MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT

News Date June 03, 2009

ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 29, 2009) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has released its 2008 annual report highlighting its accomplishments. The agency provides leadership and support to the agricultural community and the citizens of Maryland by conducting regulatory, service and educational activities that assure consumer confidence, protect the environment and promote agriculture.

"Farmers are true partners in protecting our natural resources and this report illustrates their commitment to conservation even in difficult economic times," said Governor Martin O’Malley. "We are committed to putting our families first by protecting farmland and strengthening family farms and businesses. Working together, we’ll ensure a smart, green and growing future for Maryland.

Some of the department’s many accomplishments in 2008 were:

--Helping farmers achieve the largest planting of winter cover crops to protect soil and water by enrolling a record 387,000 acres in the program at a value of nearly $20 million.

--Encouraging more Marylanders to "Buy Local" through the Maryland’s Best branding initiative.

--Launching the Jane Lawton Farm to School Program and the first Homegrown School Lunch Week, in which nearly every school system in the state participated.

--Working with Governor O’Malley and Maryland’s Congressional delegation on the 2008 Farm Bill to secure an additional $23 million to support Maryland farmers’ conservation efforts for the Bay.

--Protecting more than 99,000 acres of forests and neighborhood trees and preventing estimated losses of $26.1 million from gypsy moth damage through a $4 million suppression program made possible by the O’Malley Administration.

--Committing record funding of approximately $65 million to purchase easements on more than 2,000 properties on nearly 9,700 acres, reaching a cumulative total of almost 275,000 permanently preserved acres of farmland.

--Awarding $11.3 million in conservation grants to farmers to install more than 2,000 projects on their farms to protect water quality.

--Working with farmers and environmental agencies to develop a workable new animal feeding operation permit to protect water quality.

--Providing a mechanism for animal shelters to safely and humanely sedate and euthanize animals.

"Maryland farmers are doing good things for the environment, providing more and more of our food, supporting the local and rural economies and preserving the open farmland that we all enjoy," said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. "Our staff members are the unsung heroes behind our accomplishments. Because of their education, regulation promotion service and preservation activities, Marylanders can expect a healthy food supply and environment, fairness in the marketplace and that agriculture will remain a strong economic force."

The MDA 2008 Annual Report Maryland Agriculture – Fresh to you every day, is available on MDA’s web site at: www.mda.state.md.us. (Contact: Sue duPont at: 410-841-5889 or Julie Oberg at 410-841-5888)