Setting the Stage
Where We’re Headed
Colby Ferguson - Ag Business
Development Specialist
Consumption versus Production
Montgomery & Frederick County
Blueberries
Strawberries
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Squash
Apples
Peaches
Milk
Chicken
Beef
Pork
Lamb
Mont. Co. Consumption
535,129 lbs
89.19 acres
924,676 gallons
577.92 acres
16,565,272 lbs
1,104.35 acres
30,663,941 lbs
2,057.98 acres
38,069,094 lbs
1,903.45 acres
6,962,210 lbs
1,481.32 acres
1,817,485 lbs
154.02 acres
25,557,705 lbs
760.65 acres
4,097,836 lbs
426.86 acres
108,121,976 lbs
5,149 cows
31,863,568 lbs
6,779,483 birds
36,933,101 lbs
47,350 cattle
24,268,497 lbs
121,342 hogs
432,079 lbs
6,647 lambs
Blueberries
Strawberries
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Squash
Apples
Peaches
Milk
Chicken
Beef
Pork
Lamb
Fred. Co. Consumption
129,184 lbs
21.53 acres
223,224 gallons
139.52 acres
3,995,404 lbs
266.60 acres
7,402,497 lbs
496.81 acres
9,190,155 lbs
459.50 acres
1,680,728 lbs
357.60 acres
438,754 lbs
37.18 acres
6,169,815 lbs
184 acres
989,247 lbs
103 acres
26,101,429 lbs
1,244 cows
7,692,096 lbs
1,636,616 birds
8,915,918 lbs
11,431 cattle
5,858,591 lbs
29,293 hogs
104,607 lbs
1,605 lambs
2007 Census
89 acres total
456 acres total
241 acres
703 cows
200 birds
1,955 cattle
208 hogs
359 lambs
2007 Census
53 acres total
533 acres total
314 acres
15,549 cows
2,048 birds
20,496 cattle
12,493 hogs
1,275 lambs
www.nationalcapitalfarms.org
Cover Crops
Montgomery County Cover Crop Acres Certified
14,000
13,124
11,304
12,000
10,000
9,033
7,303
7,230
8,000
5,380
6,000
Acres Certified (Mont)
4,028
4,000
2,046
2,000
845
0
2003
35,000
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Frederick County Cover Crop Acres Certified
30,364
30,000
25,487
25,000
20,445
19,015
20,000
16,833
13,464
15,000
Acres Certified (Fred)
9,483
10,000
4,943
5,000
2,737
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Tons of Total Fertilizer (Non-Manure) Distributed
500,000
Tons of Total Fertilizer Distributed
450,000
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Farm Use
Nonfarm Use
Tons of Total Fertilizer (Non-Manure) Distributed Per Acre Farmland
0.25
Tons Per Acre of Farmland
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
The Eastern Shore Change
Where Are We Headed?
• How can government help farmers when making business
decisions?
• What can we do to improve the regional significance of
our Ag Industry?
• If the poultry industry was to leave the Chesapeake Bay
region, what would happen to the grain industry here and
where would our region get their poultry?
• Under the current Farm Bill, the average American
consumer spends $0.19 of every $1.00 of gross income on
food, what will it be under the next Farm Bill?
• Seeing the farmer’s continued stewardship of the land,
how do we move the emphasis of the bay clean-up from
the farmer to where the real problem lies?