In previous posts, we have talked about the advantages of a strong, local food system, the need for new farmers and the challenges of attracting new farmers. These challenges may be the reason why there are six times more farmers 65 and older than there are farmers 34...
by Greg Bowen and Susan McQuilkin According to The Impact of Agriculture on Maryland’s Economy, published last summer, Maryland’s dairy sector generates over $1 Billion in total annual economic impact, second only to the poultry sector. However, it is...
Last week, I might have been one of a few people excited to see that Montgomery County had adopted new zoning regulations. I realize that ordinances are not fun to read. However, I see them as a window into the future land use patterns of a jurisdiction. Like them or...
A couple of weeks ago, the USDA released preliminary ag census data for the states. Since 1840, the U.S. government has been conducting censuses of agriculture. For the purposes of the ag census, a farm is any agricultural operation that “had $1,000 in sales in...
A farmer from Carroll County noted that there were still 26″ of snow on the ground at his farm, but he still made the trek from Carroll County on Feb. 15 to the Maryland Organic Food & Farming Association’s Winter Meeting. Throughout the day, the skies...
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how climate change is predicted to impact agriculture, according to USDA’s climatologists. The short answer for us is a longer growing season, more rain (with heavier rain events) and hotter summers. The short answer for California...
