Video Training on Improving Water Quality Featuring Farmers and Their Practices in the German Branch Watershed

Video Training on Improving Water Quality Featuring Farmers and Their Practices in the German Branch Watershed

Summary

Summary
The German Branch Watershed, located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, is one of the largest sub-watersheds of the Tuckahoe Creek. The Tuckahoe flows into the Choptank River, which subsequently meets the Chesapeake Bay. In November of 1990, the USDA announced the selection of the German Branch for the USDA Water Quality Program. The goal was to provide farmers and ranchers with the educational, technical, and financial means to respond voluntarily to on-farm and off-site environmental concerns and related water quality issues. Ninety-two percent of all operators within the watershed have participated since the beginning of the project.

The video has two principal goals -- to illustrate that community-wide participation is necessary for successful projects, and also to show best management practices that landowners adopt. The completed video is 36 minutes long. In it, six farmers talk about best management practices that improve water quality -- integrated pest management, nutrient management, pre-sidedress nitrogen test, cover crops, minimum tillage, manure management, dead broiler composting, bay-wise landscaping, and fish ladders. In addition, a homeowner in the watershed talks about changes in his landscaping practices, a district manager for the Queen Anne’s County Soil Conservation District shares his agency’s contributions, and a fertilizer company representative and crop consultant talk about their participation. The county Cooperative Extension agent in Queen Anne’s County and leader of the project narrates the video. Two farmers, five extension faculty, and two Farm Service Agency representatives help illustrate best management practices through non-speaking roles.

Objective
The objective of this video is to increase the understanding of extension agents and other agricultural professionals of both team approaches and watershed improvement issues. On the video, farmers talked about successful farming practices that enhance the environment and improve profitability.

Specific Project Results
The specific project result is the video itself, which is available for a modest fee for educational purposes. Feedback on this video was captured in December 1998, when we sponsored a dinner for participants and farmers in the watershed. About 60 people attended. This audience was very pleased with the results. They had many suggestions for people about whom we should share the video with. These included the governor, tributary teams who are working to clean up Chesapeake Bay, the Farm Bureau, conservation districts, and Maryland Public Television. We are following up on those suggestions. In addition, the video will be shown during the "County Highlights Session" of the winter meeting for the Maryland Soil Conservation Districts.

Reported January 1999. 1999 Northeast Region SARE/ACE Report.