Carper visits Laurel farmer and soil conservation champion
Sen. Tom Carper, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, met July 16 with Laurel farmer Blaine Hitchens to discuss soil conservation practices and the Growing Climate Solutions Act. Carper helped lead the bipartisan legislation to Senate passage June 24. The act would help farmers financially benefit from their efforts to address climate change.
“Blaine Hitchens is proof that our farmers can do good and do well at the same time,” said Carper. “His soil conservation work is a textbook example of the positive impact that the agriculture community can have on reducing the amount of carbon in our atmosphere, and keeping land fertile and prosperous. I hear from other Delaware farmers who want to be part of the climate solution as well. The Growing Climate Solutions Act would allow farmers to monetize their efforts to address climate change – a win-win for our growers and our planet.”
Hitchens’ farm is nearly 1,000 acres in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; it includes cropland in corn, soybean and cover crop rotation, along with six poultry houses. He began his soil health journey with no-till farming more than 15 years ago and added cover crops more than 10 years ago. For the last five years, he’s been ‘planting green,’ which means that every acre has a living root growing year-round, improving soil health, and sequestering carbon – which is the major contributor to combat climate change – in the soil.
Through his participation in USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Hitchens has implemented a variety of conservation practices for nutrient management, irrigation water management, pest management and waste treatment. He also participates in Sussex Conservation District’s cover crop cost-share program each year. These conservation efforts reduce overall nutrient applications, absorb excess nutrients, and prevent runoff and soil erosion, which protects and improves water quality while making his operation more sustainable. In 2019, Hitchens was named the National Association of Conservation Districts Soil Health Champion, and in 2021 he was given the Governor’s Conservation Award.
