Eastern Shore explores fresh approaches for local farming
When we think of agriculture on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, sprawling poultry houses and the grain fields that feed them come to mind. After all, chickens have long outnumbered humans on the Delmarva Peninsula, where their abundance looms large over the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
But Bob Miller is part of a different breed of agriculture that is growing on the Shore, one that’s harder to capture in Bay models but is arguably doing as much to keep patches of farmland from becoming houses.
Miller’s family dairy in Caroline County began selling bottled milk, cream and butter locally in 2009 out of necessity as much as novelty. After his parents moved from New Jersey to Maryland and began raising cows on grass rather than feed, low milk prices in the 2000s forced the family to decide between getting big or getting out.
Yes but the real money is to go directly to end user consumers on your farm. Problem is local zoning, storm water management, fire marshal, health department, forest conservation act, sewage disposal, entrance permits, etc,etc make it impossible to create a structure to sell directly. A farm market structure on your farm is viewed from a regulatory standpoint just like a Royal Farms in downtown Baltimore. It is less restrictive to build Poultry Houses on your farm than it is to offer horse back riding lessons. Once you see customers on your farm you are in for a world of regulations. Heck you have larger setbacks to have a wedding in a barn on your farm than to build 10 Poultry Hosues. Keep families profitable on their land you keep farm land. Think Lancaster County PA
Once Cocaine is Approved and taxed
ReplyDeleteThey can start growing Poppys !!!
This is a very interesting article and gives me hope for the future of family-owned farms on Delmarva.
ReplyDeleteMarajuana Farms coming / Legal already !!!
ReplyDeleteCrack farms coming too as soon as Gov ok's it for Taxes !!
ReplyDeleteYes but the real money is to go directly to end user consumers on your farm. Problem is local zoning, storm water management, fire marshal, health department, forest conservation act, sewage disposal, entrance permits, etc,etc make it impossible to create a structure to sell directly. A farm market structure on your farm is viewed from a regulatory standpoint just like a Royal Farms in downtown Baltimore. It is less restrictive to build Poultry Houses on your farm than it is to offer horse back riding lessons. Once you see customers on your farm you are in for a world of regulations. Heck you have larger setbacks to have a wedding in a barn on your farm than to build 10 Poultry Hosues. Keep families profitable on their land you keep farm land. Think Lancaster County PA
ReplyDeleteMustang Ranches coming as long as it is TAXED !!
ReplyDelete