Hutchison Brothers Farm Cordova, MD
Pioneering Field-Scale Bioreactors with Biochar
In December of 2016, Ridge to Reefs implemented the first bioreactor mixed with biochar in a non-research setting in the USA. The goal of this new practice is to reduce nitrate concentrations by 80%-90% and phosphorus concentrations by 30%-60% in the farm’s agricultural runoff before it reaches the Choptank River and the Chesapeake Bay. This 100 foot by 30 foot bioreactor was designed to treat a 70 acre drainage area that produces row crops.
Ridge to Reefs will be instrumenting and monitoring the site thanks to funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Read the feature in the Star Democrat.