MARYLAND AT A GLANCE

AGRICULTURE

[photo, Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. and Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland]
  • Aquaculture
  • Calendar of Maryland Harvests
  • County & State Fairs
  • Crops
  • Dairy & Livestock
  • Farm Resources

    • Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday & Saratoga Sts., Baltimore, Maryland, September 2017. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Hog, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville, Maryland]

    Hog, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville, Maryland, April 2019. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. and Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland] Agriculture has played an important role in Maryland since its founding in 1634. While tobacco then was the main crop, wheat, corn, fruits and vegetables also were farmed. By steadily supplying flour to the Continental Army, Maryland's Eastern Shore earned the title, "Breadbasket of the Revolution" during the American Revolution. Later, grains became the primary crops in Maryland and were an important and valuable export for the State. By the late 19th century, as agriculture spread throughout the expanding United States, Maryland no longer was a primary supplier of grains for the nation. Today, agriculture in Maryland is diverse and includes not only crops, but also dairy and livestock, honey, horticulture and nurseries, poultry, and wineries and vineyards.

    Sassafras, Maryland's state soil, is one of the first and oldest soil series in the nation, having been established in 1901, and is designated as a Benchmark and Hall of Fame series. It is found across much of the State, nearly 500,000 acres, and is categorized as prime farmland soil due to its productive value. Aside from agriculture and forestry, Sassafras is also one of the best soils for use in construction and recreation.

    Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday & Saratoga Sts., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2012. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Cow Judging, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland] The Department of Agriculture is responsible for marketing, animal industries, and consumer services; plant industries and pest management; and resource conservation. Data relating to the production and marketing of agricultural products, agriculture prices and income, and other statistics pertinent to agriculture and agribusiness is compiled and published by the Maryland Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    To teach the public about agriculture in Maryland, the Department of Agriculture has partnered with Maryland Public Television to create a weekly series, Maryland Farm & Harvest.

    Cow Judging, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, August 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    [photo, Barn and brick silo, Sabillasville (Frederick County), Maryland] Agriculture is the largest commercial industry in Maryland, employing some 350,000 people, including nearly 6,000 full-time farmers, and contributing over $8 billion annually to the economy. Agriculture also remains the largest single land use in the State, with around 2 million acres, or roughly 32 percent of total land area used for farming in 2024. While the majority of Maryland's farmland lies in the north central part of the State and the upper Eastern Shore, more than 20 urban farms thrive in Baltimore City. In 2024, some 12,600 Maryland farms averaged 159 acres each. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, 81% of farms are family owned.

    Barn & brick silo, Sabillasville (Frederick County), Maryland, July 2007. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, some 106 farms were certified organic in Maryland. In 2022, these farms sold $51.2 million in products, including dairy items, fruits and vegetables, grains, livestock, and poultry.

    Near the Chesapeake Bay and near Maryland farm lands, sea levels are rising at double the world's average rate. Along with climate change, farms on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore increasingly are affected by saltwater intrusion, or the movement of saltwater towards land that occurs when too much freshwater is removed from aquifers, and the settling of the land itself. Saltwater, whether through aquifer intrusion or tides, has increasingly encroached into farm fields, leaving the soil's salt content too high to grow crops and causing more farmland acres to be left unplanted. The General Assembly ordered the Department of Planning, along with the Departments of Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources, to devise a plan to adapt to saltwater intrusion and update it every five years (Chapter 628, Acts of 2018). In July 2020, saltwater intrusion had affected 50,365 forest acres.

    [photo, Silos, Easton, Maryland] Created in 1977 within the Department of Agriculture, the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation is one of the first programs in the nation dedicated to the preservation of agricultural lands by purchasing easements that restrict any future development of farmlands or woodlands. By February 20, 2024, the Foundation had preserved some 361,746 acres. By 2030, the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation and its State and local government partners seek to preserve 1,030,000 acres of agricultural land, including farmland, wooded areas, and open space. As of February 20, 2024, some 894,371 acres toward that total, or 86.8%, have been preserved. In 2021, to help with agricultural land preservation, the General Assembly authorized two more programs, the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) and the Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program (Chapter 285, Acts of 2021).

    Silos, Easton, Maryland, May 2017. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    State legislation requires that 30% of Maryland land is conserved by 2030. That goal was surpassed six years early when State agencies and their partners conserved some 1.85 million acres of land by February 2024. The next goal is to conserve 40% of land by 2040, which would require the conservation of an additional 600,000 acres.
    [photo, Dairy cows, Long Green Road, Glen Arm, Maryland] In 2023, gross cash income from commodity (crop & animal) receipts and other farm-related work was approximately $2.9 billion, while net cash income was about $568 million, or $45,096 per farm. Total production expenses were approximately $3.1 billion, or $246,167 per farm, while net farm income exceeded $644 million, $51,170 per farm.

    Along with raising crops and animals, Maryland farmers earn income from agricultural tourism, or agritourism. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, some 161 farms supplemented their income through agritourism, including farmers markets or farm stands, farm visits, and county fairs. Throughout Maryland, agritourism events generate over $162 million for the economy and help support more than 1,000 jobs.

    Dairy cows, Long Green Road, Glen Arm, Maryland, August 2017. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    In 2023, direct payments from federal farm programs were approximately $44 million, up slightly from $42.6 million in 2022. General conservation programs saw a small decrease, falling from $23.3 million in 2022 to $23 million in 2023. Other programs that benefited from the payments include Dairy Margin Coverage, Price Loss Coverage, Supplemental and ad hoc disaster assistance, and other miscellaneous programs.

    The Department of Agriculture's Maryland's Best Program promotes products grown in the State, including fruits, vegetables, meats, and wine. Owing to the increased sales, each $1 spent on marketing the products has a return of $15 for the farmers and State.

    The Maryland's Best Seafood Program markets crabs, rockfish, blue catfish, and oysters to the public. As part of the Seafood Program, the True Blue Program certifies those restaurants that get at least 75% of their blue crabs from Maryland. Around 50 restaurants and retailers in Maryland are certified as "True Blue."

    [photo, Waverly Farmers' Market, 32nd St. and Barclay St., Baltimore, Maryland] CROPS
    In 2023, field crops were harvested from over 1.34 million acres, about 66.5% of all Maryland farmland. They were valued at over $805 million.

    Barley. Barley production decreased to 1.24 million bushels in 2023, averaging 96 bushels per acre with 13,000 acres harvested for a production value of $5.5 million.

    Corn. In 2023, 72.6 million bushels of corn for grain were harvested from 440,000 acres, an average of 165 bushels per acre, for a value of $355.7 million. In 2023, some 510,000 tons of silage corn were harvested from 30,000 acres.

    Waverly Farmers' Market, 32nd St., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    Hay. In 2023, from 45,000 acres, Maryland farmers harvested 135,000 tons of alfalfa hay worth $31 million. In 2023, overall hay production included 519,000 tons harvested from 205,000 acres (2.53 ton per acre) with a value of $88.5 million.

    Mushrooms. The cash receipts for mushrooms in 2023 were over $19.1 million.

    Soybeans. The soybean yield averaged 47 bushels per acre in 2023, with a total production of 21.6 million bushels harvested from 460,000 acres and a value of $272.4 million.

    [photo, Pumpkin vines with flowers, Baltimore, Maryland] Wheat. In 2023, from 195,000 acres of winter wheat, 16.6 million bushels (85 bushels per acre) were harvested worth $84 million.

    Selected fresh market vegetables and melons were harvested from 21,583 acres on 821 farms and were valued at nearly $107 million, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

    Pumpkin vines with flowers, Baltimore, Maryland, September 2016. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    [photo, Tractor exhibition, Cecil County Fair, Fair Hill, Maryland] Fruits, Tree Nuts, & Berries. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, some 653 farms harvested nearly $33 million of fruits and tree nuts from 4,693 acres and berries from 519 acres.


    Tractor pull event, Cecil County Fair, Fair Hill, Maryland, July 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Thresher, south of Hughesville, Maryland] In the fall after summer crops have been harvested, cover crops, including rye, barley, and other cereal grains, are planted. Cover crops control soil erosion and run-off, and improve the health of soil for later crops. To help with expenses associated with cover crops, the Cover Crop Program offers grants to farmers. Between 2023-2024, approximately $20 million in grant funding was allocated for the Program. Another program, the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program, provided nearly $7.2 million in grants to help farmers install 344 conservation projects in Fiscal Year 2023.

    Thresher, south of Hughesville, Maryland, November 2017. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Cow, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville, Maryland] DAIRY & LIVESTOCK
    Maryland milk production from the 40,000 dairy cows in 2023 totaled 846 million pounds and the average milk production per cow was 21,150 pounds. Cash receipts for milk in 2023 was nearly $185 million.

    Cattle. As of January 1, 2025, the total number of cattle in Maryland was 154,000. As of January 1, 2024, there were 45,000 beef cows in Maryland. Cash receipts for cattle and calves in 2023 was $91.5 million.

    Cow, Kinder Farm Park, Millersville, Maryland, January 2019. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Silos on Kilby Cream Farm, 129 Strohmaier Lane, Rising Sun, Maryland] To showcase the dairy industry and its contributions, and educate the public about farming, the     Department of Agriculture each summer promotes the Ice Cream Trail, a tour of eleven dairy farms that runs more than 290 miles from Washington County in western Maryland to Worcester County on the Eastern Shore. The dairies include Broom’s Bloom Dairy (Harford County), Chesapeake Bay Farms (Worcester County), Deliteful Dairy (Washington County), Keyes Creamery (Harford County), Lockbriar Farms (Kent County), Misty Meadow Farm Creamery (Washington County), Moo Cow Creamery at Walnut Ridge Farm (Frederick County), Prigel Family Creamery (Baltimore County), Rocky Point Creamery (Frederick County), South Mountain Creamery (Frederick County), and Woodbourne Creamery at Rock Hill Orchard (Montgomery County).

    Alpacas & Llamas. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, there were 1,778 alpacas and 103 llamas on 177 and 44 farms, respectively.

    Silos on Kilby Cream Farm, 129 Strohmaier Lane, Rising Sun, Maryland, July 2015. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    [photo, Goat mountain, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland] [photo, Sheep, Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Maryland] Bison. In 2022, there were 159 bison on 12 farms in Maryland.

    Goats & Sheep. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, approximately 3,041 milk goats, 9,329 goats for meat and other purposes, and 18,912 sheep and lambs were in Maryland.

    Goat mountain (left), September 2015, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    Sheep (right), Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Maryland, May 2008. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Hogs at Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland] In 2022, milk from sheep and goats was valued at $272,000.

    In 2023, wool brought in $91,000 in cash receipts.

    Hogs. As of December 1, 2023, the total number of hogs in Maryland was 21,000. In 2023, cash receipts from hogs totaled over $6.9 million.


    Hogs, August 2014, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    HEMP
    The Maryland Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program was launched in 2019 to encourage research of     industrial hemp and its growth, harvest, production, and sale for agricultural objectives. Under the Program, farmers must partner with the Department of Agriculture or a university to grow the hemp for research purposes only. In 2021, some 36 farmers partnered with six universities on hemp research. Started in 2021, the Maryland Hemp Farming Program is for those interested in growing hemp commercially. In 2023, 47 farmers registered under the Program.

    According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Hemp Report, 265 acres of industrial hemp grown in the open were harvested in 2023. Some 14 acres of industrial floral hemp grown in the open were harvested, estimated at around 6,000 pounds, or 410 pounds per acre, with a value of $138,000, $138 per pound. Hemp that was grown under protection was approximately 12,227 square feet.

    [photo, Honey bees in a honeycomb, Crownsville, Maryland] HONEY
    In 2022, some 11,114 honey bee colonies in Maryland were maintained at 2,639 apiaries. These colonies produce upwards of 222,384 pounds of honey per year. In 2023, honey brought in nearly $1.7 million in cash receipts.

    Honey bees not only produce honey and beeswax, but also pollinate nearly 40% of the food that we eat, including some $40 million of Maryland's crops. Due to the shortage of bees, Maryland farmers rent 5,000 colonies each year and beekeepers send their colonies to out-of-state growers.

    Honey bees in a honeycomb, Crownsville, Maryland, September 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    In recent years, Maryland's bee colonies have suffered dramatic losses. These colonies are vital to Maryland's agriculture since nearly all of the State's wild bees have died. The     Department of Agriculture's Apiary Inspection Program offers help and inspections to keep Maryland's bees and their hives healthy. In an effort to curb bee deaths in Maryland, the General Assembly passed the Pollinator Protection Act of 2016 (Chapter 662, Acts of 2016). Since 2018, retail establishments are prohibited from selling neonicotinoid pesticides to consumers, making Maryland the first state in the nation to protect bees by banning these pesticides.

    Along with honeybees, which are actually native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, there are over 430 species of native bees in Maryland, including mason bees and bumblebees. Some of those native species, such as the Rusty Patched Bumblebee, are endangered.

    [photo, Clydesdale, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland] HORSE INDUSTRY
    Maryland has 10.5 horses per square mile, more than any other state in the nation. Some 94,000 horses live on 705,000 acres, or one quarter of the State's agricultural land, of which 88,000 acres are preserved through conservation programs. Over 16,000 equine facilities and 800     licensed stables (including those for boarding, lessons, rental, & rescue) operate in Maryland. Annually, the horse industry adds nearly $3 billion to the State's economy and supports over 28,000 jobs.

    Horse racing, the largest of the industry's sectors, has a significant impact on the Maryland economy. Racing, which includes thoroughbred and harness racing, adds some $365 million in value to the economy as well as supports over 5,200 jobs. There are more than 260 live racing days held at Maryland's five racetracks each year, which have more than a $500 million economic impact on the State. At Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the Preakness Stakes brings in more than $30 million each May.

    Clydesdale, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, September 2015. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    Other areas of the horse industry include competition, recreation, and therapy. There are also over a dozen organizations that rescue and rehouse horses, including retired racehorses.

    The Maryland Horse Industry Board oversees and supports Maryland's horse owners and industry. The Board publishes a Guide to Maryland Horse Trails as well as Saddle Up Maryland, a directory of trail-riding stables and guided rides. The Board also provides information on horse parks, history trails, and horse discovery centers.

    The Thoroughbred is Maryland's State Horse.

    [photo, Bumblebees and honeybee on sunflower, Baltimore, Maryland] HORTICULTURE & NURSERIES
    The horticultural industry is the second biggest agricultural commodity in Maryland after broiler chickens. It includes the retail and wholesale production, sales, installation, and maintenance of plants. Those plants include trees (including Christmas trees), annuals, perennials, shrubs, seasonals, aquatics, and cut flowers. Every year, the Maryland Nursery Inspection Program licenses over 300 nurseries and more than 1,500 plant sellers, and certifies stock acres and greenhouse space.

    The Maryland Ginseng Management Program works to protect American ginseng from overharvesting and to ensure its viability. Ginseng can be wild, wild-simulated, woods-grown, or cultivated. The Program monitors the ginseng harvest as well as licenses its diggers and dealers.

    Bumblebees & honeybee on sunflower, Baltimore, Maryland, July 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    [photo, Rooster, Annapolis, Maryland] POULTRY
    Broiler chickens, or chickens raised for their meat, are the top agricultural commodity in Maryland. In 2023, the number of broilers was 278 million, or 1.75 billion pounds, with cash receipts of nearly $1.25 billion. Cash receipts for turkeys totaled nearly $20 million in 2023. Perdue Farms, on the Eastern Shore, is one of the nation's largest poultry producers.

    Some 774.4 million eggs were produced in 2023 with a value of $104.3 million. Most chicken operations have fewer than 3,000 birds and produce about 9.6 million eggs each year, while larger operations produce the rest.

    Rooster, Annapolis, Maryland, August 2003. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. and Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland]     FARM RESOURCES
    For farmers and others involved in agriculture, the     University of Maryland Extension offers scientific expertise and resources through its network of county extension offices. The Extension is a statewide education system of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources within the University of Maryland, College Park.


    Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. & Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2013. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Boordy Vineyards, Long Green Pike, Hydes, Baltimore County, Maryland] WINERIES, BREWERIES & DISTILLERIES
    During Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, Maryland saw the     18th Amendment as a violation of states' rights and was the only state that refused to enforce the federal law banning the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol. Following Prohibition's repeal, the industry prospered for some years, but eventually businesses ceased operations. More recently, however, Maryland has seen a rapid increase in the number of its wineries, breweries, and distilleries.

    Boordy Vineyards, Long Green Pike, Baltimore County, Maryland, August 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    In July 2022, the Advisory Commission on Maryland Alcohol Manufacturing was formed within the Department of Commerce to nurture the industry.

    Wineries. Each Maryland county has at least one vineyard and most have a winery as well. Between 2021 and 2023, Maryland wines received more than 300 medals and awards at local, regional, national and international competitions. Fifteen wine trails across the State offer regional wines with distinctive flavors.

    As of 2023, Maryland commercial growers harvest more than 1,100 acres of grapes, apples, and other fruits for wine and cider as well as honey for mead. Together, some 110 wineries throughout the State produce over 500 wines.

    Formerly, the Governor's Advisory Commission on Maryland Wine and Grape Growing had sought to support Maryland's wineries and vineyards. In July 2022, the Commission was replaced by the Advisory Commission on Maryland Alcohol Manufacturing within the Department of Commerce (Chapter 462, Acts of 2022).

    Breweries. In 2023, some 143 licensed craft breweries operated throughout Maryland. Also as of 2023, the breweries produced 269,509 barrels of craft beer per year with an economic impact of $839 million. In August 2018, Guinness opened a brewery and taproom in Halethorpe (Baltimore County), its only brewery in the United States. The University of Maryland Extension, in partnership with Flying Dog Brewery, produced the "Maryland Hop Growers Guide: A Progress Report on the 2016-2017 Growing Season and Summary of Best Practices for Growing Hops in Maryland."

    Distilleries. Maryland has more than 42 distilleries which produce bourbon, gin, and rye, as well as other spirits, with many businesses using local ingredients.

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