Agriculture is Maryland's largest industry, with more than 12,000 farms covering more than 2 million acres that produce $1.3 billion of agricultural products annually and employ approximately 350,000 workers. Success in this industry requires a careful balance between the future viability of crops and the sustainability of the land, making protecting the environment for future use an increasingly important aspect of farming.

I have co-sponsored the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which, in addition to support for small farms, family farms, organic farms and others statewide, would provide Chesapeake Bay watershed farmers and rural landowners with needed resources to remain profitable while also reducing storm water runoff, restoring wetlands, and protecting the Bay.

I also have...

• Pressed for dedicated funding for farmers to install smart conservation practices on their agricultural lands. This will mark the first time that farmers will have money set aside specifically for them to implement a host of Bay-friendly farmland conservation programs;



• Helped to secure more than $15.8 million in funding this year for the Beltsville (MD) Agriculture Research Center, America's premier agriculture facility; and,



• Successfully fought to reverse proposed new rules that would have imposed a hardship of Maryland farmers who use propane gas on their farms.

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