We see a favorable long term shift in pesticide use and resulting pollution here at our region of the Delaware Bay in New Jersey. Yet little is published about this trend. We read plenty of material about the Chesapeake Bay and most of our information about pesticide and fertilizer runoff actually comes from that watershed (like in this July 2018 article). The downside of pesticide and fertilizer use at the bay region is well documented. But here is the good news: many or most of the farms in our region of Cumberland County New Jersey have shifted to organic gardening methods over the past few years. The market demand for organic produce caused these farms to switch over from the former corn and soy bean crops that were driven by chemical applications. We’ve seen no published data yet but we suspect that local water quality is improving.
This photo shows a Newport
, New Jersey farm with a cover crop of clover. Clover provides a natural source of soil nitrogen and prevents soil erosion over the winter season.
