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What's New
The Maryland state legislature is currently voting to create a state Food and Hunger Policy Council [PDF]. The council will bring together representatives from all stages of Maryland’s food system—from field to fork—to promote Maryland agriculture and create a “farm-friendly state,” improve access to locally grown food, and enrich relationships between Maryland producers and sellers.
Project Update
 AFT received a $650,000 grant to support the Mid Atlantic Clean Water Initiative which will implement the BMP challenge for Reduced Nitrogen in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
AFT launched the Mid Atlantic Clean Water Initiative to help farmers enhance their nutrient management and reduce high nutrient levels that impair local and regional water quality. The new project has started with a $650,000 Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant was part of a $5 million fund specifically for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. By working with producers in the field and at the policy level, AFT hopes to reduce between 200,000 and 270,000 pounds of nitrogen and set the stage to expand the program in each state over three years.
 More on the Mid-Atlantic Clean Water Initiative
Focus on Maryland
In Queen Anne County, Maryland, the president and two commissioners have made a proposal to save farmland and focus urban growth with a voluntary transfer of development rights (TDR) program [PDF]. According to Jim Baird, AFT’s Mid Atlantic States Director, “TDRs have proven to be invaluable in protecting important resource lands, while directing new development to areas with existing and adequate infrastructure.” But they are not without their detractors: developers who chafe at the added cost, suburban residents who resist more density in their neighborhood and some farmers who worry that their land will lose value when zoning changes are made. “It’s another tool in the tool kit,” says Baird. Ultimately citizens will decide what they want their community to look like and the best way to achieve that. AFT has provided comments or background information to both efforts.
Eating local and supporting local farms has never been easier thanks to the University of Maryland’s newly released virtual farmers market. This site allows consumers to find a local farm selling everything under the sun from Apples to Watermelons. This easy to navigate guide demonstrates how simple and rewarding it can be to source a delicious diet right in your backyard. Visit FoodTrader.org and start ordering-up local today.
FederAl Farm Policy and The farm bill: what’s in it for Maryland?
Energy and environmental policies are a priority for President Obama’s Administration. At the heart of these issues lies American farmland. Agriculture can be part of the solution if the correct policies are enacted. Read our 9 for ’09 policy recommendations and ask President Obama to engage agriculture in these critical issues.
The Apple as Planet Earth
Do you know how much of the earth is suitable for farming? Watch this short animated presentation and learn why protecting our farmland is so important.
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Saving Farmland with Transfer of Development Rights Programs: An Valuable Tool for a Priceless Resource
Local Food from Local Farms “Just One Click Away” 