The Eastern Shore's Importance to Maryland's Agricultural Sector
Maryland may rank 41st among the 50 states in terms of size, but the value of its agricultural sales places it firmly in the top half: tobacco (16th), poultry/eggs (18th) and nursery/greenhouse (22nd).
Agriculture is also a major component of Maryland’s Gross State Product (GSP). In 2016, Maryland’s GSP was $378.3 Billion, ranking 15th among the 50 states. Agriculture accounted for $8.25 Billion and 350,000 jobs. It is the largest single commercial industry in the Maryland economy and, not surprisingly, the largest user of land (32%). The sector’s components include more than traditional farming, e.g. micro- breweries, forests, hunting, fishing and aquaculture. The number of craft breweries increased between 2011 and 2016 from 25 to 65. More standard products include poultry, corn, soybeans, wheat, dairy, and meat/livestock.
Major agribusiness leaders are located in Maryland: H&S Bakery, McCormick & Company (largest spice producer in the world), and Perdue Farms (3rd largest US poultry firm). The latter has established its corporate headquarters on the Eastern Shore. The number of Maryland farms of all sizes in 2015 was approximately 13,000 with the average about 166 acres.
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is one of the state’s two major agriculture producers (the other is the north central region of the state). In 2016, for example, two Upper Shore counties, Caroline and Queen Anne’s, topped the state’s production in two crop categories respectively: Barley, Wheat, and Vegetables; and Corn, Wheat, and Soy Beans.
However, one recent comment heard often is that the Shore agriculture is no longer as diverse as it was even twenty years ago. Only 12 percent of its acreage produces row crops, fruits, and vegetables. Without question it is something of, as the Washington Post called it, a “company town”, dominated by large poultry corporations, e.g. Perdue, that buy much of the Eastern Shore’s production. This fact is a source of some future concern.
Over the past 10-15 years, Eastern Shore farmers have learned to plant cover crops and maintain nutrient efficiency and have thus reduced nutrient loading and erosion. In general, the Bay protective measures have led to a very successful partnership of land and water managers.
Because of the Eastern Shore’s proximity to the Chesapeake Bay, its farming is among the most heavily regulated in the state. According to Lynn Hood of Maryland’s Grain Producers Association, the interaction between environmentalists and producers has led to the Eastern Shore of Maryland having , “...the smartest farmers around.”
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
