On June 24, Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) hosted an Ag Outreach Field Day for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) AP Environmental Science students in Carlo Chiverri’s Summer Bridge Program at South River High School in Edgewater, Maryland. The students toured Mason’s Heritage, an organic grain farm near Queen Anne, Maryland. The farm has been in the family for five generations, and is currently operated by Bill Mason and his son in law,Steve Kraszewski. MRC made field presentations about water quality issues on the Midshore, organic farming, best management practices, use of manure on fields, and the future of farming in Maryland. The students conducted hands-on water quality monitoring and data collection. MRC’s Watershed Scientist Timothy Rosen (pictured, center) introduced the students to innovative woodchip bioreactor technology installed by MRC on several farms in the Midshore area, including Mason’s Hertiage. MRC has installed the first bioreactors in the state of Maryland. Bioreactors use natural processes to reduce nutrient runoff from farm fields by 20-90%. For more information or to consider installing a bioreactor on your property, contact Timothy Rosen at Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy at [email protected] or 443.385.0511.
Front image: Mason’s Farm
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