A “greener” farm

Spotsylvania farmer Richard Ridgway was  cited for  Chesapeake Bay-friendly practices–among them, a farm nutrient management plan, curbing stream bank erosion, and protecting three acres of wetlands. Fertilizers and other  nutrients  can run into streams, eventually contributing to vast algae blooms in the bay that rob oxygen from the water, making it inhospitable to marine life.  Sediment is a growing problem in the Rappahannock, affecting water quality and cutting off sunlight to aquatic plants. Ridgway received the Tri-County/City Soil and Water Conservation District’s 2011 Clean Water/Bay Friendly Farm Award at a recent meeting of the county’s Board of Supervisors. The award is in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreaction, and recognizes farmers who demonstrate outstanding management practices which conserve natural resources.

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