Agriculture is one of the largest land uses in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The food produced here supports the growing population in the watershed and beyond, but production also leads to nutrients entering the Bay. The Farm Bill provides critical support to producers and environmental protections. While food production and other agricultural programs are necessary, so is supporting farmland owners to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into our waterways. Last signed in 2018, the current farm bill expires in September and conversations about its next iteration are ongoing.

Join us on Wednesday, June 21st, from 12-1 pm for an overview of the farm bill, the impact it has had and can have on the restoration effort, and what the future may hold.

Moderator:

• Denice Wardrop, Executive Director, Chesapeake Research Consortium

Speakers:

• Leon Tillman, Natural Resources Specialist, US Department of Agriculture – National Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS)
• Anna Killius, Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Commission