Poague Run – Sterling Example of Watershed Restoration
I watched the children carry their jars with native Brook Trout fingerlings to the edge of Poague Run. They carefully stepped close to the water and tipped the jars over releasing the fish into the stream. This simple act is a conservationist’s “Mount Everest”. Together, we climbed the mountain....
Why Do Farmers Fence Their Livestock Out of Streams?
Why do farmers fence their livestock from ponds, streams, and wetlands? Of the hundreds of farmers I have talked to that have done it these are the top four reasons:
Progressive Farmer Magazine Features Valley Farmer, Conservation and CBF
Deborah Huso, Free Lance Writer for the Progressive Farmer Magazine called me back in July. “I’d like to do a story on stream fencing, the Farm Bill and conservation. Do you have any farmers in mind that I could interview”, she said. This was music to my ears.
This is What a Well Functioning Riparian Buffer Looks Like
There are many definitions of riparian buffer. In this post and the video linked here, we offer the elements of a well-functioning buffer and show what they look like. Riparian buffers are one of the most effective Best Management Practices to abate non-point source water pollution. The word “riparian” comes from...
Well Managed “Open-Space” Should Not Be Taxed
“Well-managed” farmland and other working “open-spaces” should not be taxed when they provide ecosystem services exceeding the cost of public services for the land.

Planting and Growing a Successful Riparian Forest Buffer
I have been involved with over 500 miles of riparian buffer plantings and have witnessed plenty of failures and successes. I would like to share with you what I believe is the recipe for success, that being TREE CANOPY CLOSURE IN TEN YEARS.
Harpers Ferry – a History Steeped in Irony
I’m standing in the middle of the footbridge across the Potomac River at Harper’s Ferry looking downstream. Beneath me flows the nation’s river that at this point in its journey, drained six million acres of land.
Enthusiasm Gas Tank for Riparian Forest Buffers Refilled at Stroud
I recently attended a “Stream and Buffer Ecology Workshop” at the Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, Pennsylvania. Stroud is a world-class research facility for fresh water science. This year their “Moorhead Environmental Complex” was awarded a “Platinum LEED” rating, which is the nation’s highest certification for green construction.
Monsoon Hits Middle River Watershed – Flood Plains and Soil Regulate the Water Cycle
Here in Swoope, it’s been raining for three days – we’ve had 10.5 inches of rain.
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“Bobby and Jeanne show us how agriculture and conservation can work together, just as the couple’s remarkable marriage does. This book is about their journey together on the farm to produce healthy livestock and clean water.
This book gives us a blueprint not only for the restoration of the Bay and the waters of the United States but also for the family farm.”
Will Baker
President, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
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