Chris Weaver's central Maryland farm sits in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, one of the most environmentally scrutinized farming regions in the country. But instead of cussing the additional regulatory oversight, he has used the challenges to improve soil productivity and profitability -- all while trying to trim costly inputs such as nitrogen.

"By changing our mindset, we've found ways to adapt that have actually led to improvement across our whole operation," said Weaver. "As a six-generation farmer with young children who may one day want to carry on the legacy, we needed to change to survive."

Cover crops. No-till. Intense nutrient monitoring and management. Use of biologicals and precision technology. Jump-starting soil biology by composting manure. Weaver has a laundry list of production tweaks he's deployed to push production while protecting resources.

All of those things have worked together to bring some impressive crop yield achievements. In 2025, the Maryland Soybean Association verified the farm's no-till/non-irrigated soybean entry of 156.73 bushels per acre (bpa) and called it record-breaking. Weaver said the yield came with an 86 bpa breakeven based on all costs (fuel, equipment, insurance, land and labor) and $10 per bushel soybean prices.

"We made good money while implementing environmental stewardship. That's more important than the total yield tally," he noted. Last year, he raised 350 bpa corn with 0.5 units of nitrogen per bushel.

DTN readers will be reading more about Weaver's agronomic practices, as well as other observations, during the 2026 growing season as Weaver contributes to a feature called View From the Cab. In its 22nd year, this series follows two farmers from different geographical regions. Also contributing to the coverage will be Tyler Rath, Belgrade, Minnesota.

A LONG HISTORY

History has a longer view as you drive east. Hickory Hollow Farms began six generations ago when Weaver's German and Irish relatives put down roots in central Maryland. Family loyalties were divided during Civil War times but eventually all returned home to resume life as farmers.

"In my lifetime, my grandfather and father and now, myself, have managed the farm. Growing up, we were also in the produce business and sold fresh produce at several locations," he recalled. "But we have always been a cattle and grain farm."

He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in agriculture business in 2000. He never really left the farm, but built a business doing soil conservation projects, such as installing waterways and water systems. In 2010, he took over managing the farm, while continuing to offer agronomic consulting to local farmers.

He got the bug to start pushing the crop yield envelope in 2014. That led to forming networks and linking to various companies willing to let him put their products to the test.

In 2018, the family opened Weaver Seed Service, offering fertilizer, chemical and seed sales. They also offer seed treatment services and customized agronomic consulting.

"I'm an idea guy. Over time, I've been able to convince Dad that most of them were good," he said.

Today, the farm operation spans about 1,000 acres concentrated in corn, soybeans, barley, rye and hay. The Weavers also operate a small cattle feedlot. In recent years, the farm has begun to offer custom freezer beef to consumers.

Rye is grown specifically for use in the spirits industry. Sagamore Spirits Distillery recently uncorked an all-Maryland sourced exclusive straight rye malt whiskey featuring Hickory Hollow Farms rye. While Weaver takes pride in everything he grows, seeing the farm name and address on the bottle label caused a throat lump that had nothing to do with testing the product.

Weaver's father, Richard (Dick), continues to help manage the day-to-day farm operations. His mother, Lila, manages the books and billing for the farm. Mother-in-law, Karen Rynarswki, helps shuttle equipment and people during busy seasons.

His wife, Megan, is a veterinarian at Hampstead Veterinarian Center and also oversees the health of the farm's livestock. Weaver credits her for being the driving force behind him and the family.

Their children, Mackenzie (11) and Charlie (9), are active in 4-H, exhibiting pigs, lambs and field crops.

"It's not unusual to have one of the kids out in the field after school helping plant, tissue sample, harvest and generally be beside us when we are working," Weaver said. "I am very blessed that my family lives within one mile of each other. It's the kind of support system that makes what we do possible," he said.

"We have several employees who feel like family that help us juggle all of this. Those relationships are critical to handling sales and running the farm," he said.

FARMING IN THE BURBS

Maryland is sometimes nicknamed "America in Miniature" because of its diverse farming enterprises that are said to represent a sampling of what can be found across the United States. The geography is also diverse, which means every farm field is different with unique requirements.

But it is urban encroachment that Weaver sees as a big challenge. With the farm situated one hour west of Baltimore and 45 minutes south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, transport of farm equipment can be treacherous.

"We spend a lot of time educating people about what we are spraying and why," he noted. "This kind of growth also puts pressure on farmland availability and prices. And there's competition between farmers for what land is available, too."

All the more reason to try to produce more at less cost on what land is available. Weaver has the goal of growing 400 bpa corn while using only 0.5 units of nitrogen per bushel. He also has set his sights on being the first farmer to grow 200 bpa no-till, non-irrigated soybeans.

Last year's whopper soybean yield was measured from two adjacent acres within a 25-acre plot as part of the Maryland Soybean Association's inaugural yield contest. The winning plot was planted in 15-inch rows to First Choice Seed FB 4250XF on April 24, 2025, at 140,000 seeds per acre. It followed a cover crop mix of barley and radish. The entire plot averaged just over 122 bpa. A whole farm average soybean yield generally falls in the 90-bpa range.

There's not one recipe to higher yields, Weaver said. Continuous tissue testing guides product use. In the case of the winning field, it involved everything from soil amendments to foliar-applied micronutrients.

START YOUR ENGINES

"I worked closely with a lot of different companies to keep the crop fed and finishing strong. But mitigating stress in a crop and protecting yield starts with knowing your soils. We don't front load the crop but figure out what it needs as we go along," he said.

Having good relationships with equipment dealers is another must in today's high-tech equipment age, Weaver said. After triple-checking the planter, he was chagrined to end up stalled on the first day of the 2026 planting season when singulation wasn't performing on the left side of the planter.

"I'm anal retentive," he admitted. "I want everything to be perfect. There's no old school anymore, and in times like this, old school seems like a good school." The good news is the start this year has been a bit earlier than normal and simultaneously running corn and soybean planters helps hurry planting when things are going smoothly.

This year, Weaver's cropping mix will be about 60% soybeans and 40% corn. He has about 100 acres of rye and barley. He will double-crop soybeans behind barley, but he hasn't found that practice to pay behind rye.

"We don't get rye harvested until around July 10. So, we'll lime that ground and do some other fertilizer amendments and then plant a six-way blend cover crop. We like to let that soil breathe and rejuvenate behind the rye," he said.

Soils here tend to be high in phosphorus. Weaver pegs his biggest agronomic challenge as simply keeping soil pH right while staying within the farm's nutrient management plan as required by state law in Maryland to reduce pollution to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

This year, he's excited about a new partnership with Willard Agri-Service that will help monitor and implement nutrient management plans. One tool they'll be using is a pre-sidedress soil nitrate test (PSNT) to measure the amount of nitrogen that is naturally released, or mineralized, from the decomposition of organic materials in the soil.

"I'm a firm believer that agriculture in general is using too much nitrogen and not enough micronutrients," Weaver said. The current price of nitrogen is putting a fine point on that philosophy.

Being strategic with nutrient use is also important when you live in a state that enforces blackout periods for fertilizer application that can stretch from December through March 1.

"Instead of fighting restrictions, we've taken the attitude of trying to learn more about how the crop grows and how to spoon feed the crop," he said. "My father was an early adopter of no-till and saw the importance of soil health. Naturally, we want to increase organic matter, but we have highly erodible land.

"With no-till, we are getting less water and less ditches. Honestly, I don't want to see any of my residue go anywhere because that's my potassium. We want that to break down and get it back into the soil," he added.

Every nutrient counts in the current struggle for profitability. Front loading and guessing simply doesn't pencil, Weaver added.

"Everything starts with the soil and understanding the relationships between how nutrients work together," he said. "We'll be talking a lot about that as we go through this season."

Pamela Smith can be reached at pamela.smith@dtn.com

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