|
|
- Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation
-
The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1977 and is part of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The Foundation purchases agricultural preservation easements that forever restrict development on prime farmland and woodland. MALPF settled on its first purchased easement in October 1980.
- Nutrient Management Program
- In 1998 the Maryland General Assembly passed landmark legislation that places Maryland at the forefront of national efforts to protect water quality. The Water Quality Improvement Act is designed to protect the health of Maryland's citizens and its waterways by establishing both short and long-term strategies for reducing nutrient levels in our streams, rivers and Chesapeake Bay.
- Cover Crop Program
- Cover crops improve soil productivity and protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Planted after the fall harvest, cover crops help absorb unused plant nutrients remaining in the soil and prevent erosion over the winter months. The Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program provides grants to farmers who plant cover crops of wheat, rye, barley or other small grains following the fall harvest of summer crops.
- Manure Transport Program
- The Manure Transport Program helps poultry, dairy, beef and other animal producers cover the costs of transporting excess manure off their farms. Animal producers with high soil phosphorus levels or inadequate land to spread their manure can receive cost-share assistance of up to $20 per ton to transport excess manure to other farms or alternative use facilities that can use the product safely.
|
