ShoreRivers Hosts Agriculture Field Day

ShoreRivers recently partnered with Alleghany Farm Services, Agri Drain, Advanced Drainage Systems, Natural Resource Conservation Service Delaware, and Kent County Soil and Conservation District to host a drainage field day in Greenwood, Delaware, for members of the farming community, the local agencies who support them, and related industries. The field day took place on Wednesday, December 1, and showcased drainage tile installed for the purposes of drainage water management.

Attendees view a demonstration of conservation drainage practices during a field day sponsored by ShoreRivers and partner organizations in Greenwood, Delaware. Photo credit: ShoreRivers

Over 80 attendees joined ShoreRivers and partners for the field day event, which included a live drainage tile installation demonstration. The morning included two sessions that covered the history, necessity, and future of conservation drainage, drainage water management, and soils. Drainage water management allows for the drainage necessary for production while reducing the amount of nutrients transported out of the field, helping build a more resilient farming community. The first session, hosted by Agri Drain President Charlie Schafer and ShoreRivers Director of Agriculture & Restoration Tim Rosen, focused on conservation drainage and automated drainage water management. The second session focused on soils, and was led by Phil King, Annie Rossi-Gill, and Jim Brewer, soil scientists with the Natural Resource Conservation Service who discussed the impact of drainage on soil and the implications for crops.

Throughout the day, Alleghany Farm Services had large equipment onsite installing drainage tile as part of a new drainage water management system. This is the first drainage water management project of this type in Delaware. It is funded by Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control through a Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant. To learn more about financial options for conservation drainage, please contact your local soil conservation district or ShoreRivers.

This field day is part of ShoreRivers’ ongoing efforts to address nutrients and sediment in agricultural runoff, as this dominant land use is the leading contributor of pollution to Eastern Shore waterways. ShoreRivers works collaboratively with farmers to reduce these pollution loads using innovative practices, such as the drainage management techniques demonstrated during this field day. To learn more about ShoreRivers’ dedicated agriculture and restoration staff as well as project and funding opportunities that benefit farmers and local water quality, visit shorerivers.org/agriculture.

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education.

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