Mid-Atlantic State Ag Leaders Hold 3rd Annual Meeting in Annapolis

 
Agriculture Secretaries and Commissioners from five Mid-Atlantic States held their 3^rd annual meeting in Annapolis on April 25 to discuss mutual interests and goals of their respective agricultural communities. Agenda topics included: federal-state partnerships, water quality goals and the Chesapeake Bay, nutrient management, manure transport, the Food Safety Modernization Act, Zika virus, high path avian influenza, and international trade issues.

Key participants included: Cecil Rodrigues (EPA Region III Administrator), Joe Bartenfelder (Maryland Secretary of Agriculture), Michael Scuse (Delaware Secretary of Agriculture), Sandy Adams (Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services), Kent Leonhardt (West Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Poultry), and Greg Hostetter (Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary of Agriculture) and Kelly Shenk, EPA Region III, Chesapeake Bay Program Office Agriculture Lead.

“I thank EPA Region III for their partnership in working together with agriculture and our neighboring colleagues for recognizing the importance of making the trip for this meeting. Our states are the closest to the Chesapeake Bay and it is essential for us to work cooperatively to help us reach one of our biggest shared goals – to protect and restore our national treasure, the Chesapeake Bay. We look forward continuing our work together.” – Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder

PHOTO ID (L-R): Greg Hostetter (Pennsylvania Dep. Secretary of Agriculture), Joe Bartenfelder (Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary of Agriculture), Michael Scuse, (Delaware Secretary of Agriculture), Cecil Rodrigues (EPA Region 3 Administrator), Sandy Adams (Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Commissioner), and Kent Leonhardt (West Virginia Department of Agriculture Secretary).