By Greg Ellison

(April 2, 2020) The Maryland Coastal Bays Program wants to promote small-scale farming practices and local agriculture producers through its new “Living Local: Small-Scale, Large Impact” project.

The campaign includes a series of farm spotlight articles, with the first published tomorrow, along with community visits to small-scale operations at a still-to-be-determined date this summer.

Chandler Joiner, Coastal Bays environmental educator, who is spearheading the campaign with guidance from Liz Wist, Coastal Bays education coordinator, said the undertaking grew from a desire to highlight the benefits of sustainable agricultural practices on area watersheds.

“The Maryland Coastal Bays Program exists to protect and conserve the water and surrounding watershed of Maryland’s five coastal bays [and] agriculture is one of the dominant land uses,” she said.

Joiner said the goal is to raise awareness of low impact farming practices that minimize waterway pollution, and to encourage the consumption of local produce.

Spotlighting small and medium-scale farms in the area also helps the Coastal Bays Program pursue its larger mission.

“The protection and conservation of the watershed should involve the recognition of healthy and sustainable farming practices,” she said.

Joiner said the “Living Local” project is intended to link farmers and consumers.

“One major intention of the project is to educate the community about the hard-working farmers in our area that are producing good food for our tables,” she said.

Joiner said the “farmer-focused” initiative would provide several opportunities for community members to tour small-scale agricultural locations.

“One of them, Splendid Earth Acre, is only a sixth of an acre in downtown Berlin,” she said. “Assateague Farms is only a couple acres on Assateague Road. They’re all local.”

Tentatively slated for June, the farm visiting schedule will be re-evaluated as the date approaches.

Joiner said the roughly handful of hour-long farm tours planed for this summer would also include an interactive component, such as helping harvest crops.

“People can also learn about things they can do in their own backyard, or if they’re looking to get into farming themselves, I can also provide information,” she said. “We’ll show them farmers they might not even know are right down the street.”

Whenever anti-pandemic measures are lifted, the Coastal Bays Program website and Facebook page will be publishing a series of farm spotlights written by Joiner.

“We’re looking to release the first article this Friday,” she said.

The feature pieces will include interviews with local farmers talking about sustainable growing techniques and the environmental challenges they face.

“One talks about broadfork, a tool that loosens the soil without flipping it upside down, like a no-till mechanism,” she said. “It’s vital to help maintain soil structure.”

To learn more, visit

Coastal Bays Environmental Educator Chandler Joiner

. Click on the “Living Local” link.

More information about farm visits will be announced on the Maryland Coastal Bays Program website, Facebook page and subscriber newsletter once firm dates are available.