Maryland Permanently Preserves Twenty-Seven Working Farms

4,600 Acres of Additional Farmland Protected Forever

ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 5, 2023) – The Maryland Board of Public Works approved 27 new Maryland Agricultural Preservation Foundation easements during their October 4 meeting. The easements will permanently preserve 4,600 acres of prime farmland in Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Wicomico counties, for an investment of more than $16.9 million.

“Preserving Maryland farmland is incredibly beneficial to its citizens,” said Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “By preventing irreversible conversion of farmland to other uses, we protect our local food supply and our local economy. I am grateful to the landowners that volunteered to preserve these 4,600 acres of farmland.”

The Maryland Agricultural Preservation Foundation was established in 1977 as part of the Maryland Department of Agriculture.The foundation purchases agricultural preservation easements from willing farmers to forever protect prime farmland and woodland. 

To view a list of the Maryland Agricultural Preservation Foundation easements broken down by county, see this list. The newly-approved easements will help the state meet its newly-enacted goal of conserving 30% of state land by 2030. The new goal went into effect on October 1st in accordance with the Maryland the Beautiful Act as passed in the 2023 Session by the Maryland General Assembly.

For more information, please contact the foundation’s Executive Director Michelle Cable at (410) 841-5860 or michelle.cable@maryland.gov.

###

Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Twitter @MdAgDept