs. Anne Gustafson works closely with Dr. Fisher on these aspects. Mr. Jim Lewis and Mrs. Jenny Rhodes are both Agricultural Extension Agents with UMD in the counties where this project is working. They are responsible for coordinating and communicating with the farmer participants in the project. These five people make up the core of the project team. The project stakeholder group includes farmers, agency staff, scientists, and citizens. The names and affilliations are listed below. First Name Last Name Affiliation Rich Batiuk CB Program/EPA Francis Breeding UMD Ext Bruce Burgess Farmer Wendy Burgess Farmer Michael Combs NRCS Jen Dindinger Choptank Trib Team Jeff Door Farmer Mark Dubin UMD/MAWP Tom Fisher Horn Point Lab Anne Gustafson Horn Point Lab John Hall NRCS Allen Hance Ches Bay Trust chris harris Farmer Tansel Hudson NRCS Teresa Kampmeyer NRCS Jack King Caroline County NRCS Jim Lewis UMD Ext Bill Mason Farmer Suzanne Mason Farmer Josh McGrath UMD Bruce Michael MDNR Bruce Michael DNR Cindy Moore Farmer Jeff Moore Farmer Harry Moreland Farmer Buck Morris Farmer Moirann Morris Farmer Doug Parker UMD Brett Patchett Farmer Carol Patchett Farmer Tim Pilkowski NRCS John Rhoderick MDA Jenny Rhodes UMD Ext John Schmidt Farmer Kevin Sellner ChesBay Res. Cons Kelly Shenk sub for Batiuk Ken Staver Wye Research Ctr Joanne Throwe FACILITATOR David Tribbettsu Farmer Rob Weiland Choptank Trib Team Ralph Whaley Farmer Robert Wieland Main St. Economics Jon Winsten Winrock Dave Wood Farmer TARGET AUDIENCES: The project is creating awareness among stakeholders, agencies, and scientists in the Choptank River watershed and is now starting to reach out to broader regional and national audiences. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The single most important outcome from this reporting period is that each of the participating farmers now understands the importance of knowing the amount of residual N in the soil of each field near the end of the growing season to determine on which fields a cover crop is necessary to absorb excess N and prevent nitrate losses. By knowing this information in late August, the producers have the option of flying on (aerial application) cover crop seed into a standing crop of corn or beans. This early application of the cover crop allows for early establishment, greater growth, and more N absorption from the soil. By being rewarded for progressively lower FSNT values, measured in November (when N loss starts to become much more prevalent), the farmers have examined many different actions that they can take throughout the year to reduce residual N. Such actions include reduced N application rates, changing application methods, changing crop rotations, and other changes. The project's outreach on this approach has reached an estimated 300 people by presenting the poster at two large conferences during this reporting period.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: For the seven farmer cooperators in this project, farm-level proxies for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss were calculated. For N, the soil nitrate tests were taken to measure the amount of N available in the soil that could become emissions to ground and surface water during the most vulnerable winter and spring seasons. It was deemed by project researchers that less than 4 mg N/L in the soil was optimal. An incentive payment schedule was developed to reward producers at $25 per acre for having 0-4 mg N/L, $15 per acre for >4-6 mg N/L, $5 per acre for >6-8 mg N/L, and $0 for >8 mg N/L. Across the seven farms, results ranged from 3.9 to 10.5 mg N/L. For P, the Maryland P Site Index was calculated for each farm. An incentive payment schedule was developed to reward producers at $25 per acre for having a score of 0-15, $15 per acre for 16-30, $5 per acre for 31-50, and $0 for >50. A total of $1,600 was paid to the farmers for their N performance and a total of $1,400 was paid for P performance. On 6 of the 7 farms, in-field WQ samples were taken to measure phosphate, ammonia, and nitrate levels in surface water, with highly variable results. In December 2009, the farmers were called together to meet with project staff to discuss the project results from the 2009 crop year and gather input for 2010. In March of 2010, the larger stakeholder group of farmers, agency staff, NGOs, and researchers was called together. The activities and results from the 2009 crop year were presented and the discussion focused on project activities for 2010. In addition to farmer evaluations, the project captured video footage of interviews with several of the cooperating farmers to be included in a nationally-distributed video on performance-based incentives. This project was featured in the PEPA eNews newsletter that goes to more than 600 interested persons. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Jonathan Winsten is the project coordinator. He is an agricultural economist and program officer at Winrock International. He is responsible for overall project implementation. Dr. Tom Fisher is a Professor at UMD's Horn Point Laboratory and is responsible for the water quality science and monitoring for the project. Mrs. Anne Gustafson works closely with Dr. Fisher on these aspects. Mr. Jim Lewis and Mrs. Jenny Rhodes are both Agricultural Extension Agents with UMD in the counties where this project is working. They are responsible for coordinating and communicating with the farmer participants in the project. These five people make up the core of the project team. The project stakeholder group includes farmers, agency staff, scientists, and citizens. The names and affilliations are listed below. First Name Last Name Affiliation Rich Batiuk CB Program/EPA Francis Breeding UMD Ext Bruce Burgess Farmer Wendy Burgess Farmer Michael Combs NRCS Jen Dindinger Choptank Trib Team Jeff Door Farmer Mark Dubin UMD/MAWP Tom Fisher Horn Point Lab Anne Gustafson Horn Point Lab John Hall NRCS Allen Hance Ches Bay Trust chris harris Farmer Tansel Hudson NRCS Teresa Kampmeyer NRCS Jack King Caroline County NRCS Jim Lewis UMD Ext Bill Mason Farmer Suzanne Mason Farmer Josh McGrath UMD Bruce Mertz USDA Bruce Michael MDNR Bruce Michael DNR Cindy Moore Farmer Jeff Moore Farmer Harry Moreland Farmer Buck Morris Farmer Moirann Morris Farmer Doug Parker UMD Brett Patchett Farmer Carol Patchett Farmer Tim Pilkowski NRCS John Rhoderick MDA Jenny Rhodes UMD Ext John Schmidt Farmer Kevin Sellner ChesBay Res. Cons Kelly Shenk sub for Batiuk Ken Staver Wye Research Ctr Joanne Throwe FACILITATOR David Tribbettsu Farmer Rob Weiland Choptank Trib Team Ralph Whaley Farmer Robert Wieland Main St. Economics Jon Winsten Winrock Dave Wood Farmer TARGET AUDIENCES: The project is creating awareness among stakeholders, agencies, and scientists in the Choptank River watershed. The project will target audiences throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Year 3. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The majority of farmers indicated that using performance-based incentives and the focus on outcomes, rather than on practices, is a preferable approach for conservation programs. Farmers took a variety of actions in response to the performance-based incentives offered by the project. These include establishing winter cover crops, establishing them earlier to soak up excess N in the fields, reducing N application rates, and improved manure management. Resulting water quality (runoff) concentrations of N and P2O5 will be measured in fall and winter of 2010-2011. Farmers and the larger stakeholder group indicate that the approach of performance-based incentives shows potential for the Choptank River watershed.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project convened 27 carefully-selected stakeholders to engage in a series of brainstorming sessions designed to identify the best means of implementing performance-based incentives in the Choptank River watershed. The group included farmers, federal, state, and local agency staff, scientists who are knowledgeable in agri-environmental issues in the watershed, and interested citizens. The project put together and distributed a factsheet that explains the project goals, objectives, approach, and expected outcomes. The farmer participants were skeptical of predicting environmental performance using models and suggested that measuring take place on their fields. The following meeting was between project staff and the farmers to discuss the specifics of the measuring and monitoring protocol to be used. Based on the brainstorming of the first meeting, it was decided that the MD P Site Index would be calculated for a tract of land on each farm. From the first meeting, it was also decided that taking a soil nitrate sample after harvest time would be a good indicator of N that was available to be lost to ground and surface water during winter and spring soil saturation. The P Index and these measurements were were done by Jim Lewis and Jenny Rhodes, the UMD Extension staff on the project. To ground truth these proxy measures for environmental performance, water samples would be taken from streams or ditches adjacent to the select tracts. These water samples were taken by Dr. Tom Fisher and Anne Gustafson. An incentive payment schedule was developed by project staff with the farmers. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Jonathan Winsten is the project coordinator. He is an agricultural economist and program officer at Winrock International. He is responsible for overall project implementation. Dr. Tom Fisher is a Professor at UMD's Horn Point Laboratory and is responsible for the water quality science and monitoring for the project. Mrs. Anne Gustafson works closely with Dr. Fisher on these aspects. Mr. Jim Lewis and Mrs. Jenny Rhodes are both Agricultural Extension Agents with UMD in the counties where this project is working. They are responsible for coordinating and communicating with the farmer participants in the project. These five people make up the core of the project team. The project stakeholder group includes farmers, agency staff, scientists, and citizens. The names and affilliations are listed below. First Name Last Name Affiliation Rich Batiuk CB Program/EPA Francis Breeding UMD Ext Bruce Burgess Farmer Wendy Burgess Farmer Michael Combs NRCS Jen Dindinger Choptank Trib Team Jeff Door Farmer Mark Dubin UMD/MAWP Tom Fisher Horn Point Lab Anne Gustafson Horn Point Lab John Hall NRCS Allen Hance Ches Bay Trust chris harris Farmer Tansel Hudson NRCS Teresa Kampmeyer NRCS Jack King Caroline County NRCS Jim Lewis UMD Ext Bill Mason Farmer Suzanne Mason Farmer Josh McGrath UMD Bruce Mertz USDA Bruce Michael MDNR Bruce Michael DNR Cindy Moore Farmer Jeff Moore Farmer Harry Moreland Farmer Buck Morris Farmer Moirann Morris Farmer Doug Parker UMD Brett Patchett Farmer Carol Patchett Farmer Tim Pilkowski NRCS John Rhoderick MDA Jenny Rhodes UMD Ext John Schmidt Farmer Kevin Sellner ChesBay Res. Cons Kelly Shenk sub for Batiuk Ken Staver Wye Research Ctr Joanne Throwe FACILITATOR David Tribbettsu Farmer Rob Weiland Choptank Trib Team Ralph & April Whaley Farmer Robert Wieland Main St. Economics Jon Winsten Winrock Dave Wood Farmer TARGET AUDIENCES: The project is creating awareness among stakeholders, agencies, and scientists in the Choptank River watershed. Efforts are being made to reach farmers and local-level stakeholders through watershed-level meetings. The project will target audiences throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Year 3. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Through discussions with the participating farmers it became clear that they had no knowledge of the concept of performance-based incentives prior to this project. They had always thought of addressing water quality issues through cost-sharing of best management practices (BMPs) on their land. The initial group of participating farmers seems to have fully grasped the potential power of using performance-based incentives to induce innovation and increase cost-effectiveness of agricultural pollution control efforts. In farm visits through the first year, the farmers have made comments such as "I can see that this approach would be helpful to farmers and be better for water quality in the bay". The farmers have suggested expanding the number of farmer participants to include some of the farmers that seem to have the worst water quality issues from their farms. The wider stakeholder group has also increased their understanding of this approach to agricultural water quality issues.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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