Hoyer Meets with Maryland's Secretary of Agriculture

WASHINGTON, DC –Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) met on Capitol Hill yesterday with Maryland's Secretary of Agriculture, Joseph Bartenfelder. The meeting focused on federal priority issues for the Maryland Department of Agriculture including the Specialty Crop Block Grant, conservation programs that help reduce run-off into the Chesapeake Bay, and grant funding that increases participation in crop insurance for Maryland. Also in attendance at the meeting was Maryland's Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Jim Eichhorst.

"I was pleased to meet with Secretary Bartenfelder and Deputy Secretary Eichhorst to discuss federal priorities important to the Maryland Department of Agriculture and issues confronting Maryland farmers," said Congressman Steny Hoyer. "Our Maryland farms help produce safe, plentiful, and affordable food and contribute significantly to the Maryland economy.  Farming is a way of life for many Marylanders, and I am proud that an estimated 350,000 people in our state are employed in some aspect of agriculture, making it the largest commercial industry in Maryland. I look forward to working with Secretary Bartenfelder and Deputy Secretary Eichhorst and supporting the agriculture industry in the Fifth District and across Maryland."

Joseph Bartenfelder was sworn-in to office as Secretary of Agriculture in March 2015. Agriculture is the largest single land use in Maryland, with over 2 million acres, or roughly 32 percent of total land area, used for farming last year.