Keep Farmers Farming

Our Priorities

1000 Friends of Maryland is excited to launch our “Keep Farmers Farming” program, dedicated to the preservation of rural working lands.  We believe that a strong farming community is the key to smart growth. With our strong background in policy reform, a close and direct connection to the Maryland legislature, and our knowledge of land use on the state and county level, we are in a unique position to take on this issue. This program is a pivotal component of smart growth since land used for farming rather than development helps to steer population into our existing urban areas, instead of onto our most fertile and productive land, historically located on the urban edge.

The moment is now, because Maryland is losing farmland at an alarming rate, land that is not replaceable. Continuing to farm often does not represent the best economic option for farm owners. What would Maryland look like with no farms? Tackling agricultural viability is at the core of farmland preservation. 1000 Friends’ approach of bringing diverse voices to the same table to produce meaningful policy reform is the perfect fit for this issue.

Traditional approaches to protecting open space are of limited value in terms of farmland preservation, and don’t address the real issue of the financial viability of agricultural operations in Maryland over the long term. We need to ensure that farmers can afford to keep farming. As an example, the Maryland Agricultural & Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) was created to support new agricultural businesses and help finance the preservation of working farmland.

However, funding for MARBIDCO has been slashed the past three years, to the point where critical programs for farmers have begun to disappear, or in some cases, never even got off the ground. Also, only a handful of counties have started to invest in innovative ‘farming incubator’ programs that may help to encourage a new generation of farmers. Baltimore County, Howard County, and several others are directly addressing the issue of agricultural viability, but they are limited as they compete with many other pressing county budget priorities. Another pressing issue is that of farmland conversion. With the average age of owner-operators being about 60, and the next generation often unable to take over the business, Maryland could potentially lose a lot of agricultural lands over the next several years.

Public sentiment around the idea of keeping farmers farming is mixed. Public support for local foods, farmers markets, and community supported agriculture has been growing in recent years, and early conversations around this program area have interested both new potential members and funders.  However, most urban and suburban residents have difficulty connecting with a farmer’s lifestyle and business, and when new suburbs are created in farming areas it can lead to clashes that threaten agriculture viability.  

Why 1000 Friends of Maryland, and why now? We have always supported working lands. Our work to promote responsible development in Maryland gives us strong ties to elected officials at state and local levels, to conservationists, civic organizations, land preservation and environmental groups. Now at this critical juncture of dwindling public resources, economic and demographic pressure on farms, increased interest in local foods and mounting efforts to reduce agriculture’s impact on the health of the Chesapeake Bay, it is imperative that the farm and non-farm communities work together. 1000 Friends is well placed to put its skills and networks to work, to bring these voices together to produce solutions. We cannot, nor do we seek to act alone in this, but to expand our partnerships and build strong collations.

Keep Farmers Farming focuses on three key issues:

• Promoting the importance of agriculture to Maryland’s economy and heritage, and ensuring healthy local foods for our communities.
  
• Ensuring adequate land conservation funding and supportive regulations and zoning.
  
• Advancing policies for transition and succession so that current farmers, and new farmers, can afford to stay on the land.