Maryland Department of Agriculture

NEW Report on the Governor’s 2010 Agricultural Forum

Governor’s Forum Outlines Plan for Future of Agriculture - Feb. 19, 2010 News Release

2010 Governor's Agricultural Forum - February 19, 2010, Doubletree Hotel, Annapolis
The Governor's 2010 Agricultural Forum was one day strategic planning event sponsored by the Maryland Agricultural Commission on Friday Feb. 19 at the Doubletree Hotel in Annapolis. The intent of the event was for representatives of the agricultural industry and other stakeholder groups to lay out a 15-year plan for agriculture with both short and long term activities, programs and goals. Under the O'Malley-Brown Administration, 102 of the 109 recommendations from the Statewide Plan for Agriculture and Resource Management are accomplished or underway. The 2010 Governor's Forum moves the statewide plan forward to meet future needs of the agriculture industry.

Documents from the meeting are below:

Agenda

Survey Results - this data outlines the most important issues facing agriculture in the next 15 years and provided the baseline for the Forum.

Presentation: Lessons Learned for the Future, Ed Kee, Secretary of Agriculture, State of Delaware

Presentation: Developing a Vision of Maryland Agriculture for 2025, Tom Hartsock, Chairman Maryland Agricultural Commission

Statewide Agriculture Plan Advances - Oct. 6, 2008 News Release

NEW - July 1 Symposium Final Report

July 1, 2008 update:
In December 2007, the Implementation Committee of the Statewide Plan for Agriculture Policy and Resource Management sent its report to Governor Martin O’Malley and the sponsors of the Governor’s 2006 Agriculture Forum, outlining its progress since the 2006 Forum. The original task was to take the 2006 Statewide Plan recommendations and merge them with the recommendations of the transition team. As a result, the implementation committee developed 109 recommendations for which MDA staff is tracking progress.
We are pleased to report that out of 109 recommendations, 102 are either done or ongoing. The purpose of the July 1 meeting is to update all of the partners and sponsors on implementation and then meet in smaller groups to determine: what kinds of barriers organizations continue to face as they implement these activities, if the plan continues to move in the right direction, and whether new issues are developing which should be addressed.

Documents from the meeting are here:

Accomplishments and Plan Update on the 109 Recommendations.

July 1, 2008 Symposium Agenda

Profitability
On-Farm Processing (Jody Menikeim/Deanna Baldwin)
Biofuels (Pat McMillan)
Buy Local/Marketing (Mark Powell)
Business Assistance/Development (Kenny Bounds)

Land
Best Management Practices (Royden Powell)
Farmland Protection (Jim Carroll)

Presentation of the Final Report on June 14, 2006
The final report from the 2006 Governor's Agricultural Forum, "Statewide Plan for Agriculture and Resource Management" was presented by the Maryland Agricultural Commission to the Secretary of Agriculture, Lewis R. Riley on June 14, 2006.

• Statewide Plan for Agriculture and Resource Management (42 Pages, PDF)
  
• Appendix for the Statewide Plan for Agriculture and Resource Management (73 Pages, PDF)
  
• Maryland Agricultural Commission Releases State Plan for Agriculture (News Release)
  
• Comments from Maryland Agricultural Commission Chair, Doug Green to Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley on June 14, 2006 (PDF)

Background
In late 2004, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. asked the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Agricultural Commission, a 24-member agricultural group appointed by the Governor as an advisory body to the Secretary of Agriculture, to spearhead an agricultural forum to address issues relating to the future of agriculture in Maryland. A special advisory committee made up of farm, commodity and land preservation interests is coordinating the effort.
Governor Ehrlich Calls for Agriculture Forum (Press Release)

Survey Results
The first step in the process was to survey 170 farmers and agricultural interests for their input on the subjects of profitability, land use, alternative enterprises and agricultural biosecurity.
Agricultural Forum Questionnaire
Summary of Survey Comments
All Survey Comments
Survey Results for Governor’s Agriculture Forum Reported (Press Release)

Listening Sessions
The results of the surveys will be refined through public input at a series of listening sessions held throughout the State in August. Information received at the listening sessions will be compiled and presented at the Governor’s Agricultural Forum on February 13, 2006. Participants in the forum will develop policy recommendations. A strategic plan for the future of agriculture will be developed to guide the implementation of those proposals. The listening sessions will be held in seven locations around the State in August. All meetings will be held at 7:00 p.m. (except the Finzel location) and are free of charge and open to the public.