Nature-Based Farming Solutions Protect the Chesapeake Bay

By Blake Jackson

Agriculture plays a vital role throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, making sustainable farming practices central to the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s mission. Founded in 1971, the Alliance has long partnered with farmers and rural landowners, expanding its efforts across all watershed states with strong teams based in Pennsylvania.

By working directly with producers, the organization promotes conservation approaches that reduce pollution while fitting into day-to-day farm operations, all while respecting the watershed’s diverse landscapes and farming traditions.

A major focus of the Alliance’s work is the use of nature-based practices, which rely on natural systems to improve soil, water, and air quality over time. Incorporating native plants helps rebuild resilient ecosystems that grow stronger and more effective when properly maintained.

These approaches are often affordable, flexible, and scalable, allowing farmers to achieve multiple environmental benefits at once.

One widely used practice is riparian forest buffers rows of native trees and shrubs planted along streambanks. These buffers filter nutrients and sediment, prevent erosion, stabilize streambanks, and create habitat for fish, insects, and wildlife.

The Alliance’s forestry and agriculture teams work together to design and install these buffers as part of whole-farm conservation plans.

Hedgerows are another valuable tool. These dense plantings of native trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers act as natural barriers that reduce wind erosion, hold soil in place, and limit nutrient runoff. They also provide habitat for beneficial insects that naturally control crop pests.

Additional practices include vegetative environmental buffers near poultry houses, which reduce dust and emissions while improving animal comfort, and grassed waterways that guide runoff safely through fields to reduce erosion.

Pollinator strips, planted with diverse native flowers, support bees and beneficial insects, improve soil moisture retention, and help protect crops making nature-based solutions a win for both farmers and the Chesapeake Bay.

Photo Credit: pexels-adam-sondel