Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday & Saratoga Sts., Baltimore, Maryland, September 2017. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Hog, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville, Maryland, April 2019. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Today, agriculture in Maryland is diverse and includes not only crops, but also dairy and livestock, honey, horticulture and nurseries, poultry, and wineries and vineyards.
Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday & Saratoga Sts., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2012. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
To teach the public about agriculture in Maryland, the Department of Agriculture has partnered with Maryland Public Television to create a weekly series, Maryland Farm & Harvest.
Cow Judging, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, August 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
In 2018, some 124 farms were certified organic in Maryland. In 2017, organic products were valued at over $30 million.
Barn & brick silo, Sabillasville (Frederick County), Maryland, July 2007. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Silos, Easton, Maryland, May 2017. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
In 2015, Caroline County was ranked the top agricultural county in Maryland by a federal census taken every five years. Caroline led all other counties in barley, wheat, and vegetables. Queen Anne's County was first in its harvest of corn, wheat, and soybeans, while Frederick County led in milk production, with its dairy herds accounting for one third of the State's total.
Dairy cows, Long Green Road, Glen Arm, Maryland, August 2017. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
CROPS
Waverly Farmers' Market, 32nd St. & Barclay St., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Wheat. Winter wheat produced 63 bushels per acre, with 12.6 million bushels harvested.
Barley. Barley production decreased to 1.68 million bushels, averaging 70 bushels per acre. In 2017, these cash grains were valued at $640 million.
Apples & Grapes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2017 Census of Agriculture, some 4,247 acres in Maryland were covered by orchards, with apples (1,793 acres) and grapes (1,170 acres) the most productive crops. In 2018, some 39.6 million pounds of apples were harvested.
Pumpkin vines with flowers, Baltimore, Maryland, September 2016. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
Crops. In 2018, corn to be used for grain averaged 146 bushels per acre. From 390,000 acres, 56.9 million bushels of corn were harvested.
Soybeans. The soybean yield averaged 47.5 bushels per acre, with a total production of 24.46 million bushels.
Tractor pull event, Cecil County Fair, Fair Hill, Maryland, July 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Selected fresh market vegetables and melons, including sweet corn, watermelons, snap beans, and cucumbers, were valued at $32.7 million in 2017. In 2018, potatoes were harvested from 2,000 acres and amounted to 510,000 hundredweight.
In the fall after summer crops have been harvested, cover crops, including rye, barley, and other cereal grains, are planted. Cover crops control soil erosion and run-off, and improve the health of soil for later crops. To help with expenses associated with cover crops, the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program offers grants. For the 2019-2020 Program, $22.5 million in grants will be awarded. Between 2017 and 2018, some 395,862 acres of traditional cover crops were planted in Maryland.
Thresher, south of Hughesville, Maryland, November 2017. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
DAIRY & LIVESTOCK
Sheep, Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Maryland, May 2008. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
To showcase the dairy industry and its contributions, and educate the public about farming, the Department of Agriculture each summer promotes the Maryland's Best Ice Cream Trail, a tour of nine dairy farms that runs more than 290 miles across the State. The dairies include Broom's Bloom Dairy (Harford County); Chesapeake Bay Farms (Worcester County); Keyes Creamery (Harford County); Kilby Cream (Cecil County); Misty Meadows Farm Creamery (Washington County); Prigel Family Creamery (Baltimore County); Rocky Point Creamery (Frederick County); South Mountain Creamery (Frederick County); and Woodbourne Creamery (Montgomery County).
Goats. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, approximately 3,848 milk goats and 9,263 goats were used for meat and other purposes in Maryland.
Goat mountain (left), September 2015, and Hogs (right), August 2014, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland. Photos by Sarah A. Hanks.
Honeybees not only produce honey and beeswax, but also pollinate nearly 40% of the food that we eat, including some $40 million of Maryland's crops. Due to the shortage of bees, Maryland farmers rent 5,000 colonies each year and beekeepers send their colonies to out-of-state growers.
Honeybees in a honeycomb, Crownsville, Maryland, September 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
Maryland milk production in 2018 totaled 925 million pounds, and the average milk production per cow was 20,556 pounds. In 2018, the number of dairy farms was 364, and the number of milk cows was 45,000.
Cattle. As of January 1, 2019, the total number of cattle and calves in Maryland was 197,000. In 2017, cash receipts for cattle and calves decreased to $61.3 million from $79.5 million in 2016.
Silos on Kilby Cream Farm, 129 Strohmaier Lane, Rising Sun, Maryland, July 2015. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
As of January 1, 2019, there were 50,000 beef cows in Maryland.
Cow, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville, Maryland, January 2019. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Hogs. As of December 1, 2018, the total number of hogs in Maryland was 19,000. Cash receipts for market hogs in 2017 were $6.09 million, up from $6.05 million in 2016.
HONEY
In 2017, some 15,630 honeybee colonies in Maryland are maintained by 2,180 beekeepers. These colonies produce upwards of 100,000 pounds of honey per year. In 2017, honey was valued at $588,000 in cash receipts.
According to the Bee Informed Partnership, between April 2017 and 2018, beekeepers surveyed in Maryland lost an average of 64% their colonies. These colonies are vital to Maryland's agriculture since nearly all of the State's wild bee have died. The Department of Agriculture's Apiary Program offers help and inspections to keep Maryland's bees and their hives healthy. In an effort to curb bee deaths in Maryland, the General Assembly passed the Pollinator Protection Act of 2016 (Chapter 662, Acts of 2016). Since 2018, retail establishments are prohibited from selling neonicotinoid pesticides to consumers, making Maryland the first state in the nation to protect bees by banning these pesticides.
Horse racing, the largest of the industry's sectors, has a significant impact on the Maryland economy. Racing, which includes thoroughbred and harness racing, adds $365 million in value to the economy as well as supports 5,214 jobs. There are more than 260 live racing days held at Maryland's five racetracks each year, which has a $572 million economic impact on the State. At Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the Preakness Stakes brings in more than $30 million each May.
Clydesdale, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, September 2015. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
The Maryland Horse Industry Board oversees and supports Maryland's horse owners and industry. The Board publishes a Guide to Maryland Horse Trails as well as Saddle Up Maryland, a directory of trail-riding stables and guided rides. The Board also provides information on horse parks, history trails, and horse discovery centers.
The Thoroughbred is Maryland's State Horse.
In 2017, nurseries used over 36,000 acres of land, including over 800 acres of greenhouses. There are over 25,000 people employed in the horticultural industry.
Source: Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association.
Bumblebees & a honeybee alight on a sunflower, Baltimore, Maryland, July 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
In 2017, turkeys brought in some $15.5 million.
Rooster, Annapolis, Maryland, August 2003. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. & Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2013. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
Approximately 4,600 acres of vineyards are found in Maryland.
Boordy Vineyards, Long Green Pike, Hydes, Baltimore County, Maryland, August 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.
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