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Division of Agriculture approved
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Related Topics: Harford County
Harford County (Map, News) - County Executive David Craig’s order to make the county’s only deputy chief of staff responsible for agricultural affairs passed the County Council this week.
Though an executive order established the Division of Agricultural Affairs without a vote from the council members, they did so anyway to symbolize their approval. All council members voted in favor, except for Councilman Dion Guthrie, who abstained.
He said the title “deputy chief of staff,” without “of agriculture” tacked on, meant the person could be busy with issues unrelated to agriculture.
“I am almost sure he will be doing more than agriculture,” Guthrie said.
The last council did not fund the position because it felt the job title and description were not spelled out clearly enough. Guthrie was particularly put off when Craig’s chief of staff, Aaron Tomarchio, told those at an Edgewood City Council meeting that the County Council voted down a deputy chief of staff of Edgewood, which Tomarchio said was Craig’s second option for the position at the time.
But the current council approved the funding for the deputy chief of staff position last week, feeling the job finally had been clarified to their satisfaction.
Tomarchio said a job description is more important than a title. The executive order contains duties for the position, and he said the person would not be working in any other areas.
Councilman Chad Shrodes, who represents North Harford, where the bulk of the county’s farms are located, said it was a start, which can be tweaked and improved if need be.
“The minute I start getting e-mails or phone calls that say he’s doing too many other things, then I’m going to know about it,” he said. “I see myself as sort of a watchdog.”
Shrodes, who has a background in land preservation, said the developing county needs to maintain the agriculture that makes it unique.
msilvestri@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.
1 agree | 1 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.
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Examiner Reader said:
Then what happens when the farmer's neighbor's well runs dry?
3 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
why does the cow look green?
112 agree | 118 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.
236 agree | 268 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!!!
264 agree | 247 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.
263 agree | 277 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.
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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
536 agree | 259 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!
423 agree | 293 disagree
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