Maryland Permanently Preserves 10 Working Farms

Nearly 1,600 Acres of Additional Farmland Protected Forever

ANNAPOLIS, MD (December 14, 2023) – The Maryland Board of Public Works approved 10 new Maryland Agricultural Preservation Foundation easements during their December 13 meeting. The easements will permanently preserve 1,582 acres of prime farmland in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Talbot, and Wicomico counties, for an investment of more than $7.3 million.

“Farmland preservation is not just about protecting our source of fresh and local food for today,” said Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “It is an investment in our future, ensuring that the land that sustains us today will continue to nourish generations yet to come. The farmers who have willingly conserved their land deserve recognition as unsung heroes.”

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 chart. 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.

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