[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6367574,"mediaKeyId","2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125","parentId",2158682,"title","Maryland grain farmers and Farm Credit warn of tight margins, supply disruptions and labor pressures","audioSeconds",1202,"startMs",488000,"endMs",1690000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125&start=488&end=1690","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125/thumbnail_488000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6367574/Maryland/Maryland-grain-farmers-and-Farm-Credit-warn-of-tight-margins-supply-disruptions-and-labor-pressures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6367574-6c66c242540261903aa0d07d52fab2e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149599&Signature=mWy5BFdVLlsFQ1aU~Jldlo3ik42WjrQruCo1u-br4SoXB8mH5jowRX6Z~fvjMxo2erULMyxJzQMzEFgW-tbIzihCp~kbaMByaf7QQvh4R1LFYaMuParx~q45xLVK7FupLFrRF7SwBENwY~5wbnWBQa5LLEYpAHjGaTj1ugIeH6YkQm8nekJ8gqB~3~obOUvilti34vTp3OwEfVLyXds4tNfuuYSTTVray0C5YM0BCCs-yNca~wnN3KV65gj1NeleWttih62DU4YWnC1pMNmssb6jXh742mMAfLQMA0rAHua61~kpoS21sWTzhdnfuNuvlsWJ0f~inAnS7pILYMuFgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Environment and Transportation","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives of Horizon Farm Credit and the Maryland Grain Producers Association told the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 that Maryland grain farmers faced a difficult 2024 and remain under pressure as 2025 begins.

\"Despite high interest rates, stubborn input costs, and softening commodity markets, we remain bullish on the long term prospects for Maryland agriculture,\" said Tyler Marcek, government affairs manager for Horizon Farm Credit, while also listing recent stresses that damaged returns.

Marcek described widespread weather damage and lower yields for corn, soybeans and wheat in 2024 and said many grain farmers did not break even. \"Overall, in 2024, if you broke even as a grain farmer, you had a good year,\" he said. He said farm lenders encountered customers worried about paying expenses incurred in 2024.

Justin Bridal, president of the Maryland Grain Producers Association, told committee members that farmers still see important local markets — notably the poultry sector on Delmarva, which purchases most Maryland corn and soybeans — but that commodity prices and input cost spikes have driven net farm incomes down. \"Farmers are the smallest minority that impacts every American multiple times a day,\" Bridal said.

Speakers detailed supply-chain disruptions that affected nutrient availability and equipment access, including a major bridge loss and a temporary closure of the Port of Baltimore that disrupted fertilizer deliveries and imports of farm equipment. \"The Port Of Baltimore is also a major hub for us for importing agricultural equipment and goods,\" Bridal said, thanking state officials for efforts to reopen the port and plan a new bridge.

On labor, panelists said the H-2A guest-worker program is increasingly necessary for specialty crop harvests and other seasonal work. A fruit-and-vegetable producer on the panel said the number of H-2A workers in Maryland has risen from roughly 500–600 five years ago to an estimated 1,500 this season; that increase was described as a ground-level estimate by a panelist involved in housing inspections.

Speakers emphasized conservation and technical assistance as part of the response to economic stress. Marcek noted that farm lenders offer member assistance programs for mental-health and financial counseling. Bridal and other panelists credited the state cover crop program for making some conservation investments feasible; Bridal said record cover crop acreage was planted in fall 2024 and that cover-crop payments make practices financially possible.

No committee votes or formal directives followed the briefing. Panelists answered questions from delegates about markets and profitability but did not propose specific new legislation in this session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","ENT Committee Session, 1/28/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives of Horizon Farm Credit and the Maryland Grain Producers Association told the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 that Maryland grain farmers faced a difficult 2024 and remain under pressure as 2025 begins.","taxTitle","Environment and Transportation Committee, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15060,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6367582,"Delmarva chicken farmers warn House committee of high-path avian influenza threat",237,195000,432000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125&start=195&end=432","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125/thumbnail_195000.jpg","/articles/6367582/Maryland/Delmarva-chicken-farmers-warn-House-committee-of-high-path-avian-influenza-threat","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6367582-397586e42e1b4756e32231827415baff/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149599&Signature=G4rsOZxcd6aXLooaaA5ZDLXfc2bfUUPtwgIopTCgmVy5adM4Fokr6ux6dkX9LvKwGlpYQpMR~MgflimRT3Jq6titTPbO61aqDB9fXtGmgY8g78fsbMM6ouK4yyNvrjScBye4A7RIa2nrAC9bZiUAY5343RV--D48wMOYCypYPQVyA0b0qR3C9fz2xkjWa5LE1OHE82TInhZhczBUpGlc88J5NbxRcCOsCzlZg8yo54KUcTlc5KAoVHO74kZo~ERZISEnFfbYED7Qmo3P8xUEH5-nA4QG2DqF37U-cn4arPIl92MUVaiD9-UVQA94HUxbpImpBv9VFDSSkMSEYDg81A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mary Lou Brown, president of the Delmarva Chicken Association and owner-operator of Maple Breeze Farm, told the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 that highly pathogenic avian influenza is the greatest concern facing Delmarva poultry growers.

Brown, who said her operation runs six commercial chicken houses that produce more than 600,000 broilers a year, described daily biosecurity routines and the difficulty of keeping the virus off farms. \"It's scary. Me personally, I'm scared to death what I will see when I walk into that chicken house,\" she told committee members.

The Delmarva chicken industry, Brown said, is large and interconnected: more than 1,200 independent family farmers operate roughly 4,900 chicken houses across Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, tied to five chicken companies and about 18,000 company employees. Brown said the industry produced about 613,000,000 birds in 2024 and estimated the Maryland grower community had nearly 550 growers and a roughly $550,000,000 total economic impact in the state; she said the industry contributed more than $255,000,000 in local and state taxes.

Brown outlined the on-farm measures her family uses to reduce disease risk, including minimizing visitors to the farm, segregating manure-handling activities from live flocks, and using fixed on‑farm boot sets and bleach footbaths at entry points. \"When we go into that chicken house, we step in bleach. Then before we go where the chickens are, we put on a pair of boots over top of what we have on or change boots,\" she said.

She acknowledged that even rigorous biosecurity can fail when environmental contamination occurs: \"It just doesn't work when there's crap all over the driveways and such. And that's what carries it in,\" Brown said, noting that risk will remain until wild-bird migration subsides.

Brown invited legislators to industry events during Maryland Ag Week, including a \"Chicken Day\" in Annapolis that will feature a virtual reality tour of a chicken house and opportunities to meet growers.

No formal committee actions were taken during the briefing; Department of Agriculture Secretary Addison attended to listen. Committee members asked panelists questions after the presentations but did not vote on or direct new policy in this session.","Delmarva poultry producers told the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) remains the top immediate threat to operations and described extensive on-farm biosecurity measures and industry impacts.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6367562,"Soil conservation districts cite record cover-crop acres and federal-state funding leverage",191,1029000,1220000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125&start=1029&end=1220","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125/thumbnail_1029000.jpg","/articles/6367562/Maryland/Soil-conservation-districts-cite-record-cover-crop-acres-and-federal-state-funding-leverage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6367562-b5ffad59a22c794b0c9c21bd107a4e0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149599&Signature=eRU1jaHIW3~EaWw2nEJZXtSbkj-fDVHbknjMtz86IDerCtif~qyaufdnZBCrQsL25U9en--wB8qWlg0xKtUy8PdtEsMjc47fHV3fxhog~pI3DvQqS~lismsGr6DUcTexOX8CueGAlKibJ86taxZzkfyiXe8NYgjkKm0TAFcax2lDZ4B24FJz3G1Ezbhu8tfrSgfBE5ASU-K6nrsVDZEALKJFok7OWcSLPn6FTK0F6LqdjUGcuI2eiPrz~oWLpQ4KQ~8E-Gw7favuKiwMH6B6Tt4xrd~4Pl1L86Dyv2AMhilArdAZG6VdnM1uJW9-yuNKccnMzOOeukBhfGuXJER1Fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Swain, president of the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts (MASCD) and a Talbot County grain farmer, told the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 that conservation districts are a key technical partner in implementing farm conservation and Chesapeake Bay restoration goals.

\"Thanks to funding through the state, Maryland is number 1 in the country for percentage of our crop land planted in cover crops,\" Swain said, describing district work that in 2024 assisted farmers to plant about 450,000 acres of cover crops.

Swain said districts helped nearly 1,000 farmers implement more than 3,400 best management practices (BMPs) and prepared or updated more than 1,300 soil conservation and water-quality plans protecting over 30,000 acres. District technical staff also reviewed approximately 10,000 erosion and sediment control plans in urban areas to ensure development is compatible with environmental protection, he said.

Swain highlighted the importance of state investments and technical staff in leveraging Inflation Reduction Act and Farm Bill funds: \"In 2024, conservation districts helped to get a total of $7,140,000 in state and federal funds on the ground to implement conservation projects,\" he said (transcript figure). He told the committee that such funding is especially critical when farm incomes are strained.

Swain closed by thanking legislators for prior support and urging continued backing for technical assistance and cost-share programs that allow farmers to prioritize conservation despite tight finances. No specific new funding or legislative actions were proposed during the briefing.","The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts told the committee that districts helped plant roughly 450,000 cover crop acres in 2024, implemented thousands of best management practices and leveraged state and federal funds to support conservation on farms.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6367566,"Farmers urge limits on solar use of prime soils and more support for value-added agriculture",1484,749000,2233000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125&start=749&end=2233","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125/thumbnail_749000.jpg","/articles/6367566/Maryland/Farmers-urge-limits-on-solar-use-of-prime-soils-and-more-support-for-value-added-agriculture","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6367566-64a22cd94eaab1e804e2f3f2d788e7b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149599&Signature=Be5h0-bj62vf7-kHIlRzr1KMxqgj8kIyjpETq158VhWGD9Maob4TYw~DyiBoxVu4SgiMrHtgr0J~euKsqRyIbGYf6s-M1WFGXUD8g1kY0SDx6U8QUmF6cGL3uRZESs4Dpu38qEw2Wvwu363k7DGyWEkfjOcDD6TXLy49Z1FxzjrucXezcfWLF3nihAh4sFboDqf1nFNxRQyqTwjqMUHAMRF19CeRiRuRaWInxS5~KPTtAK1uSZXHGrpbcPpg9qzXMVxcblmHSVENmznogfdML40hZZ0rerGshTnqQowJzywAUorsp4o86FhbtmxS2nmsoI8tl2TgRFNbtiz45~n5SA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carl Schlegel, a Farm Bureau board member representing southern Maryland, told the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 that protecting prime farmland is essential to food security and that solar installations should avoid Class 1 and 2 soils.

\"We strongly oppose the placement of solar on prime agricultural soils,\" Schlegel said, urging use of publicly owned lands, brownfields, rooftops and parking lots before converting productive cropland. He acknowledged renewable energy goals but asked lawmakers to prevent a disproportionate burden on farms as the state pursues a 50% renewable target by 2031.

Panelists said solar can be an income stream on lower-quality fields and that some farmers use small-scale projects to offset energy costs. But several growers warned that 30-year project life cycles and construction practices that disturb topsoil can make it difficult or impossible to return land to agricultural use. \"When you see the amount of topsoil that has moved...I have trouble believing that that field is ever gonna go back into agricultural production,\" Schlegel said.

Farmers also pressed for regulatory relief and support for value-added enterprises — from on-farm processing to agritourism — as ways to bolster farm profitability. One panelist described the state's ombudsman for value-added agriculture, housed in the Department of Agriculture, as a helpful resource and requested additional funding to expand the ombudsman's reach and services.

The committee heard no formal motions or votes on solar siting or value-added funding in this briefing; presenters and delegates discussed potential policy options and emphasized protecting topsoil and agricultural viability while meeting renewable energy goals.","Maryland Farm Bureau and farmers told the committee they support renewable goals but oppose solar siting on Class 1 and 2 prime soils; they also urged regulatory relief and funding for value-added farming enterprises and the state's ombudsman for value-added producers.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6367569,"Maryland farmers urge easier crop-damage permits, expanded deer management",724,1769000,2493000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125&start=1769&end=2493","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2158682-f9e3b61cf0851210243157593e8a1125/thumbnail_1769000.jpg","/articles/6367569/Maryland/Maryland-farmers-urge-easier-crop-damage-permits-expanded-deer-management","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6367569-d909753a50cd93eb2c821f6f4d4aafa3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149599&Signature=QVM86D9ws~y1silAdBEJZm61c2PGv1YCowd0XcQ5o5ehs~ub9TxqGQ5zlZrn1MW7~WX3CHLxrKLiG~HRFFTE7J9GrFuPDUdBQbIt0biLWuKovDtRl5~KiXkCm1Zyd8tIN9ZxRlg0k9UNYNtky4CHzWmKVgElmtQUuLoLcGUsDpSsO6gGEXglSY391aYnJFzvw~x8HVndofbSiFZlOfbINq9dt6lIBzpxE48jiri2Vp-1-LDkRg24UpIX5-7Niwcc3CCWWWryQBo6LnDosgU9tUgnC7YQepZJTtL82e8Th6YPHJJ8yjWvFxBMz2~oD88muLHUbmmBP1MBNPxuHJBmkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Producers from across Maryland told the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Jan. 28 that deer are causing chronic, severe crop losses and that state hunting and crop-damage rules should be changed to reduce economic harm.

\"On an average year...we lose between 15–20% of our crops just to deer,\" said a grain producer on the panel, describing how GPS yield mapping allows farmers to quantify losses. \"The deer are key to profitability very much so,\" he later added.

Fruit-and-vegetable and specialty producers described similar frustration. A vegetable grower who uses nighttime and bow-hunting arrangements said county and state permitting is burdensome and that growers want easier, larger-scale crop-damage permits. \"We need to make crop damage permits easier to get a hold of. We need to make them larger in scale,\" the grower said, adding that a doe-harvest challenge on the Lower Shore helped remove large numbers of antlerless deer and increased venison donations to food banks.

Panelists suggested several changes and tools: simplifying crop-damage permitting, expanding authorized harvest dates or methods (some counties are considering Sunday bow hunting), and increasing support for 8-foot deer fencing around high-value specialty crops. \"One of those is deer fence, which if you're not aware is 8 foot tall fence...a lot of the fruit and vegetable producers have adopted that program,\" one speaker said, noting fencing allows grazing rotation and added resilience.

Delegates asked state agency partners for ideas; panelists said the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture are engaged but that practical permitting changes would ease pressures on producers. Several panelists also described on-farm donations of venison to local food banks as one immediate benefit of expanded harvest allowances.

No formal policy changes were proposed during the briefing; committee members and panelists discussed potential options for legislative or regulatory follow-up.","Multiple producers told the House Environment and Transportation Committee that deer damage accounts for a large share of crop losses and urged state action to simplify crop-damage permits, expand harvest opportunities and fund fencing and other mitigation measures.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Maryland grain farmers and Farm Credit warn of tight margins, supply disruptions and labor pressures

Delmarva chicken farmers warn House committee of high-path avian influenza threat

Soil conservation districts cite record cover-crop acres and federal-state funding leverage

Farmers urge limits on solar use of prime soils and more support for value-added agriculture

Maryland farmers urge easier crop-damage permits, expanded deer management