According to an August 16 announcement by Governor Martin O’Malley and Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance, there is record participation in Maryland’s cover crop program.
Governor O’Malley announced that Maryland has approved a record 550,000 acres of winter grains to date in the Cover Crop Program, which were requested by a record 1,767 farmers – 206 of which were new to the program this year. This record acreage represents 155 percent of the Phase I Watershed Implementation Plan goals for cover crops. Cover crops are one of the most cost-effective means of helping to restore the Chesapeake Bay. …
“Not only is Maryland’s cover crop program a very attractive and flexible program, it has the potential to do more for the Bay than ever before. Maryland farmers are on track to exceed the Phase I Watershed Implementation Plan milestone for cover crops with record number of approved acres,” said Agriculture Secretary Hance. …
Top counties ranked by the largest percentage of eligible farmland enrolled:
o Allegany 702/800 acres – 88 percent
o Calvert 5,616/6,600 acres – 85 percent
o Montgomery 21, 167/26,000 – 81 percent
o Somerset 25,144/31,500 – 80 percentTop counties ranked by most acres enrolled:
o Queen Anne’s – 63,838
o Kent – 57,799
o Talbot – 55,322
o Frederick – 43,434
o Dorchester – 40,991
