Last year, ten Pennsylvania farmers took on AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST's "Best Management Program Challenge" to grow their field crops using less nitrogen fertilizer than the recommended levels nitrogen fertilizer. The results of their year long experiment are good news for the environment and the wallet! In 2008, these farmers reduced a total of 24,658 pounds of nitrogen that otherwise would have been applied to their fields. Not only did these farmers remove thousands of pounds of nitrogen that could have ended up clouding the Chesapeake, they did it at a fraction of the cost of other nitrogen removal strategies—at only $2.74 per pound versus the up to $8-9 per pound it is estimated it could cost tax payers to remove the nutrient through other means. It isn’t just farmers that can make a difference; you can do your part too! Whether you live in the Mid-Atlantic or in the plains of North Dakota, water always makes its way downhill. Find out what you can do: check-out the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s nitrogen calculator and take a challenge of your own!
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