Although Trey Hill has been farming around 10,000 acres in Rock Hall, Md., his whole life, he’s quick to mention that he’s more a student than a teacher. It’s this instinct that leads him to perpetually tweak his nitrogen (N) management and cover-crop program, forever in search of more conservative and efficient techniques for the fourth generation family-run Harborview Farms.

The motivation behind building a no-till system — which the Hill family has been using on their farm in some capacity for about 40 years — that makes equitable use of cover crops and comprehensive nutrient management is two-fold for Hill.

On one end, he wants to build optimal soil health and follow his inputs to ensure that cost savings are appreciated and return on investment is maximized, but also because being environmentally conscious of the N cycle is an everyday imperative with so many acres hugging the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

Planting ‘Green’

Hill has been experimenting with cover crops for the past 20 years and still feels that he has much to learn. Now 100% cover cropped, he makes good use of the Maryland Agricultural Water…