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Farmers want ag secretary in Craig’s Cabinet
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Harford County Council President Billy Boniface opens the gate to a field while working Wednesday at his family-owned Bonita Horse Farm in Churchville. Boniface advocates the creation of a Cabinet-level position to the county executive’s office to represent the agricultural needs of the county.
Harford County (Map, News) - Some Harford County farmers say the county should have a Cabinet-level position for agriculture.
“We’re talking about BRAC and its economic impact all the time, but agriculture is already established,” said Harford County Council President Billy Boniface, a Republican who runs a horse farm in Darlington. “We have an industry that is right here in front of us, and it needs help.”
Farming in Harford County makes $52 million annually, said Dave Thompson, a member of the county’s Agriculture Advisory Board.
Because farming contributes so much to the economy, Thompson said, the industry deserves an advocate in County Executive David Craig’s Cabinet.
In his proposed budget, Craig set aside $450,000 for a “sub-Cabinet” position in a newly created “Division of Agriculture.” He attempted to fund a similar post in this year’s budget, but the funding was cut by the former County Council, Craig said.
“It was considered an extravagant expense,” he said.
But Boniface and other farmers say more is needed and that Craig should fund a full, Cabinet-level position with a staff.
Sam Fielder, a Jarrettsville dairy farmer and president of the Harford County Farm Bureau, referred to recent instances in which small-farm produce stands came under scrutiny from the county health department and were shut down. Fielder said county farmers could work with the health department to get their stands open again, but an agriculture director could have perhaps got the matter resolved faster, or even before stands were closed.
Boniface said a director of agriculture could help county farmers market their goods on a local level and help with land preservation, alternative revenue streams, and diversifying crops and crop usage.
“Farming is changing so quickly; we need someone who can help us adjust,” Darlington farmer Richard Holloway said. “It would only help improve the county’s economy.”
mplum@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
6:04 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 7, 2008 re: "Maryland farmers squeezed by soaring fuel, fertilizer costs"
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12:03 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 7, 2008
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10:08 AM MST on Fri., May. 9, 2008
re: "Program would shift farmers’ excess water to municipalities"
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2:02 PM MST on Mon., Jan. 21, 2008
re: "Harford has state’s only robotic milking machine"
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9:03 AM MST on Tue., Jul. 10, 2007
re: "Drought killing corn crop early this year, affecting livestock"
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12:17 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007
re: "Harford has state’s only robotic milking machine"
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11:53 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007
re: "Harford has state’s only robotic milking machine"
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9:11 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 15, 2007
re: "Harford has state’s only robotic milking machine"
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12:49 PM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007
re: "New legislation to help preserve farms and aid the environment"
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4:57 AM MST on Thu., May. 3, 2007
re: "Cost of milk leaves gas prices in the dust"
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Examiner Reader said:
Rising fuel costs. Chineses drilling 85 miles off our coast while we import. No new refinery within 30 years Do not worry Obama has a tax plan to make it all ok.
2 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This is the unfortunate price we pay by thinking and acting that gasoline prices would never change. Wait until winter hits because if it's cold, our prices are going to jump again. It's time to invest in renewable energies, I'd be more than happy to see O'Mally push for these over the new Calvert Cliffs Power Plants. Maybe farmers should be cut a deal to go back to solar and wind power for home and allow more money to be spared for fuel costs.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Then what happens when the farmer's neighbor's well runs dry?
5 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
why does the cow look green?
114 agree | 119 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The cows are out of luck, now that we are using corn for fuel. What a plan. It sounds good during good growing seasons, but what do you do now? We need to stop screwing around with band aids to fix our fuel supply problems and get serious about resources that are proven to work. Nuclear power, new refineries and drilling.
238 agree | 270 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I saw my grandfather hand milk cows in a barn with only an oil lantern for light. What's the world coming to!!!
266 agree | 249 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Isn't it a little demeaning to refer to beautiful dairy cows as "toddlers" and a magnificent robotic milker as a "toy". The technology blows my mind that a cow can be milked by a robot. Good for the Dallams! Kate makes the BEST ice cream in the world at Broom's Bloom Dairy Store.
265 agree | 279 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Very interesting article on the robot. However, cows surely get more than "a pellet" while being milked. One pellet would be about the size of a piece of dogfood and would hardly lure the cows to the robot. I hope the cows get a good portion of pellets dumped in front of them when they enter the robot.
272 agree | 268 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
That doesn't seem like a lot of milk production. are you missing a few zeros? Tim Feeser Carroll County Commissioners office
538 agree | 261 disagree
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Huh? said:
Doesn't the government subsidize milk? What an economic ripoff of citizens. Produce extra milk, waste lots of it then charge more for the little bit that is left.....amazing!
424 agree | 294 disagree
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