Acknowledgments
Table of Contents Acknowledgments.............................................................. 2 Executive Summary............................................................ 3 Chapter 1
The Yeoman Farmer and the Tradition of Stewardship: An Editorial.........................................................................................5
Chapter 2
Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship 7
Chapter 3
Sustainable Agriculture as Profitable Agriculture: Addressing Farm Viability..................................................................9
Chapter 4
Connecting with the Land, Our Food, and Those Who Grow It: Addressing the Role of Community in Sustainable Agriculture .... 11
Chapter 5
Where Do We Go From Here?......................................................... 13
Appendices........................................................................ 15
A conference report prepared by the Accokeek Foundation Cover image credits: (left) Blue Heron Bay Bridge by Life on the Chesapeake; Rodale Organic Institute by mike@mikestrailhead.com; (right-top) Purple Basil by the Accokeek Foundation; (right-center) Ecosystem Farm cover crops by the Accokeek Foundation; (right-bottom) Washing Greens by the Accokeek Foundation. Design by Anjela S. Barnes
The Accokeek Foundation wishes to acknowledge the many people who helped in the planning, development, and delivery of this conference. First, we would like to thank the Chesapeake Bay Trust, which provided the initial grant funding that allowed the Accokeek Foundation to plan the conference. Chesapeake Bay Trust Executive Director Allen Hance and Associate Executive Director and Chief Scientist Jana Davis were of particular help in this process. Financial and in-kind donations were also provided by the Airlie Foundation, the American Farmland Trust, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Even’ Star Organic Farm, the Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural, the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, and University of Maryland Extension. An advisory committee of more than 35 people contributed ideas and insight in the year leading up to the event. A smaller planning group met over countless conference calls from May through November. This group invited guests, ironed out the event’s agenda, and solicited speakers. The group, in alphabetical order, included: Christine Bergmark, Kate Clancy, Stuart Clarke, Wilton Corkern, Jana Davis, Marietta Ethier, Laura Ford, Allen Hance, Meredith Lathbury, Matt Mulder, Nick Place. The process was facilitated by Kathy Ruhf. Many thanks to each of them. We also appreciate the work of the Accokeek Foundation staff, including Manager of Marketing and Development, Anjela Barnes, who designed publications and provided logistical support. We thank Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer Catherine Krikstan for her coordination of logistics, reporting, and writing, especially for development of the conference summary. Her Conservation Corps colleagues Maria Harwood, Megan McCubbin, Carmera Thomas, and Megan Wickless, as well as volunteers Bradley Kennedy and Molly Meehan, also assisted at the conference. Finally, great thanks to our presenters and engaged participants, who went out of their way to seek—and find—common ground at this conference. Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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Executive Summary
On the state seal of Maryland lie a farmer and a fisherman. But for decades, the rift between those who work the earth and those who work to save the Chesapeake Bay has widened. In an effort to find common ground between these two communities, the Accokeek Foundation invited members of both fields to a conference titled Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay. The December 2010 event, held at the National Wildlife Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland, produced a lively discussion about environmental protection, land preservation, and farm viability. In addressing the almost 80 guests in attendance, conference speakers found common ground in discussing the land itself—sustainable agriculture and land preservation were presented as integral steps on the path toward restoring the Chesapeake Bay. The conference was attended by distinguished guests from the agricultural and environmental fields, including Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Earl “Buddy” Hance, and keynote speaker Jill Auburn, senior advisor of sustainability with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The event was presented by the Accokeek Foundation Center for Agricultural and Environmental Stewardship, which holds programs and events such as this one to build upon the Foundation’s decades-long history as a leader and teacher in land preservation and sustainable agriculture. Co-sponsoring the conference was the Chesapeake Bay Trust, an independent, non-profit grant making organization that promotes public awareness of and participation in the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. “The Trust supports projects that both strengthen the economic sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay farming community and advance conservation measures that improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and local rivers and streams,” said Chesapeake Bay Trust Executive Director Allen Hance. “We applaud the Accokeek Foundation for its efforts to find common ground around the future of farming and the environment in the Bay region.” As Maryland and other states work to set limits on watershed pollution, it has become essential for farmers and conservationists to join each other in seeking out environmental solutions. Although agricultural runoff is cited as a leading source of nutrient pollution, well-managed farmland can benefit the environment. Indeed, viable farms and clean water are not mutually exclusive. But, even in a state in which farmers are leaders in land management, conservation, and preservation, farmland loss remains a pressing environmental threat. Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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In the past half-century, Maryland has lost hundreds of thousands of acres of viable farmland. Continued pressure toward seemingly more profitable land uses have made ever more important those programs that work to preserve agricultural land and encourage farmers to be more sustainable in their practices. To be sure, sustainable agriculture and profitable agriculture go hand in hand. From a farmer who starts her plants from seed in order to increase the flexibility of her planting schedule to one who plants cover crops to reduce his need to fertilize the soil, this conference brought forth a number of farmers who are setting an example by achieving success with sustainable work. But in a state in which the average farmer is over the age of 50, advancing the growth of the agricultural community can be a challenge. As an aging agricultural population prepares to hand over the professional reins, it has become ever more essential to promote the production—and consumption— of local food. From seasoned farmers who are transitioning to sustainable agriculture to new farmers just entering the field, all manner of producers must be encouraged in an effort to revitalize agriculture and, in turn, to revitalize our communities. Conserving our resource base through sound agricultural and environmental practices is a fundamental factor in preserving the productivity and health of our communities. While many of us might lack the close ties to agriculture that once characterized much of the United States, an increasing public awareness of agricultural needs and a growing desire to connect with the land, our food, and the people who grow it holds much promise for the Chesapeake region.
Summer lettuce grows in neat rows, photo courtesy of One Straw Farm.
But where do we go from here? Based on the discussions at this conference, it is clear that to advance the growth of sustainable agriculture and the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, we must move in the following directions: • Raise public awareness of the important role that sustainable agriculture plays in environmental conservation. • Work to preserve the agricultural land that is essential to the production of fresh and local food. • Develop policies and initiatives that will aid in the redevelopment of the region’s agricultural infrastructure. • Connect those who want to farm sustainably with existing farmland and other resources. • Provide the incentives and tools to increase the number of farmers who are successfully practicing sustainable agriculture, with special attention to members of low-income and immigrant communities • Raise public awareness of the knowledge and skill that are involved in sustainable agriculture, to increase public respect for and support of local farmers.
Apprentice farmer training at the Ecosystem Farm, photo by the Accokeek Foundation.
Emily Cook works in the greenhouse, photo courtesy of The Farm at Sunnyside.
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chapter 1 The Yeoman Farmer and the Tradition of Stewardship: An Editorial
by Wilton Corkern, President of the Accokeek Foundation This conference comes at a pivotal moment in the Chesapeake Bay region for both farming and the environment. Forces at work are inexorably changing the shape of farming. Some of those forces are pushing agriculture to be more sustainable through laws and regulations that protect the health of the natural environment and the health Wilton Corkern introduces the speakers, of the producers and consumers of agphoto by the Accokeek Foundation. ricultural products. But other forces are pulling agriculture toward sustainability. The growing demand for healthy, local food has created opportunities in the food economy of our region. Today’s health-conscious and environment-conscious consumers show a growing respect for and interest in the lives of those who produce their food. This conference brought forth a number of successful farmers who are producing food for our regional market. However, the vast majority of the food we consume is produced, aggregated, and processed outside of our region. That means that a huge portion of our food dollars leave the region. The positive possibilities of a reinvigorated local food economy are staggering. However, farmers cannot do this alone. Agriculture remains the largest contributor of nitrogen and phosphorous to the Chesapeake Bay, an indicator that the longterm health of our region’s environment and people will require that we do things differently. We will have to develop new methods and new policies. We will have to create incentives for farmers to adopt best practices. We will have to educate consumers about the benefits of sustainable, locallyproduced food. Farmers, who feed and clothe their families, their neighbors, and their countrymen and women, have symbolized American independence and self-reliance since our beginnings. We must rise to the occasion now to ensure that farmers have the opportunity to reclaim their rightful place as stewards of the land and water that give us all sustenance. Sustainable farming is a winning outcome that can benefit farmers, the environment, the economy, and the population at large. Finding common ground is the only way to move forward. Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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photos courtesy of Even’ Star Organic Farm (top left); The Farm at Sunnyside (top right); One Straw Farm (bottom right); The Farm at Sunnyside (bottom left). Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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chapter 2 Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship
As widespread pollution and habitat loss turn the Chesapeake Bay into an environmental emergency, it has become essential for farmers and conservationists to work together in seeking environmental solutions. From nutrient pollution and ever-expanding algae blooms to fish and shellfish harvest pressures and disease, the Chesapeake Bay faces threats from all sides. Although agricultural runoff is cited as a leading source of the excess nutrients that are worsening water quality and stressing aquatic life, well-managed farmland can produce a sustainable food source, preserve community character, and benefit the environment. Indeed, the Environmental Protection Agency noted in a report on the health of the Chesapeake Bay that environmentally-sound farming is a preferred land use.1 Conference speaker Jim Baird, mid-Atlantic director of the American Farmland Trust, works with agricultural and conservation partners to promote policies that protect both farming and the environment. In discussing the relationship between the two fields, Baird presented farmland preservation as an integral method of environmental stewardship. Indeed, viable farms and clean water “aren’t mutually exclusive,” Baird said. “In the end, [earth] is the only common ground we’ve got.” In its response to President Obama’s Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order of 2009, Maryland has demonstrated a commitment to better managing agricultural land and practices in its efforts to preserve water quality.2 From planting fall cover crops and practicing conservation tillage to better management of animal wastes and the applications of fertilizer and manure, several improved agricultural practices have been incorporated into the state’s comprehensive Watershed Implementation Plan. These plans—required for all six Chesapeake Bay watershed states and the District of Columbia—make clear the maximum amount of pollution that troubled streams, rivers, and waterways can withstand while still meeting water quality standards. The plans define what have come to be called “pollution diets,” or TMDLSA and outline the various steps that states will take to follow them. In his conference address, Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary, Buddy Hance commended Maryland for being “a leader … in the agricultural revolution.” The Environmental Protection Agency, The Next Generation of Tools and Actions to Restore Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay: A Draft Report Fulfilling Section 202a of Executive Order 13508 (September 9, 2009). 2 The White House, Executive Order: Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration (May 12, 2009). 1
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“Agriculture is the number one industry in the state of Maryland,” said Hance, who is himself a fourth-generation farmer in Port Republic, Maryland. “It’s the number one land use in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. And our farmers have always been willing to adopt practices that science and research show improve the environment and improve profitability.”
Christine Bergmark, executive director of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, has seen hundreds of thousands of acres of Southern Maryland farmland disappear in the last decade. She
But even in a state in which farmers are leaders in land management, conservation, and preservation, farmland loss remains a pressing environmental threat. Dan Colhoun owns and operates Sportsman’s Hall in Baltimore County, and was one of six farmers who participated in the conference’s afternoon panel. In speaking on farmland loss, Colhoun entreated the audience to encourage lawmakers to direct funding toward the preservation of working farmland.
Buckwheat cover crop at One Straw Farm located in White Hall, MD, photo courtesy of One Straw Farm, www.onestrawfarm.com.
and her husband, Brett Grohsgal, own a 104-acre organic farm and envision a future in which farmland preservation is a public priority and farmers have the tools that are needed to become sustainable—and profitable. Farmer panelists: (from left to right) Emily Cook, Dan Colhoun, and Mike Klein, photo by the Accokeek Foundation.
Colhoun has spent much of his career working to safeguard agricultural land. In 1982, Sportsman’s Hall was the first Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation easement to be accepted in Baltimore County. “What land is … going to be available in the future to farm?” Colhoun asked. “It’s disappearing.” Seated next to Colhoun on the farmer panel was Emily Cook, grower at The Farm at Sunnyside in Rappahannock County, Virginia. Cook affirmed Colhoun’s statement. “Losing farmland is the biggest threat to the Chesapeake Bay,” she said. “I’d like to see investment in access to land for people who want to farm.”
Jill Auburn, senior advisor of sustainability with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, defined sustainability in her keynote address as “living within our means,” or producing things that are of value to our society within our societal bounds. For Auburn, sustainable living is an integral method of meeting the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit.
“What land is ... going to be available in the future to farm?” —Dan Colhoun, Sportsman’s Hall Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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chapter 3
Each of the farmers that participated in the conference’s afternoon panel made it clear that sustainable agriculture and profitable agriculture go hand in hand.
Sustainable Agriculture as Profitable Agriculture: Addressing Farm Viability
Mike Klein owns Good Fortune Farm in Brandywine, Maryland. He starts his plants from seed to increase the flexibility of his planting schedule. Mike Snow, manager of the Accokeek Foundation’s Robert Ware Straus Ecosystem Farm, plants cover crops to reduce his need to fertilize his soil. And Brett Grohsgal of Even’ Star Organic Farm in Lexington Park, Maryland, strives to maximize his soil’s tilth. “My calendar and my tractor are not in charge,” Grohsgal said, as he described the flexibility of his plowing schedule and the profitability that results. Indeed, as public demand for fresh and local food rises, growing numbers of farmers have realized the pressing need to shift toward sustainability. But the transition away from the conventional practices that have shaped our nation’s farms over the past several decades remains a difficult one, and at times the rift between “old” and “new” farmers has seemed a near impasse. But this is changing. In his conference address, Buddy Hance spoke of the need to move farming forward. “People have a vision of agriculture as it used to be. And we can’t go back to that,” said Hance. “We can’t go back to Old McDonald’s farm.” But Old McDonald is a stubborn character, and several of the farmers that participated in the conference’s afternoon panel spoke of a divide between conventional and sustainable camps. Joan Norman and her husband, Drew, own One Straw Farm in Baltimore County. To Norman, it is our unfortunate habit of distinguishing farmers from one another—of seeing sustainable farmers as “progressive” and conventional farmers as “stuck in the mud”—that erects a barrier between the two approaches. Those farmers that are criticized are placed on the defensive and become discouraged at the prospect of change. Mike Snow echoed Norman’s sentiment. Snow dislikes the fact that state and federal programs differentiate between organic and non-organic agriculture in their policies, programs, and regulations. “Distinguishing between organic and non-organic in any kind of program doesn’t contribute to common ground,” Snow said. Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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But even those farmers who want to make the transition toward sustainability may be worried about the risk involved. Mike Klein noted that conventional farmers often have their funds tied up in older equipment. This makes shifting toward new methods and practices a difficult move to make. Christine Bergmark has witnessed this transition—and the challenges that are involved—firsthand. Bergmark has developed and implemented a program to move Southern Maryland away from its former tobacco-based economy. Known as the Tobacco Buyout, this program is a voluntary one that provides funds to eligible Maryland tobacco growers who choose to remain in agriculture but give up tobacco production.
Christine Bergmark of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, photo by the Accokeek Foundation.
“Transitioning away from this centuries-old tradition requires new ways of thinking,” Bergmark said. While it sometimes is difficult to encourage farmers to embark on something new, Bergmark continues to work toward her vision of diversified, market-driven, and profitable farms, fanning the sparks of forward-thinking farmers with grants and other funding
But in a state in which the average farmer is over the age of 50, it is not enough to move our current farmers forward. Rather, noted several conference speakers, we must also encourage the growth of a new farmer population. Conference speaker Jim Baird spoke of this next generation of farmers. “We’re going to see a tsunami of land change … as an aging farm and forest land owner population hands over the reins,” Baird said. “We have to have people to work [the land].”
ers” who are entering the field with no experience, all manner of producers must be encouraged, said Elliott. After all, this new food movement—one of sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and local food consumption—is one in which “everybody can come to the table and everybody has a vested interest.”
“One of the keys to sustainability is, in fact, community,” Picciano continued. “It’s the system of relationships, the system of knowledge that we all share.” —Lorette Picciano, Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural Conference speaker Lorette Picciano echoed Elliott’s sentiment and emphasized the inclusive nature of sustainable agriculture. Picciano is the executive director of the Rural Coalition/Coalición Rural, a grassroots-oriented alliance of farmers, farm workers, and indigenous, migrant, and working people that seeks to build a more just and sustainable food system. She encouraged the audience to practice an open-door policy when it comes to agricultural practices and the profitability and prosperity that can result. She noted that immigrants, often under-served and overlooked, are a fast-growing sector of the sustainable farmer population. “We’re living on land that was nurtured and cared for and passed on from the indigenous people who first lived here,” Picciano said. “So, in fact, all of us are new to this land. We need to keep the door open. How can we close the door to anybody if we’ve been welcomed on this land?” “One of the keys to sustainability is, in fact, community,” Picciano continued. “It’s the system of relationships, the system of knowledge that we all share.”
Conference speaker Pablo Elliott, director of the Local Food Project at the Airlie Foundation, works to promote local food production. From seasoned farmers who are transitioning to sustainable agriculture to “small farm dreamCommon Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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chapter 4 Connecting with the Land, Our Food, and Those Who Grow It: Addressing the Role of Community in Agriculture
It is in part because of the inclusive nature of agriculture that the new food movement represents a win, win, win. The movement brings fresh and local food to consumers, increases public support of local farms, and offers a space for “tangible relationships that aren’t … digitized” between farmer and consumer, said Pablo Elliott. “It is fully possible that the local food movement … will represent one of the most important social and cultural movements in American history,” Elliott said. “A movement, at the end of the day, is a shift in how people think. And, following a change in thought, a change in action.” Christine Bergmark has worked to ensure that both farmers and consumers take part in this change. After all, farms cannot be viable without consumer support. “We know that the future of successful agriculture is going to depend on not just successful farmers, but consumers who have the demand for the product that we create and leaders who can help us navigate through the channels” to get there, Bergmark said. With the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, Bergmark has implemented public programs that educate consumers and inform our leaders. Bergmark encourages what has come to be called “agritourism” and the creation of a more interactive relationship between farmer and consumer. From the one-week summertime Buy Local Challenge, which puts a spotlight on local food in Southern Maryland, to the So. Maryland, So Good campaign, which helps farmers and consumers find each other, Bergmark hopes to create a future in which “farms play an integral role in the health and quality of our life” and to foster “a positive public perception of farmers and all that they provide to us.” Indeed, encouraging consumers to respect those farmers who are involved in sustainable agriculture is a critical step in fostering consumer support. Several of the farmers that participated in the conference’s afternoon panel spoke of the need to shift the public’s perception of farming. “We’re not giving value to the title of farmer,” said Joan Norman. “If you could call yourself Dr. Farmer … and hold [the position] at an esteemed level, Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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Pablo Elliott talks about young farmer training, photo by the Accokeek Foundation.
“A movement, at the end of the day, is a shift in how people think. And, following a change in thought, a change in action.” Farmer Nivardo Loya has been assisting with all aspects of field production at The Farm at Sunnyside for more than nine years, photo courtesy of The Farm at Sunnyside, www.thefarmatsunnyside.com
I think we’d all be much better off. And that’s where we need to be going. Not saying, if you can’t do anything else in life, you might as well be a farmer. But to say that farmers need to be held in a position of respect.”
—Pablo Elliott, Local Food Project at the Airlie Foundation
Dan Colhoun echoed this sentiment. “Farming is a profession,” Colhoun said. “And the more that we educate kids in grammar school, high school, onto college that it is a profession to be honored to be a part of … I think we’re all going to be better off.” Emily Cook agreed. “There needs to be a way to make farming a … career that people want to go into,” Cook said. Cook has noticed signs that we are moving in the right direction. “There’s a lot of power in people writing about some of these issues,” she said. “Just in the past couple of years, there’s been so much press on the local food movement. It’s come so far.” Added Cook, “If we just get the word out, then that will get people to start talking”—and start changing.
Brett Grohsgal and his family run Even’ Star Farm in Lexington Park, MD, photo courtesy of Christine Bergmark, Even’ Star Organic Farm. Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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chapter 5 Where Do We Go From Here?
For more than two decades, the Accokeek Foundation has worked to address the challenges facing both agriculture and the environment. Through initiatives like its Beginning Farmer Apprentice Training Program and the educational programs that are offered through the Center for Agricultural and Environmental Stewardship, the Foundation has brought farmers into the realm of sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation, propelled by a need to steward the natural world and support those who work the land. Accokeek Foundation President, Wilton Corkern, noted, “In this region that prizes local food, pastoral landscapes, and a wholesome environment, we have an obligation to ensure that farmers have the tools that are needed to adopt sustainable practices and find success. This conference presents an opportunity for farmers to work with new environmental regulations and reclaim their rightful role as exemplary stewards of the land.” But the Foundation’s work alone is not enough. To advance the growth of sustainable agriculture and the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, we and other individuals and organizations must join together to find common ground and move in the following directions: • Raise public awareness of the important role that sustainable agriculture plays in environmental conservation. Well-managed farmland can produce a sustainable food source, preserve community character, and benefit the environment. In an effort to include both farmers and conservationists in the field of environmental stewardship, the beneficial role of sustainable agriculture must be made known. • Work to preserve the agricultural land that is essential to the production of fresh and local food. Increasing numbers of private citizens, organizations, institutions, and government agencies are working to preserve farmland. These efforts must continue, alongside an increased endeavor to ensure the continued sustainable and productive use of preserved land. • Develop policies and initiatives that will aid in the redevelopment of the region’s agricultural infrastructure. From milk, meat, and other processing facilities to equipment dealers and repair businesses, the support services that are vital to a working agricultural economy are insufficient in much of the Chesapeake region. New policies will enCommon Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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able farmers to access existing support services and encourage those lacking and nonexistent services to expand and return. • Connect those who want to farm sustainably with existing farmland. There is a need to connect prospective and current farmers with productive and affordable farmland on which they might earn a living. Some “Farm Link” programs exist in the region, but additional efforts must be made to address land tenure concerns in an aging agricultural population and to increase access—whether through renting or purchasing— to other available agricultural land. • Provide incentives and tools to increase the number of farmers who are successfully practicing sustainable agriculture, with special attention paid to members of low-income and immigrant communities. Farmer-to-farmer training and mentorship programs, as well as more formal educational programs, must be available to provide interested individuals with the skills that are needed to succeed in sustainable agriculture. These programs must address the practical matters of planting and growing food, as well as the marketing and management concerns that arise when operating a farm business. Programs that focus on outreach to and training of underserved and overlooked populations must be supported and included in the region’s broader efforts to promote farming as a viable profession. Members of the immigrant community might have backgrounds in agriculture, but often lack the access to land, information, training, or other forms of support that are needed to begin a successful agricultural career. • Raise public awareness of the knowledge and skill that are involved in sustainable agriculture, to increase public respect for and support of local farmers. Recognizing sustainable farmers as professionals will aid in farmer recruitment and development and will build public acceptance and understanding of farming as a valued profession.
(from top to bottom) Rows of flowering okra, The fields of the Ecosystem Farm in late fall, Arugula grows in the high tunnels, photos by the Accokeek Foundation. Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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appendices Appendix A
Existing Regional Agricultural Programs Chesapeake CRAFT: Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training http://accokeekfoundation.org/visit/education/stewardship/craft/ Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/knowyourfarmer?navid=KNOWY OURFARMER Maryland Department of Agriculture Organic Certification Program http://www.mda.state.md.us/md_products/certified_md_organic_farms/ how_get_certified.php Maryland FarmLINK http://www.marylandfarmlink.com So. Maryland, So Good http://www.somarylandsogood.com Southern Maryland Buy Local Challenge http://www.buy-local-challenge.com Southern Maryland Trails: Earth, Art, Imagination http://www.somdtrails.com
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Appendix B
Conference Agenda COMMON GROUND: GROWING AGRICULTURE, RESTORING THE BAY December 9, 2010 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
11:45 PLENARY SESSION “What’s a Farmer to Do?” Christine Bergmark, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, and Brett Grohsgal, Even’ Star Farm Allen Hance of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, photo by the Accokeek Foundation.
The Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay conference facilitates a discussion about environmental protection and conservation, the preservation of working landscapes, and farm viability. The conference will help to establish a common ground between disciplines and interests and to shape the direction of farming in the region. 9:00 REGISTRATION AND COFFEE 9:30 OPENING Welcome and Overview Greetings: Earl Hance, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Keynote Address: Jill Auburn, senior advisor for sustainability, U.S. Department of Agriculture 10:30 BREAK
12:30 LUNCH AND CONVERSATION 1:30 A FACILITATED TOWN HALL MEETING “What Works?” Moderated by Brett Grohsgal, Even’ Star Farm Dan Colhoun, Sportsman’s Hall Emily Cook, The Farm at Sunnyside Mike Klein, Good Fortune Farm Mike Snow, The Ecosystem Farm Joan Norman, One Straw Farm 3:00 CLOSING REMARKS Nick Place, University of Maryland Extension NETWORKING SESSION WITH DESSERT
10:45 PANEL DISCUSSION “Policies that Support Agriculture: A Chesapeake Regional Perspective” Moderated by Allen Hance, Chesapeake Bay Trust Jim Baird, American Farmland Trust Pablo Elliott, The Local Food Project at the Airlie Foundation Lorette Picciano, Rural Coalition Lorette Picciano of Rural Coalition, photo by the Accokeek Foundation. Seed Starts, photo courtesy of The Farm at Sunnyside. Common Ground: Growing Agriculture, Restoring the Bay Conference Summary
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Accokeek Foundation 3400 Bryan Point Road Accokeek, Maryland 20607 www.accokeekfoundation.org