Cover crops hit a record high of 478-thosuand acres.
That’s up from 2012 when there were 430-thousand acres.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture says that’s the largest number in the state’s history.
Annapolis provided $22 million this year for the program.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation ranks cover crops as one of the five best cost-effective measures for farmers to reduce pollution into the region’s estuary.