Politically Correct Farming

by Delegate Mike McDermott

I was so delighted to see that LT. Governor Brown found his way to the Eastern Shore today to have a “Round Table Discussion” with some farmers. Perhaps the most interesting item on the agenda was the one that did not get listed.

There was no discussion from Brown about the pending Phosphorus Management Tool (PMT) that hangs over the Eastern Shore economy like a looming sledge hammer. Oh there was plenty of talk about government subsidies that are doled out to “encourage” (I think the word should be “force”) our farmers to comply with a host of new regulations heaped upon them by the O’Malley-Brown administration during the past 8 years.

It comes as no surprise that Brown does not wish to discuss the implementation of a tool that will eliminate vast swaths of land from receiving poultry litter. He would not want to face questions about forcing farmers to spend tens of thousands of dollars on chemical fertilizers and thousands more to truck away natures organic fertilizer (no one really knows the “where’s or what’s” of that plan let alone the price tag).

I guess the destruction of the economy of the Eastern Shore is simply not that important for Maryland’s number two man to address.

Farmer’s have always been the first conservationists, even though they are often the last one to get called to a “Round Table Discussion” when policy is being crafted. Those “Round Tables” are reserved for election years. Ask any farmer about fixing the Bay and they will first point to the Conowingo Dam. The next point will be to the metro core area septic plants. They would also point out that the farming community is way ahead of the mandated time lines already placed upon them by the government.

The fact is, we do not need any further mandates on the shore. We need action in the areas that are creating the problem! The areas of the Bay which receive the best environmental scores are those adjacent to the Eastern Shore; and they rest next to the shore county (Somerset) that has the highest number of poultry operations in Maryland. Go figure!

Our water does not travel from lower shore rivers into the upper Bay regions, rather it moves toward the Atlantic. In spite of the obvious, farmers are an easy lot to blame; and politicians often do so with food in their mouths.

The lead scientist, Dr. Joshua McGrath, who was studying phosphorus and was preparing to make PMT recommendations made it clear to me that they were not sure whether phosphorus was bound up in the soil or how fast it moved. He advised me that it could take 50 years for any phosphorus to migrate from a farm field into a waterway. If that is so, any phosphorus we are dealing with today in the Bay was being introduced in the 1950’s and 60’s. This was long before the poultry industry would grow to what it is today. Farming back then does not look like it does today.

Dr. McGrath wanted more time to complete his study before making recommendations. He was sharply rebuked for discussing the need for more time with elected officials, and some of his comments and preliminary findings on phosphorus movement in the soil were not well received by those who would prefer to apply political science when it comes to agriculture.

The State of Delaware has been more prudent in this regard giving themselves over twice as much time to complete the needed study before suggesting any changes to the application of poultry litter on their fields. Maryland is on the fast track and those regulations will be implemented before 2015 arrives.

Wise Dr. McGrath made a quick exit from the scene shortly after the candid discussions he had with myself, Senator Colburn, Delegate Conway, and Delegate Otto in Annapolis. In his case, the grass was greener in another university system far removed from Maryland politics. Just a crazy coincidence I’m sure.

There is a reason the former Soviet Union had political officers embedded in all of their military units and in every aspect of government provided services. The party line and political agenda trumped everything else.

It is high time we gave the boot to the political officers that occupy every branch of Maryland State government. We must demand legitimate, vetted science be the purpose and reason behind any changes to our policies as they relate to agriculture and our environment. We need leaders who will not base their decisions on political science or crony capitalism.

These types of changes have support in the House of Delegates, but they were rejected in the Senate.

It is time to plow the hardpan ground we call “Annapolis” and sow better seed for our future.

Marylanders...Take Back Your State!