Skip to Main Content

For Farmers, Earth Day is Every Day by Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance

Photo by Edwin Remsberg

Photo by Edwin Remsberg

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Earth Day is a time to recognize both the fragility and majesty of our natural environment – a time, if you will, to stop and smell the roses and the trees and all the crops that grow on the planet.

For those in agriculture, who grew up on farms, Earth Day is every day. From the day those farm started operating – and for many Maryland farm families that day came several generations ago, they entered into a covenant to work with the Earth on behalf of all who inhabit it.

That covenant has become both more difficult but also more important to uphold in recent times. And farmers are continuing to step up and be good stewards of the environment. Every time they are asked to do more, they have done more; every time science discovers more efficient techniques and innovations, farmers have adopted them; every time we have identified successful programs that work, like planting cover crops, farmers have taken part with enthusiasm.

Today, the states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, as well as the federal government, are taking Bay Restoration efforts more seriously than ever before. Agriculture has been a contributor to the problem, we know. So have many urban sources, including wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, storm water drainage areas, the proliferation of impervious surfaces in our high density counties. Even well-intentioned citizens who over fertilize their lawns contribute to the degradation of the Bay. Agriculture, however, has been one of the few sectors to make steady improvements and reduce its negative impact over the years. By adopting new practices and installing best management practices (BMPs), agricultural operations have reduced their impact while remaining efficient, profitable and sustainable.

Since 1984, farmers have installed 21,900 water quality projects or about two BMPs per day, every day for 28 years. More than 30 on-farm BMPs are eligible for cost-sharing. These on-farm BMPs result in well-managed farms that provide cleaner water, healthy local food, profitable farms, stronger rural economies, and the open space that all Marylanders benefit from.

In my view, Earth Day is a time to recognize the farmer whose conscientious effort, knowledge of cutting edge farming practices, soil science and crop needs, and financial commitments provide us with the materials that are the foundation of all the food we eat and clothes we wear. A hundred years ago, virtually everyone in the U.S. either worked on a farm or knew someone who did. Today, most people have never been on a farm or developed a realistic idea of the breadth of knowledge and practice farmers need to have.

Please join me this Earth Day in thanking farmers for all that they have done and continue to do to protect our natural resource, preserve productive farmland and provide us all with a healthy food supply today and for generations to come.

# # #


Contact Information

If you have any questions, need additional information or would like to arrange an interview, please contact:
Jessica Hackett
Director of Communications
Telephone: 410-841-5888

doit-ewspw-W02