On Wednesday, January 12, from 12:00-12:30 EST, we’ll talk with Kevin Warring of Persistence Creek Farm, recent recipient of the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award, the first of its kind presented in Maryland. The award recognizes agricultural landowners actively committed to a land ethic.
The farm, located in Faulkner, MD, is a 245-acre grain, seafood and timber business, half tillable and half forested. As third generation farmers, Kevin and his wife Lauren take soil seriously. To foster soil fertility, they rotate crops of corn, soybean and sorghum annually, and they use no-till or minimum tillage on all fields to reduce run-off. Cover crops and careful nutrient management boost soil microorganisms, minimize chemical inputs, maximize yields, and help protect the Chesapeake Bay.
In addition to in-field practices, the Warrings enhance wildlife habitat and maintain productive forests. They have leveraged federal and state conservation funding to install perennial buffers, shallow water ponds, and tree plantings to help reduce streambank erosion, capture nutrients from crop fields, and improve water quality. Kevin, who describes himself as a “flower geek,” has planted acres of wildflowers and native grasses to attract insect pollinators and to provide diverse habitat for species such as wild turkeys, deer, and rabbits.
Working alongside his father, Kevin is also a waterman. He fishes for crabs in the summer and oysters in the winter. Recently, he helped start the Wicomico River Oyster Cooperative together with 11 other watermen. He is an active member of the Maryland Farm Bureau, the Charles County Waterman’s Association, and the Charles Soil Conservation District. Off the farm, Kevin is the Director of Analysis and Integration at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division. Kevin has a master’s degree in economics from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in physics from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
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The Maryland Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support of American Farmland Trust, Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, Maryland Association of Conservation Districts, Maryland Farm Bureau, Inc., Sand County Foundation, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Farm Credit, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Delmarva Chicken Association, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Conservancy, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, ShoreRivers, and The Nature Conservancy.
Register here.
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The goal of the Million Acre Challenge is to support farmers in building healthy soils on one million acres of Maryland agricultural land by 2030. By joining the Challenge, you show your commitment to putting your boots on the pathway to a profitable, resilient future for your farm with healthy soils as the foundation.