A new survey compares states in their commitment to raising and eating locally grown food. Vermont ranks #1 and Maryland ranks #39. The survey uses data from government sources (principally USDA and US Census data) from 2010 and 2011. The Locavore Index measures the...
The Great Recession of 2007 left millions unemployed. It drained retirement plans and crippled our economy, especially the housing industry. I am glad to see signs that the housing industry is recovering. I hope that this time, its success will not come at the cost...
I have a relative who has ‘leased’ the farm to the same farmer for decades. In fact, there is no written lease. The agreement was a result of a handshake. Over that time, the fee per acre has not changed and the verbal agreement has been renewed every fall...
Despite the fact that it has the fifth highest population density, Maryland is known nationally for its local and state land preservation programs. For its size, it has preserved the most land of any state. However, the rate of land preservation has slowed due to the...
The 2012 Census of Agriculture won’t be released for some time, and it has been six years since the 2007 Census of Agriculture was issued, so those of us who are supporting local agriculture initiatives are dying to get our hands on current information about new...