Maryland Agricultural Commission Installs New Chairman, Vice Chairman; Members Honor Outgoing Chairman

Scott Youse, Charlie Capenter

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Eastern Shore Dairy Farmer Scott Youse was installed as Chairman of the Maryland Agricultural Commission (MAC) while Charlie Carpenter, director of hatcheries and primary breeders for Perdue Farms, was elected Vice Chair during a MAC meeting in Annapolis last week. The Commission also honored outgoing chairman Tom Shelton, who has represented viticulture since 2007 and has served as chairman since 2011.

The Commission is an advisory body to the Secretary of Agriculture whose members are appointed by the Governor and represent major commodity groups in Maryland. The commission meets once a month and advises the secretary on issues impacting the industry.

“I want to thank Tom Shelton for his leadership and I look forward to working more closely with Scott Youse and Charlie Carpenter in the next year,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “The Agricultural Commission helps us understand what is going on across the industry and across sectors. The insights and perspectives of Commission members are very important to us.”

Youse, who has represented the dairy industry on the Commission since 2009, was president of the Maryland Dairy Industry Association (MDIA) from 2007 to 2013. His Caroline County farm currently milks 600 Holsteins and plants 1,400 acres of corn, barley, alfalfa, and soybeans. In 2010, their farm received the Maryland Dairy of Distinction award from MDIA. Youse has served as Vice Chair of MAC for the past year. He replaces outgoing chair Tom Shelton

Charlie Carpenter, who has represented poultry on the Commission since 2011, is responsible for overseeing the continuous improvement of Perdue’s proprietary breed of chicken and for the breeder operations and hatcheries that provide chicks to the farms that raise Perdue chickens. A third-generation farmer, Carpenter owns a 186-acre row crop farm in Somerset County. He is also past president of the Delmarva Poultry Industry and currently serves on its board of directors and executive committee.

For more information about the commission.

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