“The story of Kepone was well known 40 years ago. Even 20 years ago, but with each passing decade it bears retelling lest we fail to heed the warning of history and somehow fail to provide for vigilance when it comes to protecting public health and the environment.” —Joseph Maroon,...
“Here’s a toast: That we may learn the connection between land and water.” That’s the last line in Surf and Turf, a Chesapeake Bay Watershed Story, a short documentary showing that what we do here in the Shenandoah Valley, how we farm, profoundly and inextricably affects the water leaving our...
We have a small farm in Swoope along Trimbles Mill Road. The Middle River flows through it for half a mile. We call it the River Farm. The cows were fenced away from the river in 2004, and we planted trees along the banks. Sycamores Hold the Line I walk...
Note: This was written by a real person . . . me. There are no popups, no ads, no AI. All photos were taken by me. In January, Jeanne and I traveled to Portugal and visited three of its many wine regions: the Douro, the Alentejo, and the Algarve. The...
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the most comprehensive law protecting imperiled plants and animals in the world. Because of the ESA, hundreds of plants and animals have been saved, including some of our most iconic birds: the American Bald Eagle, the California Condor, the Peregrine Falcon, and the Whooping...
October is Riparian Buffer Month. How Could I Not Write About That? Note: This post was written by a real person–me. All photos by R. Whitescarver unless otherwise noted. Walking under the shade of the trees we planted along Middle River, I look up and see abundant acorns. I smile....
Every Tree Matters: A Rant on Riparian Buffer Maintenance Note: A real person wrote this post—me. I’ve been planting trees professionally for almost 40 years. I’ll bet I planted half a million trees before most of you reading this post were born. In addition, Jeanne and I have our own...
Our farm in Virginia’s legendary Shenandoah Valley affects the waters of America’s largest estuary over three-hundred miles away—the Chesapeake Bay. How we manage our land profoundly and inextricably affects groundwater and surface water. In other words, our turf affects what’s in the surf. Surf and Turf It was a special...
Note: This was written by a real person: me. Farming is the heart and soul of the Shenandoah Valley and the number one industry in most counties. But perhaps not for long. As I drive around, I can hardly look anywhere without seeing houses, cookie-cutter subdivisions, or big box stores...
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay has a program that helped us be more efficient and safer farmers with conservation vouchers. It’s called the Healthy Streams Farm Stewardship program. It awards $3,000 worth of conservation vouchers per acre of riparian forest buffer up to $20,000. In addition, the program allows...
“I read every one of Bobby’s blog posts. They keep me informed on everything from their cattle farm operation to their best management practices in action. His blog always features relevant information on keeping our waters clean, our soil out of the runoff, and other environmental issues of our time.”
© 2026 · WHITESCARVER NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT LLC • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • Site powered by The Downstream Project
Press Enter to searchEsc to close
