Maryland's Department of Agriculture has launched a campaign to persuade the state's homeowners to change how they use chemicals around their homes [1]. Fertilizers contain nitrogen and phosphorus. When these wash into the watershed during rainstorms, they contribute to the Chesapeake Bay's summer dead zones.

Maryland still has more fields than lawns, with about 1.4 million acres in agricultural use and 775,000 acres of lawns. But state officials say fertilizer use in the state is almost equally shared between agriculture and lawn care -- which means home gardeners could learn a thing or two about conservation from farmers.

"Gardeners are using more fertilizer, and farmers are using less," explained Buddy Hance, an assistant secretary at the Department of Agriculture, which invited reporters to its Annapolis headquarters today to show off conservation practices farmers use that translate to backyard use.

It is possible to reduce or eliminate fertilizer use and still have a healthy lawn or garden. One alternative is to use homemade compost, which also reduces the amount of trash going into landfills. See the linked article for more suggestions for reducing impact on the bay.