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Chesapeake Bay Foundation Clagett Farm welcomes U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) Farm Conservation Tour participants and gives them an overview of Clagett Farm and the conservation practices that have been implemented in partnership with Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, on Feb. 21, 2018. The foundation and NRCS staff will discuss the implementation process of conservation plans that address soil health, drainage solutions and farm road designs. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland State Soil Scientist Phillip King demonstrates the deployment of the Olympus Delta Professional XRF hand-held device that determines the amount of metal contaminants within the soil. The contaminants of concern are lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. Once identified, a land owner can choose not to use the land or address the problem with a remedial activity.

This technology provides an efficient and timely analysis for the customer so that they can make their land use decisions. Previously, aerial surveys and excavations were needed to get soil samples that were sent to laboratories for analysis.

The increased use of surburban/urban interfaces for agricultural production is one of the reasons this device was brought into service is to detect metal content in soil that people may have put on the land. USDA Departmental Administration Radiation Safety Division Specialist Katina Jones, red shirt, takes advantage of the nearby XRF device demonstration to get some field measurements of natural radiation in the area and then near the device in various modes. No problems were detected.