*Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) *Pumpkins *Weddings *Christmas Trees *Come visit the farm for fresh produce (cash or check only please) Some of the practices Snead uses in his “conservation farming” are: •Sod buffers between fields. These buffers,as opposed to bare earth,absorb runoff and act as soft pathways for farm equipment. •No-till planting that inserts seeds directly into the soil. Not tilling preserves topsoil and reduces the amount of sediment going into creeks and the river. •No nitrogen fertilizer goes on corn until it is knee-high. This cuts the amount needed through harvest by a quarter. Nitrogen is a nutrient that contributes to “dead zones” in the Chesapeake Bay during the summer months. •Cover crops are planted on fields soon after harvest,protecting and enriching the soil,and providing food and habitat for local wildlife. •Tall tunnels not only lengthen the growing season for tomatoes; they also prevent runoff into area streams and rivers. •By regularly rotating crops among the fields at Snead's Farm,the long-term health of the soil is enhanced and less fertilizer is needed. •Take a look behind the horse barn here at Snead's Farm,and you'll see us making one of our most valuable resources—compost,used to feed our soil and crops in a way that is healthy for people,workers and the environment.