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University of Maryland presents county agriculture study: tobacco collapse, stable farm counts and sea‑level concerns
Summary
A University of Maryland researcher presented agricultural census analysis showing steep declines in tobacco planting and sales since the buyout, roughly stable farm counts since 2002, a predominance of small farms (618 of 632 farms under $250,000 in sales), and a sea‑level rise map that could inundate low‑lying agricultural land by 2030.
Marie Howland of the University of Maryland presented a data‑driven review of St. Mary's County agriculture and told the Economic Development Commission advisory group that, while tobacco production has collapsed, broader agricultural measures show stability since the early 2000s — though localized land conversion and sea‑level rise are potential concerns.
Howland said tobacco acreage fell from roughly 3,000 acres before the buyout to about 173 acres by 2012, with production in pounds falling from approximately 5,000,000 to about 400,000 and tobacco sales declining from nearly $8 million to about $683,000. She noted that tobacco growers who remain in the market tend to be Amish and Mennonite operations.
Using census and planning data, Howland showed…
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