“There’s some more greenhouse production here now, too,” comments Class. Maryland growers increased the value of food crops grown under protection from $1.9 million in 2009 to $3 million in 2014, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Market access is one of the main benefits for Maryland growers. “Depending upon the size of your business and the labor you have, you can pick between wholesale distributors, retailers who seek direct-to-store, and farmers’ markets,” says Bartenfelder.
Environmental regulations are a major issue for Maryland agriculture, where farms are among the nation’s leaders in nutrient management practices. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from the American Farm Bureau seeking to overturn EPA authority to enforce the “Chesapeake Bay Blueprint.” The Blueprint gives EPA authority, under the Clean Water Act, to regulate farmland use within the six-state Chesapeake Bay watershed, which includes Maryland. This may mean some cropland in the watershed area will have to cease or shift production, according to the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
