Last Friday, members of the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates had the opportunity to get an up-close look at mid-shore farming operations. Senators in the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee and Delegates with the Environment and Transportation Committee visited with Jenny Rhodes at Deerfielde Farms, Paul Spies at Triple Creek Winery, and Chip Councell at Councell Farms. 
One of the topics discussed was voluntary conservation. Chip Councell explained that, "farmers across the state are adopting best management practices, both cost-shared and on their own, to reduce nutrient impact to the Bay. They also operate under nutrient management plans, some before they were mandatory starting in the late 1990s."
Policymakers seemed to be very receptive of this message, acknowledging farmers as true stewards of the land. There seemed to be a lot of good takeaways from the day. Hosts of the tour hope they left with the mindset that farmers, “really do care about the things that environmentalists care about.”

There has been much discussion about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement this election season. Passage of the agreement has the potential to have a significant, positive impact, on U.S. agriculture by giving farmers access to additional markets. The National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Grains Council have both pledged their support for the agreement. “America’s farmers and ranchers need Congress to step up and pass TPP now,” said Chip Bowling, former president of the National Corn Growers Association. “At a time when the farm economy is struggling, exports represent a rare bright spot for American agriculture. America’s farmers and ranchers stand ready to share our bounty and meet the challenge of feeding and fueling a growing world. But we can’t do that without trade agreements like TPP.”
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is also in support of TPP. They estimate that the agreement will increase cash receipts and net exports from Maryland by $43.7 million and $19.3 million per year respectively. This growth in the economy would add nearly 150 jobs to the state and increase trade range of Maryland’s agricultural products including poultry, vegetables, soybeans, and processed food products. 

The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts (MASCD) has been awarded a $4.5 million Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant to help Maryland and Delaware farmers meet the nutrient and sediment reduction and water quality goals set forth in the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). In Maryland, the focus in on animal agriculture in the Western part of the state, and an emphasis on innovative systems (Greenseeker, Nitrogen Bioreactors, and Liquid Separation) to further nutrient efficiency in crop production on the Eastern Shore. The first sign up deadline is November 18th for Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, Montgomery, Howard, Frederick, and Washington. Contact your local soil conservation district to learn more.