Enhancing Community Support and Knowledge of Local Agricultural Issues on Maryland's Lower Eastern S

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Enhancing Community Support and Knowledge of
Local Agricultural Issues on Maryland's Lower
Eastern Shore

• Shannon P. Dill and Laura K. Hunsberger
• University of Maryland Cooperative Extension

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• Objectives
• Local Food Promotion
• Maryland Demographic Information
• Outreach Projects
• Lower Shore
• Talbot County
• Additional Resources

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History and Success of Buy Local Campaigns
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Successes of Local Food Campaigns

• Community Involved in Sustainable Agriculture
• Started in 1999
• Penetrated 3 counties in Western Massachusetts
• I see a Local Hero Everywhere!
• Positive Impact for Local Farmers
• Over 125 Local Hero Farms over 150,000 A of land

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Local Campaign Successes, Cont.

• Local Hero is a Recognized Brand
• Recognized by restaurants and retailers
• 46 retailers
• 15 restaurants
• Local Hero has become a National Model for
  implementing successful public awareness
  campaigns for locally grown food

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Perceptions of Local Food

• Consumers have a basic understanding of local
  foods
• Grown several miles away
• Within their state of residence
• Consumers realize that this represents minority
  of the products available for sale.
• Price and visual appearance major determining
  factor
• First choice over organic
• Consumers may not understand differences

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Demographics of supporters of local ag products

• Women, regardless of outside of the home
  commitments (work, childcare) remain more active
  in deciding and preparing what Americans eat.
• Women remain the primary grocery shopper and do
  90 of the cooking.
• Communities often enjoy the rural character of
  their area but do not plan on farming being a
  vital part of the townships future.

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Demographical Profile of Organic and All-Natural
Buyers

• Female, Caucasian
• Average age 48 years
• Household income 56,000
• Education
• H.S. degree 20
• Some college 30
• College Graduate 30
• Post graduate degree 16
• Location
• Urban/Suburban/Small Town 67
• Rural 31

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(Consumer Preferences Towards Nutritional
Labeling)

• Larger households (more than 4) were 17 percent
  less likely to consider nutritional labeling when
  choosing food.
• Suburban households were the most likely to be
  nutritionally conscious (23 higher than urban)
  followed by rural (20)
• Those with higher levels of education (beyond
  high school) were more likely to use nutritional
  labeling.
• 73 of consumers find it important to know
  whether their food was produced locally or
  regionally (38 said it was very important)
• 85 of consumers say they trust smaller scale
  farms to produce safe, nutritious food.

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Display the edible treasures of your community!

• The latest, Edible Chesapeake, will debut
  mid-April appear at grocery stores, such as Whole
  Foods, hotels and tourism bureaus.
• The quarterly magazine will focus on food grown
  in the Chesapeake region, featuring profiles of
  farmers, chefs, restaurateurs and wine makers.
• Local celebrity chef John Shields, owner of
  Getrude's restaurant, will write a regular
  cooking column.

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Getting local restaurants to support local farmers
In April 1999, Nora became America's first
certified organic restaurant. This means that 95
or more of everything that you eat at the
restaurant has been produced by certified organic
growers and farmers all who share in Nora's
commitment to sustainable agriculture.
2132 Florida Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20008
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• Tersiguel's is the quintessential French Country
  "from the farm to your plate" cooking.
• Tersiguel's cuisine is reflective of the seasons,
  with a garden that produces lettuces, herbs,
  vegetables, and fruits. From our greenhouse that
  produces edible flowers, to our goat dairy from
  which we produce chevre cheese.

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• Dining at Equinox is a regional and seasonal
  experience.
• Chef Todd Gray has remained true to his roots of
  the mid Atlantic region by showcasing local
  products with a firm grip on traditional culinary
  technique, yet distinguishes his cuisine by
  respecting the flavor of the modern palate.

818 Connecticut Ave, NWWashington, DC
20006202-331-8118
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Maryland

• 5.5 Million People
• 42nd in Land Area
• Ranks 5th in Population Density with 541.9 people
  per square mile
• 12,100 Farms
• 2,040,000 Acres in Farmland

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Maryland's Eastern Shore

• Nine counties on the Delmarva Peninsula, located
  between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic
  Ocean.
• Market access to such major metropolitan areas as
  Philadelphia, Richmond, Baltimore and Washington,
  D.C . 
• Total population within a 150-mile radius of the
  shore exceeds 22 million.
• More than a third of MD's land area, it only has
  a population of 420,792 (2004 census estimate),
  about 8 of Maryland's population.

www.choosemd.org, Department of Business and
Economics
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Eastern Shore

• The main economic activities on the Eastern Shore
  are farming, seafood, and services related to
  tourism
• 47 Ag Land in Maryland is on the Eastern Shore
• MD population projected to grow 10, Eastern
  Shore population projected to grow 20

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Agriculture

• Corn
• Soybeans
• Small Grains (Wheat/Barley)
• Poultry
• Fresh and Wholesale Vegetables
• Alternative Crops are beginning to increase

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Local Farming Issues

• Neighbor Complaints
• Production systems
• Animal agriculture
• Government Regulations and Misunderstanding
• Economic Development
• These issues drive the need for local agriculture
  promotion and education

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Maryland's Eastern Shore Includes

• Upper Shore
• Kent County
• Cecil County
• Queen Anne's County
• Mid Shore
• Dorchester County
• Caroline County
• Talbot County
• Lower Shore
• Somerset County
• Wicomico County
• Worcester County

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Wicomico County Demographics

• Population of 88,782 (04), increasing an average
  of 1,000/yr
• 73 Caucasian, 23 African American and 2 each
  Hispanic and Asian
• 47 of the population is between 24-59
• Median household income 44,100

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Wicomico County Education Level 
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Wicomico Farm Stats

• Number of Farms 512
• Acres of Farmland 88,470
• Average Acres 173

 
 
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How to attract rural communities to local food
issues

• Articles in local newspapers
• Cooking demonstrations
• Cable Access
• Local Businesses

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Using Local Cable Access(No not Waynes World!)

• Pac-14 Local Cable Access channel for Salisbury
• Serves 30,000 households
• Purpose
• to promote local agriculture and increase
  awareness of local food issues

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Show history

• Local Foods
• Asparagus, strawberries
• Local Food prepared for Weight Watchers
• Local crab, melons, roasted vegetables, tomatoes
• Edamame
• Varieties, roasted, steamed

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Show history cont.

• Ethnic Vegetables
• Tomatillos, hispanic peppers
• Peaches
• Preserves, peach crisp, peach and pecan spinach
  salad
• Winter Squash
• Spaghetti, butternut/pumpkin

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Peninsula Regional Medical CenterEmployees
Activity Council

• Purpose
• To work interactively with a small group of like
  minded individuals who have an interest in
  learning more about local agriculture
• Attendees
• Over 40 employees of the hospital engaged in
  discussion of farming issues, nutrition and what
  foods are considered local in their area.
• Employees were exposed to
• new melon varieties (mini melons)
• winter squash
• spinach
• shiitake mushrooms
• produce was provide by a local organic vegetable
  grower

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Making Healthy Wraps at PRMC
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Eating Fresh and Local Survey

• To honor March as National Nutrition Month
• Recognized Local Food
• 71 County
• 29 State
• 53 regularly patronize Farmers Markets and
  Produce Stands
• 43 Did not but will try to in the future
• 100 will look for local produce where they shop
  for produce and will purchase when available

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What attendees learned

• Organic Production 43
• CSAs
• (Community Supported Agriculture) 15
• Location of Local Markets 29

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Talbot County Demographics

• POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
• Age Number Percent
• Under 5 1,800 5.1
• 5 - 19 6,110 17.2
• 20 - 44 9,460 26.6
• 45 - 64 10,780 30.4
• 65 and over 7,350 20.7
• Total 35,500 100.0
• Median household income 1999 43,532
• Note Columns may not add due to rounding.
• Maryland Department of Planning.

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Talbot County

• 602 Miles of Shoreline
• Easton (county seat) rated as the 8th Best Small
  Town in America among the Top One Hundred Small
  Arts Communities in America
• Talbot County is the premier place on the shore
  to dine

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Talbot Agriculture

• Talbot County Farm Profile
• 240 Farms
• 107,000 Total Acres of Farmland
• 457 acres Average Farm Size
• Major Crops
• Soybeans, Corn, Wheat, Barley, Vegetables,
  Nursery, Hay
• Broilers/Poultry 12,046,400

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How has TA County Promoted AG

• Website
• Youth
• Chefs
• County Government
• County Fair Tours
• Agriculture correspondence
• Collaborate
• Farm Bureau, Maryland Ag Education Foundation,
  Dept of Tourism, Economic Development, Health
  Department, Fair Board, Planning and Zoning, Soil
  Conservation, Press

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AG DAY at EHS

• Easton High School FFA sponsored an AG DAY for
  awareness in agriculture
• All 4th graders in the county were invited
• 283 Youth and 25 Adults
• 4th graders learn more about agriculture and the
  foods we eat

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Chef de Chef

• Welcome International Chefs to TA County and
  discuss local agriculture
• Over 20 International Chefs
• 50 people in attendance
• Chefs learned about products grown in this
  regional. Enjoyed tasting local agriculture

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County Government Ag Tour

• To tour local agriculture and inform local
  leaders and decision makers of agricultural
  issues in the county.
• County Council, Department Heads
• 25 people attended
• Local leaders have a better understanding.
  Discussion about Avian Flu, Greenhouse Structures
  and Value Added Dairy were the greatest impact.
• Sponsored by Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau
  and Soil Conservation

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Barn Tours

• Offer educational barn tours during the county
  fair for visitors as an attraction.
• Fair goers with questions about animals and
  exhibits at the fair.
• Over 50 people have participated
• Understanding of exhibits during the fair and to
  learn more about agriculture and farm families

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Local News

• To educate residents of local agricultural events
  and information.
• Local residents
• Circulation 20,000
• Notify them of agricultural events and production
  information.

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Farmers Market

• Outreach to home owners about farm products, lawn
  care, IPM and other home/garden issues.
• Shoppers at the market.
• Approximately 300 people at Sat markets
• Regular visitors to the booth to discuss local
  foods and requesting information.

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Opportunities

• National Ag Day/Week
• 3rd Week in March
• Food Checkout Day (February)
• Celebrating Food Affordability
• Local Festivals and Celebrations
• Bar-B-Que Cook offs, Fairs, Seafood Festivals, Ag
  Days, Heritage Fairs

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Potential Collaborators

• Farm Bureau
• Young Farmers, Womens Committee
• Soil Conservation
• School System
• County Government
• Farm Market Managers
• Local Businesses/Restaurants

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Resources

• www.agday.org
• www.mdagintheclassroom.com
• www.fb.org
• www.buylocalfood.com
• www.pasafarming.org
• www.futureharvestcasa.org
• www.foodroutes.org

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References

• US Census Bureau
• MD Department of Business and Economics
• Maryland Department of Agriculture
• Talbot County Government

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Resources

• Govindasamy, R and J. Italia. 1999. Evaluating
  Consumer Usage of Nutritional Labeling The
  Influence of Socio-Economic Characteristics. New
  Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station,
  P-02137-1-99.
• Pirog, R.S. 2004. Ecolabel Value Assessment
  Phase II Consumer Perceptions of Local Foods.
  Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa
  State University.
• USDA National Agricultural Statistics, 2002.
• Attracting Consumers with Locally Grown
  Products. 2001. The North Central Initiative
  for Small Farm Profitability. University of
  Nebraska, Lincoln.

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We educate farmers but all of us need to educate
the consumer