Progress 05/01/23 to 04/30/24
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period we reached Maryland urban farmers, landscape professionals, workforce development groups, and policymakers through scientific conference presentations, Extension workshops, and through our advisory panel members. Urban farms are most often located in underserved communities with high percentages of racial and ethnic minorities who are socially, economically, or educationally disadvantaged. The two farm sites for this project are in Baltimore City and Prince George's County Maryland, including a large number of racial and ethnic minority populations and individuals below the Federal Poverty Level. Baltimore City's 2019 population was 593,490 with 63% Black or African American and 32% White residents. The 2018 median household income was $48,840 with 18.9% of the city living in poverty. Sixty-four percent of Prince George's County's population is Black or African American, the per capita income from 2015-2019 was $37,191 and 8.7% of the population was living in poverty as of 2019. Out of 94 census tracts, 43% were classified as low income and with low food access. Changes/Problems:We faced a major delay in that the award document and funding was not received until September 11, 2023 instead of the project start date of May 1, 2023. This six month delay caused a delay in our ability to purchase materials, pay salaries, and begin the design and testing phases at our first study site at Terp Farm in Upper Marlboro, MD. Despite this delay, we were still able to complete all of the planned activities for this reporting period, except for a full construction of the ZVI-sand filter in time for the first sampling trial. One major problem that did arise as a result of the delayed award document was that the materials needed for the ZVI-sand filter did not arrive in time to be constructed for the Fall 2023 sampling trial. We built the rainwater harvesting collection and irrigation system, planted test crops, and irrigated test plots with either untreated harvested rainwater and municipal water. The ZVI-sand filter was built and incorporated into the irrigation system at Terp Farm in time for our Spring 2024 trials. There was less rain during April 2024 than in previous years, and our supply of harvested rainwater was depleted in our first Spring 2024 trial at Terp Farm more quickly than we had anticipated. This meant that there was not enough harvested rainwater to treat with sanitizer (PAA) for 2 weeks during our Spring 2024 trials. In addition, there was no water in the first flush container for one week of the Spring 2024 trials. On the weeks where conditions were abnormally dry and sanitizer-treated harvested rainwater test plots were not able to be irrigated with sanitized harvested rainwater, plots were irrigated with the control water type, municipal water. An unexpected outcome has been the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in our first flush, untreated harvested rainwater, and ZVI-sand filter treated (1 positive sample from one trial) samples. Based on our previous work, we have never detected Listeria nor Salmonella in harvested rainwater or ZVI-treated water. This unexpected outcome emphasizes the importance of our work and the need to identify effective and cost-efficient treatment technologies to remove pathogens, as well as site-specific risk factors, before harvested rainwater can be safely used for produce irrigation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The research conducted as part of this project will form the basis of a PhD dissertation for Emmie Woerner who is advised by the PI, Dr. Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein. Ms. Woerner has worked one-on-one with Dr. Goldstein during Year 1 of the project. Dr. Goldstein's environmental microbiology lab is made up of three PhD students, one postdoctoral fellow and three undergraduate students during the spring semester. These students gained valuable field sampling and environmental microbiology skills through their participating in this project. Two UMD Extension undergraduate summer interns participated in farm visits to plan and install the rainwater harvesting demonstration. From this experience they learned about the process of team-based applied research and about community engagement. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?At this stage of the project, the team prioritized gathering stakeholder feedback and input into early stages of the research. A focus group with four participants was held online in July 2023. Farmer advisory panel members participated in planning meetings for the research and demonstration implementation. Draft surveys on rainwater harvesting interest and activities were reviewed by farmers at the January 2024 Urban Farmer Winter Meeting and reviewed by Extension faculty. Preliminary Extension outreach was conducted to make more stakeholders aware of the project. Presentations were made at a June 2023 online webinar on Alternative Water for Urban Agriculture (45 registered attendees), at the January 2024 Annual Urban Farmer Winter Meeting in Baltimore (41 participants) and at two sessions of the Baltimore Urban Waters Partnership Quarterly Meeting (Jul 2023 and Jan 2024). A video was produced highlighting UMD community-based research and outreach, which featured this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhkqsTUFhqU The video has been viewed 788 times. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period we plan to conduct the following activities to accomplish each of our 3 objectives and goals for the project as follows: Objective 1: Design rainwater harvesting, treatment, and irrigation system at second study site (Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm). Build rainwater harvesting, treatment, and irrigation system at second study site (Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm). Plant test crops at Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm Conduct fall and spring test trials (3 total trials) at Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm, collecting 63 water, 72 soil, and 36 produce samples. Plant test crops at Terp Farm in Upper Marlboro, MD Conduct fall and spring test trials (2 total trials) at Terp Farm in Upper Marlboro, MD, collecting 42 water, 48 soil, and 24 produce samples. Analyze all water, soil, and produce samples from both study sites from fall and spring trials for E. coli, total coliforms, enterococci, Listeria, and Salmonella Analyze all water, soil, and produce samples for nutrients and heavy metals. Objective 2: Assist in collecting cost data for the rainwater harvesting, treatment, and irrigation systems at Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm and Terp Farm. Conduct survey with urban farmers. Objective 3: We will continue to share and update results with target audiences, expanding on year 1 findings including, but not limited to the following events and projects: August 7, 2025 Twilight Tour to share results to date and project information with farmers and general public February 2025 presentation at Urban Farmer Winter Meeting to share results to date and project information with farmers. Collect photos during on-farm research and demonstration installation, to be used to prepare an Extension factsheet on "How to build a rainwater collection system on a high tunnel."
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Urban agriculture is growing quickly across the U.S. to address food insecurity and climate change, yet it is limited by irrigation water costs and availability of high-quality water. Rainwater harvesting could provide reliable, high-quality water for urban farms, yet there is currently low adoption because of water quality concerns and uncertainty about costs and benefits. Harvested rainwater typically meets food safety standards but may require further treatment. Treatments such as zero-valent iron (ZVI) sand filters can significantly reduce the concentration of fecal indicator bacteria (ex. E. coli and total coliforms) as well as foodborne pathogens (ex. Salmonella) in water. Despite these prior results, the lack of on-farm validation studies and comprehensive cost-benefit analyses have impeded widespread rainwater harvesting adoption in urban agriculture. There is an immediate need to increase rainwater harvesting in urban agriculture to produce safe and nutritious foods for underserved communities and address climate change's stress on water sources. Urban farmers and local policymakers will be most immediately helped by our project. Our water and produce testing results will help inform urban farmers and policymakers about the safety of using harvested rainwater for produce irrigation, the effectiveness of tested treatments, and possible considerations for future food safety standards targeting rainwater harvesting. We have made the following progress on each of our project's major goals: Goal 1: validate the safety, feasibility, and benefits of rainwater harvesting for produce irrigation in urban agriculture Objective 1: field-test an integrated rainwater harvesting, filtration, and irrigation system and confirm water quality and produce safety Major activities completed / experiments conducted: We have designed and installed a rainwater harvesting collection, treatment, and irrigation system at Upper Marlboro study site. We have sampled water, soil, and produce from test plots corresponding to all four water treatment types (untreated harvested rainwater, ZVI-sand-treated harvested rainwater, sanitizer-treated harvested rainwater, municipal water (control)). All samples have been analyzed for E. coli, enterococci, L. monocytogenes, Salmonella, heavy metals, pH, and nitrates. Data collected: 35 water (10 harvested rainwater, 5 first flush, 5 ZVI-treated harvested rainwater, 4 sanitizer-treated harvested rainwater, 10 municipal water, and 1 ZVI backflush) , 60 soil, and 26 produce samples have been collected. Summary statistics and discussion of results: Among water samples, no municipal water samples (0/14) were positive for E. coli, total coliforms, L. monocytogenes, or Salmonella; 7% (1/14) were positive for enterococci. For untreated harvested rainwater samples, 86% (12/14) were E. coli-positive, 100% (14/14) were total coliform-positive, 27% (4/14) were L. monocytogenes-positive, 7% (1/14) were Salmonella-positive, and 86% (12/14) were enterococci-positive. Among first flush samples, 100% (8/8) were E. coli-positive, 100% (8/8) were total coliform-positive, 38% (3/8) were L. monocytogenes-positive, 0% (0/8) were Salmonella-positive, and 100% (8/8) were enterococci-positive. Samples from sanitizer-treated harvested rainwater were 0% (0/8) were E. coli-positive, 38% (3/8) total coliform-positive, 0% (0/8) were L. monocytogenes-positive, 0% (0/8) were Salmonella-positive, and 13% (1/8) were enterococci-positive. ZVI-treated harvested rainwater were 56% (5/9) were E. coli-positive, 100% (9/9) total coliform-positive, 11% (1/9) were L. monocytogenes-positive, 0% (0/9) were Salmonella-positive, and 89% (8/9) were enterococci-positive. ZVI backflush samples were 50% (1/2) were E. coli-positive, 100% (2/2) total coliform-positive, 0% (0/2) were L. monocytogenes-positive, 0% (0/2) were Salmonella-positive, and 100% (2/2) were enterococci-positive. Among soil samples, 6% (1/18) and 89% (16/18) were E. coli and total coliform positive from municipal water plots; 0% (0/6) and 83% (15/18) were E. coli and total coliform positive from untreated harvested rainwater plots; 0% (0/12) and 75% (9/12) were E. coli and total coliform positive from sanitizer-treated plots; and 0% (0/12) and 75% (9/12) were E. coli and total coliform positive from ZVI-treated plots. All produce samples (26/26), regardless of irrigation type, were negative for E. coli, Salmonella and L. monocytogenes but positive for total coliforms. Objective 2: evaluate environmental, social, and economic benefits of irrigating produce with harvested rainwater in underserved urban communities to improve understanding of the full spectrum of costs and benefits on and off the farm Major activities completed / experiments conducted: Cost data collection for systems and filtration options Data collected: Draft survey review and revision, data collection to begin in Y2 Summary statistics and discussion of results: To occur in Y2. Goal 2: expand adoption of urban farmer engagement in rainwater harvesting system design and adoption. Objective 3: develop innovative outreach and Extension programming on rainwater harvesting design, quality, and benefits Major activities completed / experiments conducted: Project goals and initial findings have been shared with target audiences implementing and maintaining rainwater harvesting systems. Peer to peer learning and train the trainer programs have begun to integrate findings into programming. Data collected: Feedback from urban farmers through focus group and advisory panel meetings. Summary statistics and discussion of results: Focus group members expressed a need for more design plans and visuals to build rainwater collection systems themselves with less of an emphasis on the value and importance of rainwater harvesting. Focus group members also noted the need for designs that can be customized for different sized urban farms. Advisory panel members shared policymaker contacts that might be interested in this project and Maryland state and local programs that might fit well with our project goals. The key outcomes for this reporting period are 1) developing a new design for a rainwater harvesting system incorporating ZVI-sand filters; and 2) improving understanding of the microbiological and nutrient quality of harvested rainwater treated with ZVI-sand filters in comparison to existing federal and state water quality standards. Preliminary Extension outreach was conducted to make more stakeholders aware of the project. Project goals and initial findings have been shared with target audiences implementing and maintaining rainwater harvesting systems. Peer to peer learning and train the trainer programs have begun to integrate findings into programming.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Anderson-Coughlin B*, Healey E, Gutierrez A, East C, Smith C, Dixon K, Choiniere A, Sharma M, Rosenberg Goldstein R. Comparing Methods for Evaluating Water Quality Indicator Bacteria: Case Study on Municipal Water and Harvested Rainwater. National Capital Region Section American Water Resources Association Symposium. Washington, DC. April 12, 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Anderson-Coughlin, B. Evaluating Microbial Water Quality - From Food Safety and Public Health Perspectives. West Chester University Department of Biology Early Career Scientist Seminar Series. February 19, 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Woerner EH and Egan J. Rainwater harvesting research update. Urban Farmer Winter Meeting. Baltimore, MD. January 27, 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Rosenberg Goldstein R*. A Barrel Full of Benefits? Determining If Harvested Rainwater Can Be Safely Used for Food Crop Irrigation in Urban Agriculture. Inaugural Global FEWture Alliance Annual Symposium, College Park, MD. January 18, 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Rosenberg Goldstein, RE. Rainwater Harvesting in Urban Agriculture. Baltimore Urban Waters Partnership Quarterly Meeting. Baltimore, MD. January 11, 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Brienna L. Anderson-Coughlin, Emily M.H. Woerner, Alan Gutierrez, Cameron Smith, Kathryn Dixon, Cheryl East, Alexander Choiniere, Adib Adnan, Guy Kilpatric, Donald Murphy, Manan Sharma, and Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein. Evaluation of the Microbial Populations and Physicochemical Profiles of Harvested Rainwater and Municipal Water Used for Crop Irrigation. Poster Presentation. International Association for Food Protection 2024 Annual Meeting. Long Beach, CA. July 17, 2024.
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