Agriculture and Food Systems

The Maryland Beginning Farmer Success Project is a University of Maryland Extension partnership program providing new farmers with resources and contacts to be able to explore enterprise options, refine ideas, develop plans and strategies, and implement their farming practice.

In an effort to support the new and rapidly growing brewing industry in Maryland, 24 varieties of hops have been established at the University of Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station in Keedysville, Maryland. The hops are being managed intensively with regard to fertility and irrigation, as well as insect, disease and weed management using IPM principles.

In 1998, the Water Quality Improvement Act (WQIA) was enacted and many changes were brought about which affected Maryland’s agricultural community. Most notable among the changes are the requirement for farmers to obtain and implement a nutrient management plan if they meet either of the following criteria for their agricultural operation:
8 or more animal units (8,000 pounds of live animal weight) or
$2,500 gross annual income from the agricultural operation