Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame

February 3, 2023

2023: The Fritz Family

Taste of Maryland Agriculture
Maryland Ag Council

Family Name: The Fritz Family 

In 1912, Charles and Carrie Fritz purchased 90 acres of farmland and a large farmhouse in the beautiful Wakefield Valley, just outside of New Windsor in Carroll County. It was a dream for the couple, who had been tenant farmers for years. Six generations and 110 years later, the same farmhouse remains a homebase for their descendants. The current owners of the farm operation, which is now 480 acres in size, is the Fritz Family, LLC. The LLC members are Daniel Fritz and his two grown children, Jeffrey and Jessica.  Jeffrey and his wife Diana have three daughters – Emily, Ella and Addison. Jessica and her husband Jeff have two sons – Sawyer and Cooper.

Over the years, the family has seen good times and bad, scarcity and abundance. Through it all, the family’s passion for farming has never waned. The farm was a dairy farm for 104 years and it was still profitable in 2016 when the decision was made to stop the milking operation. The workload of milking cows and the drop in milk prices contributed to the decision. Today, the farm has a small beef operation, but is mainly a crop farm that grows wheat, barley, soybeans, corn, hay and straw. Currently, the farm is 100 percent no till and has been for over 15 years. The family manages the fields using a software application and uses Global Positioning System (GPS) for accurate applications of chemicals and fertilizers.

The Fritz family has always been involved in community and agricultural organizations. Daniel’s brother George was a member of the Carroll County Agriculture Center and the Carroll County Soil Conservation Board, as well as the Southern States Board of Directors. Daniel was a leader for the following organizations: the Carroll County Holstein Club, the Carroll County Farm Bureau, and the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. Daniel and Jeffrey are involved with the New Windsor Volunteer Fire Department, as well. And the youngest generation are in Carroll County 4 -H, where they exhibit cows, swine, and lambs.

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Ceremony Date: 2/3/23

March 7, 2022

2021: The Eck Family

Credit: Edwin Remsberg

Family Name: The Eck Family

The Eck family emigrated to Baltimore from Germany in the mid-1800s. Elmer T. Eck and Sons was established in 1952 when the family purchased 750 acres of land in Queen Anne’s County. Carl Eck and his wife, Doris, worked with his sister, Dorothy Eck Higgs, and her husband, William Jennings Higgs, to milk holsteins and grow row crops. By 1977, Carl and Doris’ son, Mark, began contributing to the farm operation. As a sophomore in high school, Mark built his first chicken house and share-cropped 20 acres. Since then, Mark has gone on to purchase eight farms in Ingleside, expanding his family’s operation and maintaining a strong commitment to the community.

Mark and Vicky Eck own and operate MAE-VUE Farms where they farm 1,500 acres of crops and raise large broiler chickens in seven barns. Their oldest son, Alan, and grandson, Easton, have expanded the family operation to include another 430 acres of crops; production of 715,000 large broiler chickens; 1,800 all-natural, heritage market hogs; a commercial cow-finish beef operation; and a straw and hay business. The Eck’s daughter, Jenell Eck McHenry, lives on a grain and beef farm in Kennedyville with her husband, Joey, and their son, Lee. Beyond the farm, Jenell works for Thompson Ag Consulting, where she is a staunch advocate for the state’s farm community. Mark and Vicky’s son Kenny lives in Austin, Texas, where he owns and manages a healthcare data management company.

Throughout the years, the Eck family has been an outstanding example of the dedication and commitment that farmers have to the environment and their communities. The family works closely with Queen Anne’s Soil Conservation District to install various on-farm best management practices that are designed to protect and preserve natural resources. Additionally, the Eck family is heavily involved with various agricultural organizations in Maryland including 4-H, FFA, and the Farm Bureau.

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Ceremony Date: 3/3/22

February 4, 2021

2020: The Cross Family

Credit: Edwin Remsberg

Family Name: The Cross Family

The Cross Family has been farming in Prince George’s County since John and Elizabeth Cross moved to North Keys in the mid 1800s, where they raised their 11 children. The Cross’ grew tobacco and served as the local market for other growers in the area. The Cross brothers also operated a small feed and fertilizer store that would later become a Southern States Cooperative franchise location, giving them the ability to expand their market and serve a wider range of Maryland farmers. In addition to their tobacco and feed businesses, the Cross’ grew a variety of field crops and raised beef cattle and chickens. As their operation continued to grow, the family decided to incorporate the family business in 1986, making Sandra Cross the president and 100% stockholder of R&D Cross, Inc. 

In recent years, the family made the decision to transition away from growing tobacco, instead using those fields for corn and soybeans in rotation with cover crops of hay, which are sold as feed at the family’s store. The embrace of cover crops is a great example of the family’s commitment to conservation practices. The Cross family also hosts an annual public education dinner event on their farm that emphasizes various agricultural topics, including chemical and fertilizer use, equine updates, safety practices, and information on agricultural products. Their efforts to embrace conservation practices and educate the public earned them the honor of being named the Prince George’s Soil Conservation District’s Cooperator of the Year in 2009. 

As an essential business, R&D Cross, Inc. has kept their operations running throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with stringent safety measures in place to protect their workers and customers. With curbside pickup and expanded delivery options, their store has been able to continue providing critical supplies to farmers, gardeners, and animal owners during these unprecedented times.

Off the farm, the family is also very active in their local community, playing various roles supporting 4-H groups, scouts, and little league sports teams. Sandra has taken on an active leadership role in the family’s church, where she is celebrating 60 years of volunteer service as the organist and choir director. The Cross family is a great example of the kind of commitment and service that makes agriculture Maryland’s top industry. 

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Ceremony Date (Virtual): 2/4/21

2019: The Richardson Family

Photo credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family name: The Richardson Family

Roger Richardson and his wife Fay have farms in Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties. Richardson Farm dates back to 1767. Roger currently operates the farm with his daughter, grandson, and great-grandson, while Fay has been instrumental in the continued growth and diversification of the family farm business. The multi-generational farm family grows corn, soybeans, and wheat. In 1980, the Richardsons diversified their operation by starting a private trucking company dedicated to the transportation of agricultural products. In addition to precision farming techniques, the Richardsons have adopted both conservation and no-till practices to manage nutrients and meet soil and water conservation goals. 

Off the farm, Roger Richardson’s legacy leaves a profound, lasting impact on the state’s farming community. In the late 1970s, Roger was one of 14 men appointed by then Governor Marvin Mandel to create the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Thirty-five years later, then Governor Martin O’Malley appointed Mr. Richardson to serve as Maryland’s Secretary of Agriculture, overseeing the agency he helped create. In addition to his involvement with the department, Roger has held several leadership positions with local, state, and national organizations, including: the Agricultural Stewardship Commission, the Maryland Center for Agro-Ecology, and stints as president and vice-president of the National Association of Farmer Elected Committees. With decades of knowledge and experience, Roger and Fay Richardson continue to support and advocate for farmers on the Lower Eastern Shore, the State of Maryland, and beyond.

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Ceremony Date: 2/6/20

2019: The Rhodes Family

Photo credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family Name: The Rhodes Family

Pat and Temple Rhodes began their family farm operation in 1959 on rented ground in Easton. In 1961, the Rhodes purchased their first farm, Chestnut Vale, in Centreville. Over the next several years, Chestnut Vale Farm became home to Pat and Temple’s children: Jenny, Betsy, Susan, Carole, and Temple, Jr. The family began with a dairy herd and transitioned to a cow calf operation in 1968, raising nearly 200 head of angus cattle per year. Throughout his decades of farming, Temple Rhodes remains committed to conservation and has embraced the use of technology and other best management practices to maintain a profitable, environmentally-sound operation.

Pat Rhodes has been involved with the local 4-H club since her children were young, and continues to be an ardent supporter of University of Maryland Extension programs. The Rhodes family is a fixture in the Queen Anne’s County agriculture community, from offering up their land and equipment to support the county fair and other events at the county’s nearby 4-H Park, to their involvement at Our Mother of Sorrows Church in Centreville. The Rhodes’ legacy is one of leadership and commitment that continues with their children and grandchildren, and has left a lasting impact on Maryland agriculture.

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Ceremony Date: 2/6/20

February 15, 2019

2018: The Linthicum Family

Photo credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family Name: The Linthicum Family

The Linthicum family embodies the kind of resilience and innovation required to maintain a successful multigenerational family farm. With nearly 200 years invested, the Linthicums are the oldest continuously farming family in Montgomery County. That distinction has not come without adversity, but the family’s dedication and hard work has helped them grow Seneca Ayr Farms to embrace the agriculture industry changing landscape and continue to incorporate new technology and conservation practices. The family’s story began in 1826, when Lot Linthicum began farming tobacco in Boyds. At the turn of the century, the decision was made to get out of the tobacco business and move into dairy. As the dairy operation began to flourish, the family suffered a major setback when their house burnt down in 1927. This forced the Linthicums to stop milking cows and refocus their efforts on growing crops and raising livestock. By 1934, the Linthicums were back in the diary business and continued to raise hogs. Over the next several years, the family updated its operation with modern equipment which increased efficiency and allowed them to expand their milking herd. Charles and Juanita, their son Tom, and brother John continued the family dairy business through the mid-1990s, when declining profit margins and aging labor forced them to make yet another tough adjustment. By fall of 1996, the family had decided to auction off their dairy herd and shift their focus to raising hogs and growing field crops. The farm’s old dairy barn was converted into a finishing facility for the hog operation. In 2003, the family bought a farm in Laytonsville, where they now farm over 1,100 acres in Montgomery County’s Agriculture Reserve. The family grows corn, wheat and soybeans in addition to making hay and straw. Sadly, the hog finishing barn burnt to the ground in 2015, forcing the family to sell-off their breeding herd and refocus yet again on raising a small herd of beef cattle. Charles continues to oversee the farm with Tom, Tom’s wife Paula and employee Jimmy Shelton. The family has established themselves as leaders in the agricultural community both locally and statewide. They have remained involved in groups like FFA and 4-H and continue to advocate for agriculture on state, local and national levels. Tom currently serves on the Montgomery Soil Conservation District board. Like many farmers across Maryland, the Linthicum family has a deep love and passion for agriculture.

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Ceremony Date: 2/7/2019

March 2, 2018

2017: The Bowling Family

Credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family Name: The Bowling Family

The Bowling Family of Charles County has lived and farmed for three generations at their Bunker Hill location, and for many generations before that at neighboring farms. Wallace and Martha Bowling purchased the 271 acre farm in 1944. Their main crop was tobacco, which was supplemented by cattle, hogs, and a grain operation in rotation. Wallace passed away in 1960, leaving his 18 year-old son Eddie in charge of the farm. Eddie was later joined by younger brothers Calvin, Charles, James and Howard. In 1998, Charles’ son Chip took over full-time. In 2000, the family accepted the state’s tobacco buyout program, which left them looking for new ways to remain viable. Chip started Bowling Agri-Services with his wife Lynn and their two daughters, leasing land and buildings from the family’s Bunker Hill Farm. The company has expanded from 200 acres of grain crops in the 90s to nearly 1,000 acres today, leasing land on 16 tracts comprising 102 separate fields. The Bowlings are known as leaders in the agricultural community. Chip, Lynn, and their daughters have been active in the local 4-H program. Lynn is a member of Common Ground, an organization that communicates with the public about farm and food issues. Chip has held leadership positions in several local, state, and national organizations. This includes Charles County Farm Bureau and Maryland Grain Producers Association, where he served as president of the Utilization Board. Chip also served as president of the National Corn Growers Association (NGCA). He is the organization’s first president from the East Coast, and the first to serve two terms. Through his work with NGCA, Chip played a major role in many federal initiatives, including the passage of two farm bills.

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Ceremony Date: 2/1/18

February 3, 2017

2016: The Milburn Family

Credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family Name: The Milburn Family

The Milburn family has been farming in Cecil County for more than 100 years, and the operation is currently run by the family’s fourth generation. Milburn Orchards spans more than 400 acres in Elkton, producing a variety of fruit—mostly apples and peaches. Picking up where their uncle Evan Milburn and father John Milburn left off,  Jay, Melinda, and David Milburn have worked together to establish Milburn Orchards as a leader in the ever-changing landscape of Maryland’s agriculture industry. Milburn Orchards was among the first Maryland farms to embrace the state’s emerging agri-tourism market. The family developed its “BIG BackYard” attraction, giving visitors an opportunity to learn where their food comes from while enjoying a hands-on outdoor experience with their families. The Milburn’s have also developed “U-Pick Adventures,” and have recently expanded their on-farm market to meet increasing demands. As resource conservation continues to be a priority for the state, the Milburns have made a strong commitment to sustainable agriculture. The family has made a number of small changes that have resulted in significant savings financially and ecologically: Windmills, well pumps, irrigation systems, etc. The Millburns are currently in the process of installing solar arrays on the roofs of their farm market and cold storage buildings, which they expect will offset the farm’s electricity usage by 40 percent. The family has also shown leadership in agricultural marketing, leveraging social media and e-mail/text message campaigns to create highly effective marketing programs. Their success in this area has resulted in invitations to speak at a number of trade shows, seminars, and classrooms. In addition to their on-farm contributions, the Milburn family participates in a variety of educational initiatives, and is active in several organizations on local, state, and national levels.

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Ceremony Date: 2/2/17

February 2, 2017

2015: The Swann Family

Credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family Name: Sambo Swann Family

Swann Farms spans more than 360 acres of land along the Patuxent River in northern Calvert County. For more than 160 years and six generations, the Swann family has grown tobacco and traditional field crops including corn, wheat, barley and soybeans. In 1994, the family began to diversify their crops and developed a reputation throughout Southern Maryland for producing high volumes of high-quality fruits and vegetables. The farm also grows malting barley which is often sourced by local breweries. More recently, in an effort to directly engage with consumers, Swann Farms opened its U-Pick operation, an agritourism attraction which allows consumers to pick their own fresh produce. Read More

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Date of Ceremony: February 5, 2016

February 5, 2015

2014: The Councell Family

Credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family Name: The Councell Family 

Chip Councell, his wife Jo Ann and their son Jason own and operate Councell Farms, a Talbot County retail produce market along Route 50, and a grain farming operation in the Cordova area. The Councell Family began farming in Talbot County around 1690. Chip and Jason are the 10^th and 11^th generation of Councell farmers. Chip’s father Phil raised hogs and grain. Chip started farming with his father in 1979, married Jo Ann in 1981 and then added vegetable crops to the operation. They currently grow corn, sweet corn, soybeans, wheat, watermelons, cantaloupes, and squash, and they manage 1,000 acres of timber. Jason has been managing the vegetable production and agri-tourism operation since 2004. Jo Ann runs the produce market and Chip handles the grain operation. The Councell Farm is a family affair: Phil still helps daily and the Councell’s daughter Melissa, an elementary school teacher, is often recruited to lend a hand. Jo Ann’s mother Flossie and sister-in-law Betsy also work at the market. The 12^th generation of Councell’s includes Jason and Casey’s children Avery, Davis and Sydney; and Melissa and Jason Dodd’s daughter Anna and son Nathan. The Councell family is committed to connecting with the community to explain where food comes from. They have diversified into agri-tourism, converted a shed into a mini-classroom, and now conduct tours for more than 3,000 school children. They also offer internship opportunities. Councell Farms was featured in a video for the “Mid-Atlantic Farmers Feed Us” promotional campaign and Maryland Public Television’s “Maryland Farm and Harvest” series. The Councell family is committed to conservation practices to protect the land for future generations. They have installed numerous grass-lined waterways and rock outlets to filter nutrients and prevent soil erosion, grown cover crops, and built two small shallow-water wildlife areas to attract waterfowl. The farm is enrolled in the federal Conservation Stewardship Program and follows a Forest Stewardship Plan. In 2010, the Councell’s were honored as the Talbot Soil Conservation District Cooperators of the Year for their efforts, innovation and dedication to protecting and conserving the land, environment and wildlife. Chip has been active in a number of agriculture organizations including Talbot County Farm Bureau and the Maryland Grain Producers.

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Ceremony Date: 2/5/15

January 27, 2014

2013: The Edwards Family

Credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family Name: The Edwards Family

The Edwards family began dairy farming in Caroline County 73 years ago. Since then, the 250 acre farm – now called Oakland View Farms, LLC – has grown to 1,500 acres with 700 dairy cows and hundreds of acres of corn, soybean, alfalfa, grass hay, barley and wheat. Eleven irrigation systems cover 900 acres, and the farm plants about 600 acres of cover crops every winter. In addition, 434 acres are permanently preserved through agriculture land preservation easements. The farm received the Maryland Dairy of Distinction Award in 2011. The Edwards family has implemented many major conservation projects through the years to prevent nutrient runoff from reaching the Chesapeake Bay. The farm’s 24-foot buffer around its ditches and tile wells add up to 26 acres. All contaminated water is channeled to a lagoon by installing French drains, rain gutters and sediment traps to divert rain water to storm drains. Heavy use areas around manure storage and bunker silos have been cemented to lead the runoff of these areas to the lagoon. The latest conservation project is the addition of a Bioreactor in an area where our farm runoff water leaves our land.Richard (Dick) and Jan Edwards began operating the farm in 1975 after his father passed away suddenly. He was 33 years old and in charge of a 250 acre farm that had been in the family since 1940. Dick attributes his success to the Ag Econ classes he took at University of Maryland and serving as a director of the Peoples Bank of Maryland. Jan, who grew up on a dairy farm in Wicomico County, met Dick in 1962 during a 4-H trip to West Virginia. They married in 1966. Both Dick and Jan have been very active in community and church organizations, as well as agriculture and dairy organizations, throughout their lives and have both received numerous awards for their leadership.

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Ceremony Date: 2/6/14

December 31, 2012

2012: Ed and Marion Fry Family

Photo by Executive Office of the Governor

Name of Family: Ed and Marion Fry Family

The patriarch of the family, Edwin C. “Pop” Fry, followed in the footsteps of his parents, Edwin D. and Susan Clarkson Fry, who were innovators and early adaptors of improved technology, promoted by the Cooperative Extension Service in Montgomery County and project leaders from USDA. A network of resources and experiences was forged that set the stage for their five children – Edwin C., George, Amy (Leber), Frederick and Margery (Grace) – to be engaged in 4-H and agriculture throughout their lifetimes and inspired the next generations to stay involved in agriculture.  As a young entrepreneur, Edwin C. was an innovative leader in the agricultural industry. An FFA American Star Farmer and state 4-H dairy judging team member, he helped establish the Montgomery County Agricultural Center in the 1940’s, served as a director for the National Holstein Association from 1965-73. He actively promoted agriculture and international marketing of Holsteins during his time as a director.  He was president of the Maryland Holstein Association when the National Convention was held in Baltimore in 1964. He continued to work with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service throughout his life. He was a highly regarded and internationally known dairy cattle judge.  He served on the Maryland Agriculture Advisory Board (which was, at the time, part of the Board of Regents at the University of Maryland), and later on the Maryland Agricultural Commission.  He received the Certificate of Merit Award in Agriculture from the University of Maryland in 1976, prior to the establishment of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. In 1984 he was inducted into the Maryland Dairy Shrine. Edwin and Lorraine moved Fair Hill Farm to Chestertown in 1960 with their four young children. Active throughout Kent County, Edwin continued to mentor young agriculturalists, advanced farming practices and served his community as a Rotarian and active member of the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown. Edwin later served as a longtime board member for both the Maryland State Fair and Chestertown Bank of Maryland. “Pop” was a well-regarded leader in Maryland agriculture until his death in June 2012.  Married for 67 years, Edwin and Lorraine had three sons, all of whom graduated college with degrees in agriculture, and one daughter. Their oldest son Edwin R. (“Ed”) returned to the farm in 1969 after earning a degree in Dairy Science from the University of Maryland, and by the 1980s had built a 500 cow dairy facility near Kennedyville. Son Ken helped manage 4,000 acres of cropland. Son Robert, a veterinarian, did herd health work and nutrition for the herd. Daughter Joan, who worked briefly on the farm, became a registered nurse, like her mother. All of the Frys, from Pops on down, were active in 4-H and FAA.  By the early 2000s, Ed began working with Horizon Organic Dairy, which had purchased the Kennedyville farm and leased the Naval Academy Dairy Farm in Gambrills. Ed formed Maryland Sunrise Farm, LLC to run the leased operation. The new association also prompted Ed to transition some of his Kent County ground to organic crops. When Horizon Organic stopped operating the Naval Academy Farm in 2005, Ed obtained the lease from the Navy and, with his wife Marian, continues to manage Maryland Sunrise Farm and its many activities today. In 2007, Ed and Marian purchased the Fair Hill Farm business from his extended family.  In addition, Marian took the lead in restoring a house built on the Fair Hill farm in 1760 and which is now on the National Register of Historic Places. She also gave educational farm tours for every fourth grader in Kent County over 20 years.  Together, Edwin and Marian were named the 2006 Northeast winners of the Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture and the Chester Riverkeeper’s Award for practices contributing to cleaner water for the Chester River. Ed’s son (i.e., Pop’s grandson) Matthew, a graduate of Virginia Tech, and his wife Megan, also a Virginia Tech graduate who’s from a seven generation farm family, also work on Fair Hill Farm where they are raising two young children and continuing to advance the business. Under Matt’s leadership, the milking herd increased by from 260 to 380 cows. His goal is to grow the herd internally to 500 cows by 2015. The current rolling herd average is 26,470 pounds of milk; 923 pounds of fat, 790 pounds of protein. Ed’s son Chuck has recently returned to the farm, assuming a part time management role. Fair Hill Farm was named Cooperator of the Year for the Kent Soil and Water Conservation District for the advanced manure handling structures installed on the farm to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Guidelines and the Total Maximum Daily Loads in the Maryland Watershed Implementation Plan. Working with NRCS cost share, the facilities include a neoprene liner and leak detection system to meet the requirements for a CAFO. They also include a manure storage shed for the heifer lot, and a dry cow cement tank for the field to hold manure until it can be spread.

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Date Awarded: February 7, 2013