Value-added agriculture, more on agenda for upcoming Maryland Ag Commission meeting
The Maryland Agricultural Commission, a 30-member group created to advise the governor and state secretary of agriculture, is scheduled to meet next Wednesday, June 12, at 10 a.m. at the state’s agriculture department headquarters in Annapolis, according to a public notice issued Tuesday.
“The agenda includes a presentation from the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Value Added Agriculture Specialist, staff updates and commodity reports,” according to the notice. (Think jams, jellies, and other farm-produced products as examples of value-added agriculture.)
During an interview last year, Martin Proulx, the state’s Value Added Agriculture Specialist (a position created by law last year), pointed to a report with 2017 data that showed the “value-added agriculture” industry brought a total of over $20.6 billion annually to the state’s economy.
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Proulx’s presentation before the commission Wednesday is scheduled to be one part of a meeting that also includes reports for the agriculture secretary on the state’s dairies, grain growers and other items, according to Harrison Palmer, executive secretary of the Maryland Agricultural Commission.
“The commission is an important part of Maryland agriculture and ensuring that the department is getting the ‘boots on the ground’ perspective from farmers, producers and industry leaders,” said Palmer, in a June 4 phone interview. “We’re actively working to make sure that the department knows exactly what’s going on.”
The commission is also set to review its draft strategic plan and elect a new chair at the June 12 meeting, Palmer said. A call-in option is also scheduled to be available, according to the notice.
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Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Maryland Agricultural Commission set to meet next week, elect a chair
