Soil Health to Go! with Leopold Award Winners Caleb & Alice Crothers

Caleb Crothers, 8th generation owner/operator of Long Green Farms, Inc., with his wife, Alice, join us on Wednesday, April 12 for Soil Health to Go! The couple are recent winners of the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award.

At Long Green Farms, the couple practice a strong conservation ethic by implementing no-till farming, cover crops, tree planting and so much more. They have addressed heavy-use livestock areas, rainwater capture, and electricity production, while also raising a family and volunteering in their community.

To date, conservation projects and practices implemented by the couple include:

• Reconstruction and realignment of a significant swath of streambank that is a direct tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, including 60,000 trees, grading, and installation of many stream and fish habitat improvements
• No-till planting
• Aerial seeding of 300 acres of cover crops into standing corn and soy 
• Use of drag lining to apply manure on their 225 acres of corn, 120 acres of soybeans, and 80 acres of hay
• A livestock barn with manure storage to divert clean rainwater to grassed waterways 
• Enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program to improve water quality while providing wildlife habitat.
• Installation of an earthen lagoon with a concrete structure to store manure. 
• Installation of a sand separator to recycle sand used as livestock bedding. 
• They are also exploring options to install a methane digester to generate electricity

As farmers, the Crothers cite conserving the environment among their greatest callings. Join us on April 12, 2023 from 12-12:30 to learn more about this family’s soil health efforts.

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.