SHELLEY’S SHARE: “Arundel Ag by the Numbers: A Closer Look at Agriculture Preservation”

April 15, 2024

In last March 2024 Arundel Ag newsletter, I noted inconsistencies between the 2022 Agricultural Census and what I believed to be common knowledge in our area.

One of those topics included the Census’s report that the agriculture preservation program lost two farms. Data from the Department of Planning and Zoning, Agriculture Preservation shows the following data:

 

These figures signify a significant gap between reported Census data and the true number of preserved farms. In addition, the Census reported that there were only 113 farms over 50 acres reported. The agriculture preservation program requires a minimum of 50 acres to be eligible for enrollment. With 158 permanent easements reported by Planning and Zoning, we can see the discrepancies between what was reported and what exists. As I wrote in the last newsletter, this gap is a clear example of why it’s so important to provide accurate and timely data to the Census each cycle.

What you may not know about the Agriculture Preservation program is that it recently changed departments. The program previously was held by the Department of Parks and Recreation. Barbara Polito led the charge in preserving agricultural land for 26 years. Under her direction, Anne Arundel County was able to preserve nearly 10,000 acres of our farmland. Barbara dedicated herself to the program and, with over 57.5 million dollars’ worth of acres put into preservation, I think we can all agree that we have her to thank for farmland we still have. Barbara began her well-deserved retirement in 2023.

After Barbara’s retirement the program moved from Park and Rec to the Department of Planning and Zoning, with an open seat for a new Program Manager. In March of this year that seat was filled by Eddie Franceschi. Eddie comes to Anne Arundel County with years of agriculture experience, ranging from equine planning in soil conservation at the Maryland Department of Agriculture to working for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). If you’re interested in the agriculture preservation program and what it might be able to do for your farm, reach out to Eddie at [email protected].

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