Managing for Profit

Responsible farming

Bayer ForwardFarming is a global initiative demonstrating sustainable agriculture in practice on independent farms around the world.  Trey Hill a 4th generation partner in Harborview Farms, the first Bayer ForwardFarm in the United States, does not use the term sustainable.

“Being responsible, I equate it to being able to explain what I do to my children,” explains Hill.  “If I’m going to spray something, can I explain fully what I’ve sprayed, how I’ve sprayed it and what the repercussions are to the environment – and do it with integrity – then to me, that’s responsible.”

Tre Hill’s family farm sits on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, near Rock Hall, Maryland.

For Hill, being responsible means closely monitoring all inputs.  It includes using high quality seed with appropriate traits and seed treatments; no-till farming in conjunction with other conservation practices to increase water infiltration, sequester carbon and maintain organic matter for soil fertility.  It’s using precision agriculture, Integrated pest management and proper product storage and disposal.  It’s planting pollinator strips, milkweed preservation and cover for wildlife. It’s using buffer zones and dedicated conservation areas to ensure preservation of the surrounding Chesapeake Bay.  A solar site powers all of the on-farm facilities, including an irrigation pivot and the entire grain system, reducing the farm’s dependency on non-renewable fuels.  The farm uses cover crops to improve soil health, prevent erosion, reduce pollution and improve water quality in the surrounding areas.

Audio:  Tre Hill