From fields to festivities, value-added agriculture has revived revenue streams for traditional farm operations while state and local permitting agencies are working to find new ways to be flexible with emerging markets.
During the 2024 MACo Winter Conference, leadership from both state and local agencies shared a wealth of insights on how to open the doors to new types of value-added agriculture but with a focus on safety and responsibility. Particularly, as the type of activities around value-added agriculture have rapidly developed, they have continued to evolve even further as new ideas are wear tested. These steady changes initially created tension amongst farm owners trying to revitalize a business and state and local environmental health divisions that are charged with keeping the public safe. These new ideas don’t have an exact permit and approval procedure to accompany them like that of a more traditional set-up.
Representatives from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the Maryland Department of the Environment as well as a local environmental health department shared thoughts on the effort they have been making to streamline the inspection and permitting process. Understandably businesses in flux are working with urgency to get operational and an efficient process can help them do that at both the state and local level. But experts shared that a quick process can expose residents to potentially life threatening situation. Instead leaders encouraged a safe an efficient process that balances the businesses need to generate revenue and the governments charge to protect members of the public.
Title: From Fields to Festivities: Navigating Environmental Health in Farm Venues
Speakers:
- Bob Mitchell – Environmental Health Director for Worcester County
- Les Knapp – Government Relations Director, Maryland Department of the Environment
- Martin Proulx – State Value-Added Agricultural Specialist, Department of Agriculture
Moderator: The Honorable Ed Rothstein, Commissioner, Carroll County
More about MACo’s Winter Conference:
