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MARYLAND AT A GLANCE

AGRICULTURE

[photo, Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. and Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland]
  • Calendar of Maryland Harvests
  • County & State Fairs
  • Crops
  • Dairy & Livestock
  • Department of Agriculture
  • Farm Resources
  • Farm Revenue
  • Farmers' Markets
  • Horse Industry
  • Horticulture & Nurseries
  • Poultry
  • Wineries & Vineyards
    • Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. and Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2012. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
    [photo, Cow Judging, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland] The Department of Agriculture is responsible for marketing, animal industries, and consumer services; plant industries and pest management; and resource conservation. Data relating to the production and marketing of agricultural products, agriculture prices and income, and other statistics pertinent to agriculture and agribusiness is compiled and published by the Maryland Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    Cow Judging, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, August 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    [photo, Barn and brick silo, Sabillasville, Frederick County, Maryland] Approximately 350,000 people are employed in some aspect of agriculture, making it the largest commercial industry in Maryland. Agriculture also remains the largest single land use in the State, with 2.0 million acres, or roughly 32 percent of total land area used for farming in 2014. The majority of Maryland's farmland is located in the north central part of the State and the upper Eastern Shore. In 2014, some 12,300 Maryland farms averaged 165 acres each.

    Barn and brick silo, Sabillasville, Frederick County, Maryland, July 2007. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Waverly Farmers' Market, 32nd St. and Barclay St., Baltimore, Maryland] In 2012, the total cash farm income was approximately $2.3 billion. Total farm expenses exceeded $1.9 billion, while per farm expenses averaged $158,312. Net farm income was over $477 million while income per farm averaged $38,920.

    In 2014, Caroline County was ranked the top agricultural county in the State. It lead all other counties in barley, vegetables, and wheat. Queen Anne's County, in 2013, was first in its harvest of corn and soybeans, while Frederick County led in milk production.

    Waverly Farmers' Market, 32nd St. and Barclay St., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Tractor exhibition, Cecil County Fair, Fair Hill, Maryland] CROPS
    In 2014, corn for grain averaged 175.3 bushels per acre. From 430,000 acres, 75.2 million bushels of corn were harvested. The soybean yield averaged 46 bushels per acre, with a total production of 23.2 million bushels. Winter wheat produced 70 bushels per acre, with 17.5 million bushels harvested. Barley production increased to 3.47 million bushels, averaging 77 bushels per acre. The total value of grain crops was approximately $680 million.

    Fresh market vegetables and melons, including watermelons, spinach, and cucumbers, were valued at $24 million in 2013. In 2014, the potato crop was worth $10.2 million.

    In 2012, there were 3,973 acres of orchards in Maryland, with apples and peaches the most productive crops.

    Tractor pull event, Cecil County Fair, Fair Hill, Maryland, July 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Sheep, Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Maryland]     DAIRY & LIVESTOCK
    Milk production in 2014 totaled 987 million pounds, and the average milk production per cow was 19,740 pounds. The number of milk cows in 2014 was 50,000. Milk and dairy products brought in $202 million in cash receipts. The total number of cattle and calves as of January 1, 2015 was 185,000. Cash receipts for cattle and calves increased to $94 million in 2013.

    Frederick County leads the State in milk production - its dairy herds account for one third of the State's total.

    Sheep, Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Maryland, May 2008. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Hogs at Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland] As of January 1, 2014, approximately 2,200 milk goats and 12,600 goats were used for meat and other purposes in Maryland.

    In 2013, cash receipts for market hogs were $8.6 million, down from $11 million in 2011. The total number of hogs and pigs in Maryland was 21,000 as of December 1, 2014.

    Hogs at Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, August 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    HORSE INDUSTRY
    Maryland has more horses per square mile than any other state in the nation, with 80,000 horses living on 580,000 acres, or one quarter of the State's agricultural land. There are over 16,000 equine facilities and 658     licensed stables. In 2012, the horse industry was valued at $5.6 billion and employed more than 28,000 people. Over $1 billion is spent annually on expenditures and on horse racing. The Thoroughbred is Maryland's State Horse.

    The Maryland Horse Industry Board oversees and supports Maryland's horse owners and industry. The Board also offers information on horse parks, as well as history trails and horse discovery centers.

    [photo, Bumblebees and a honeybee alight on a sunflower, Baltimore, Maryland] HORTICULTURE & NURSERIES
    Horticulture is the second largest agricultural industry in Maryland. In 2012, gross receipts in the horticultural industry totaled about $1.2 billion, while wholesale and retail growers saw $773 million in sales. Nurseries use nearly 30,000 acres of land, including nearly 500 acres of greenhouses. There are over 25,000 people employed in the horticultural industry.

    Source: Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association.

    Bumblebees and a honeybee alight on a sunflower, Baltimore, Maryland, July 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    [photo, Rooster, Annapolis, Maryland] POULTRY
    In 2013, Maryland ranked eighth among states in the number of broilers, or chickens raised for their meat, with 305 million birds produced. Their production value was $980 million and 1.6 billion pounds. This amount accounted for 40 percent of Maryland's total cash farm income that year.

    Egg production in Maryland increased in 2014 to 785 million eggs, up from 673 million in 2013, with each bird laying about 282 eggs annually. The majority of Maryland's chicken operations have fewer than 3,000 birds and these 500 "small flocks" produce about 9.6 million eggs each year, while nine operations with more than 3,000 birds produce the rest. In 2013, cash receipts for eggs totaled $52 million.

    Rooster, Annapolis, Maryland, August 2003. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. and Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland]     FARM RESOURCES
    For farmers and others involved in agriculture, the     University of Maryland Extension offers problem-solving resources and scientific expertise through its network of county extension offices. The Extension is a statewide education system operated by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of Maryland, College Park.

    Baltimore Farmers' Market, Holliday St. and Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland, August 2013. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Boordy Vineyards, Long Green Pike, Hydes, Baltimore County, Maryland] WINERIES & VINEYARDS
    Wineries and vineyards are a fast-growing segment of Maryland's specialty agriculture. In FY 2013, wineries sold 345,680 gallons of wine and sales were approximately $26 million. The 70 wineries throughout the State offer over 420 wines.

    There are some 450 acres of grapevines in Maryland, with nearly one third grown by wineries.

    Boordy Vineyards, Long Green Pike, Hydes, Baltimore County, Maryland, August 2014. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

    The Governor's Advisory Commission on Maryland Wine and Grape Growing and the Maryland Wine and Grape Promotion Council seek to support Maryland's wineries and vineyards.

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