Cultivating New Perspectives in Delmarva

Local Officials Grow Their Knowledge Around Agriculture Issues

Often called the “Delmarva” peninsula, the communities on the eastern shore of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia are quite different, culturally, from their mainland counterparts. Here, most local governments have more in common with their neighbors across state lines than with communities on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay. With its flat, coastal plains, Delmarva has a distinctive rural character with deep agricultural roots and strong ties to the water.

Wandering Delmarva’s Waterways

On April 4th and 5th, the Wandering Delmarva’s Waterways tour took 23 elected officials, representing 18 municipalities from Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia on a two-day journey across the peninsula to visit innovative agricultural practices, clean water initiatives, and solutions to localized flooding. The tour was hosted in partnership with the Delaware League of Local Governments, the Maryland Association of Counties, the Maryland Municipal League, the Virginia Association of Counties, and the Virginia Municipal League; and funded by a grant from the Campbell Foundation.

Impacts of Saltwater Intrusion

Led by John Holland, farmer and owner, the tour began in New Church, VA with a visit to the W.T. Holland & Son’s Farm to witness the impacts of saltwater intrusion. As sea levels rise along coastal areas, storm surges or high tides can spread seawater over land areas low in elevation. Commonly referred to as saltwater intrusion, this phenomenon has quickly become one of the foremost challenges facing farmers in coastal communities. As Holland led elected officials through marshy, flooded cropland, he described how his family has lost 15 acres of their 152-acre farm to saltwater intrusion since the 1990s.

Farmer John Holland gives local officials a tour of his farm in New Church, VA where areas of cropland have been lost to saltwater intrusion.

Each year, intruding saltwater claims more of the land, causing crop yields to decline, and more salt-tolerant invasive species to move in. Partners like the Eastern Shore Soil and Water Conservation District can help farmers mitigate the impacts of saltwater intrusion by identifying more salt-tolerant crops, providing cost-share funds for cover cropping, and sharing best practices.

Areas of W.T. Holland Farms in New Church, VA that have been lost to saltwater intrusion.

Mitigating Pollution with Vegetative Buffers

Next, local leaders crossed into Pocomoke, MD to view vegetative buffers and explore the poultry industry at Far and Val Nasir’s poultry farm. An impressive 12% of the American poultry industry is supplied from Delmarva, and in 2023, the Delmarva chicken community raised 601.1 million chickens, generating $4.4 billion in wholesale value. With such concentrated production, it can be difficult to strike a balance between affordable chicken production and protecting water quality. While guiding elected officials around the farm, Far and Val showed off their healthy vegetative buffers installed with cost-share funds provided by the Delmarva Chicken Association. These buffers shield poultry barns from the sight and smell of neighbors and roads, while reducing noise and providing shade.

Far and Val Nasir showcase a vegetative buffer on their poultry farm in Pocomoke, MD.

Importance of Agricultural Land Preservation

The tour continued with a trip to Quantico, MD to see preserved farmland with the Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT). Jared Parks and Frank Deuter from the Trust spoke with local leaders about the importance of agricultural land preservation and how local elected officials can be partners in this work. For over 30 years, LSLT has worked with landowners to protect and restore the natural heritage of their properties, so the character of the land, and diverse wildlife it supports is preserved for present and future generations.

Local officials view a preserved farm with the Lower Shore Land Trust in Quantico, MD.

Benefits of Best Management Practices on Family Farms

Attendees reconvened the next day to learn about best management practices (BMPs) and agritourism at Chapel’s Country Creamery, a family-owned and operated farm, just outside of Easton, MD. Trisha and Jarred Boyce purchased the 45-acre farm in 2017 to carry on their families’ rich farming legacy. Their award-winning farmstead cheeses begin with fresh raw milk from their herd of registered Jersey and Holstein cows.

While touring Chapel’s Country Creamery in Easton, MD, local officials stop in at the barn to meet the dairy cows.

To ensure their operation remains sustainable and cost effective, the Boyce family has partnered with the Alliance to install agricultural BMPs that protect both waterways and the farm’s bottom line. The Alliance helped fund and install increased manure storage, a stabilized barnyard, and updated barn roofing and gutters at the creamery; and they are in the initial stages of helping the Boyces with a solid liquid manure separation project.

While touring the Chapel’s Country Creamery in Easton, MD, Alex Echols from the Keith Campbell Foundation stopped to pet a friendly dairy cow.

Flood Management with Tax Ditches

The last stop of the tour was the Cart Branch Tax Ditch in Greenwood, DE. Tax ditches are channels that can range in size to aid with drainage. David Baird, from the Sussex Conservation District, led elected officials on a walk around the Cart Branch Tax Ditch, which reduces local flooding, supports bank stabilization, provides flood plain enhancement, and can serve as a greenspace for residents to enjoy.

David Baird leads local officials on a tour of the Cart Branch Tax Ditch project managed by the Sussex Conservation District in Greenwood, DE.

The Cart Branch Tax Ditch project managed by the Sussex Conservation District in Greenwood, DE.

After touring this wide variety of farms and agricultural practices across the Delmarva Peninsula, many local officials left with new insight about the array of challenges different communities face, and the innovative solutions available.

“All the [tour] stops were each very interesting and enlightening. Some, of course, were more interesting depending on the location of your community,” said Vice-Mayor Ron Calef, Town of Bethany Beach, DE. “It is good to know each municipality’s concerns and it’s always good to see what others are experiencing.”

Former Council Member of the Town of Laurel, DE, Don Phillips said the most valuable part of the tour was “listening to elected officials as they spoke to their shared common experiences, and how their environmental concerns were real, tangible, and in the moment.”

What’s Next for the Wandering Waterways?

In fall 2024, Wandering Waterways is headed to engage elected officials in the District of Columbia. With support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Wandering the District’s Waterways tour will bring together Commissioners from across the District for dialogue and peer learning around facilitating equitable access to greenspaces and building healthy communities for all.

If you are interested in learning more about the Wandering Waterways Series, please email at lgac@allianceforthebay.org.