"Save water, control water, preserve the streams and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay," Bittner said. "If every citizen and every farmer could adopt that mentality, we wouldn't need a Chesapeake Bay Fund to clean up the bay."

When Crosby set out to purchase land, she bought the first 110 acres through Bittner, who had been selling real estate for 22 years at the time. She wanted someone with a little farming background to operate her land, and chose Bittner, now 71, who was raised on a farmette in the Sabillasville hills.

Following high school and a tour in the U.S. Army, Bittner attended DeVry Tech in Chicago, married his high school sweetheart and began working in biomedical engineering at The Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Lab in Laurel. He earned two more degrees in engineering at Hopkins, attending evening sessions while working full-time. Three children and seven grandchildren keep him occupied when not at the farm. A real estate course led to a real estate license in 1976 and a new career. And that led to an association with Fox Haven Farm and Crosby.

Since Crosby's initial purchase, there have been eight additional purchases, bringing the land held up to 400 acres, Bittner said. When he first started managing the farm, Bittner's first project was to capture as much run-off as possible as quickly as possible, because the land had been so over-farmed it left it depleted.

Bittner established a garden area and a solar-powered system that pulls water from a well and stores it in a 2,400-gallon tank. Gravity feeds drip irrigation throughout the garden. Bittner designed and built the system himself.

"Since garden relates to food, and food relates to health and people, why not try food without herbicides and pesticides," Crosby said. Now, the entire farm is certified organic under the Maryland State Organic program.

They embarked on a tree planting plan in 2000 and have planted about 65,000 trees, including six varieties of Oak, Walnut, Sycamore, Locust, Dogwood, Red Bud and more, Bittner said.

All trees have been planted under the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program or the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program, and diversity and native species are high priorities.

All plantings were made on contour lines where possible, which creates natural water retention troughs as trees mature. Trees have been planted on sloping land up to the shoulder of the hill, and is being used on smaller inclines to grow hay or grain to be sold as organic products. All of Fox Haven Farm's organic hay is sold locally to a certified organic dairy farm. Vegetables and berries are being sold locally as well.

Maintenance around the farm required a tractor. There is still only one 50 horse power tractor at Fox Haven, Bittner said. From the outset, the plan was to limit how much equipment the farm used, a decision that initially cut costs and encouraged long-term planning rather than impulsive day-to-day action, Bittner said.

"I believe it is possible to over-extend on equipment purchases and many times this eats into the profit that is realized at the end of the day," he said.

How does he do it at age 71? "You keep on plugging," Bittner said. "You have to like it, but I'll be honest, I get paid to operate the farm," he said. Bittner said many farmers, at the mercy of Mother Nature, don't know if they will get paid at the end of the season.

"I've been there with a number of dedicated farmers as I listed their farms for sale over the years when they finally realized that they had to sell out," Bittner said. "It's a hard, unpredictable way of life and I take my hat off to all who work the farm."

In Bittner's case, he has an owner who depends on him to assist her in planning long-term so that the farm produces a diversity of crops to be consumed locally by humans and animals.

"She also insists that the farm operation should help protect the environment and incorporate a sanctuary for birds, beneficial insects and wildlife. I believe these three basic goals can be achieved at some level on any farm," Bittner said.

"Many have been led to believe that bigger is better and higher production is more important than limiting our equipment costs, and some have lost track of the notion of making a profit rather than producing the highest yield possible," Bittner said.

Fox Haven Farm uses no commercial fertilizer and, under the guidelines of the Maryland Organic Certification Program, no herbicides or pesticides. One-third of the soil is rested and nourished for a full year, then rotated back into production.

Legumes, such as Hairy Vetch, Soy Beans, Crimson clover and Buckwheat are planted in the areas that are being nourished during any particular year. The production land is limited to 66 percent of the total, but the costs to produce are minimal, Bittner said.

"Do I think that all farmers should plant trees? Not if that is not part of a well thought-out program," Bittner said.

By participating in a federal conservation program, Fox Haven Farm receives as high as $164 per-acre per-year for trees that were planted in 2000, Bittner said. The trees require little annual maintenance because they are now large enough to be left alone, he said. "Sloped land with a $164 profit and added environmental benefits and minimal labor costs -- that's a pretty good long-term crop in my book," Bittner said.

After the first 10 years and with the farm owner's encouragement, Bittner said he is beginning to see some positive results. "It's a long-term effort that requires one to think ahead, use good common sense and adapt to achieve the long term plan," Bittner said. "At Fox Haven Farm we think many years ahead. How will what I do today effect the world years later? I may know the answer one day. But whatever I'm doing would not be possible without the owner's input."

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