The Planning, Housing and Economic Development committee approved the County Executive’s proposal for the Office of Agriculture without objections and heard department staff describe several program priorities including racial‑equity work, land access for new and beginning farmers, and agricultural infrastructure at the Ag History Farm Park.

Why it matters: county staff and committee members said supporting new and beginning farmers and preserving culturally important crops builds local food resilience and economic opportunity. Committee members urged the department to accelerate partnerships and look for public‑private solutions to high land costs that make farm ownership difficult for many new farmers.

What staff told the committee: an Office of Agriculture representative described the department’s equity analysis, noting staff plans to hold quarterly racial equity and social justice training and to use a racial‑equity lens in data analysis and outreach. The department highlighted current work with civic partners around private landowner arrangements and a possible incubator farm on county parkland to help farmers scale to ownership.

The department also reported that a cold‑storage unit at the Ag History Farm Park is operating and that discussions continue with park managers about leasing and a commercial kitchen that could be used by farmers for value‑added processing.

Quotes: “We’re just trying to keep our head above the water. Our farmers are resilient,” the Office of Agriculture representative said, describing the pressures on new and beginning farmers.

Committee action: the committee recorded no objections and approved the County Executive’s proposal for the Office of Agriculture as presented; that approval was forwarded to the full Council as part of the recommended budget.