Agriculture

Agriculture is the largest industry in Maryland’s First District, and just as importantly, it is also central part of our heritage and our way of life.  Fighting for the First District means fighting to protect this heritage and preserve our farm economy.  That’s why I made it a top priority after being elected to gain a seat on the House Agriculture Committee, where I currently serve on the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry; the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research; and the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture.

As one of the largest poultry-producing regions in the United States, the Eastern Shore faces unique environmental challenges.  Our proximity to the Chesapeake Bay requires us to make progress toward reducing nutrient runoff, and I look forward to fighting in Congress to secure the resources necessary to help Maryland farmers fund these conservation measures.  I recognize that nutrient management programs must be developed in a manner that does not jeopardize the long-term economic sustainability of Eastern Shore agriculture, because preserving land in agricultural use is a key to containing sprawl and preventing further degradation of the Bay.