Sustaining Agriculture

Sustaining agriculture is an important to me because it was part of my family’s heritage in Harford County. I am reminded of my family’s farming history every morning as I look across to the farm in which my late grandmother Jean McElwain Shrodes was born also where my great grandfather farmed. My family’s beginnings in Harford County extend more then two centuries ago in the early days of farming in the County. Farmers today are finding it to be more and more difficult because of the pressures of development, increased operating costs and increased land rent.

As a County Councilman, I will support legislation that encourages agricultural-related businesses and increases profitability to farming families. I will endorse legislation that will give farmers greater flexibility in the use of their land by allowing them to conduct our business pursuits to help them support their farming operations.

I will encourage participation in voluntary land preservation programs to ensure land is available for farming in the future. In accomplishing this task I will monitor and increase dollars paid per an acre to preserve farmland on a continual basis. I will also support alternative preservation programs that protect large contiguous tracts of farmland while encouraging residential development to occur where infrastructure and services are available to support development. I will develop these alternatives by working with the farming community. I will always respect landowners’ property rights as when developing a plan to assist us in reaching preservation goals.