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 led the effort in the Senate to include the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative in the 2008 Farm Bill. This unprecedented effort will set aside millions of dollars for Chesapeake farmers so that they can put effective conservation practices on their lands. These specially-tailored programs help assure the financial viability of our family farms while also protecting the Chesapeake Bay from nutrient and sediment pollution.

I also have...

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



• Successfully worked to add new programs in the Farm bill that direct funding away from factory farms and instead put financial support into programs that support local farmers provide fresh produce to local school lunch programs and to support small vegetable and fruit farmers.



• 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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