New Focus on Farming Addresses Unique Needs of Community
FREDERICK, Md. – The newly created Frederick County Office of Agriculture will open its doors for business next week. In her State of the County Address last fall, County Executive Jessica Fitzwater announced plans to strengthen support for this essential industry by combining the County’s agricultural land preservation and economic development functions. The Office of Agriculture will hold an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 118 N. Market St. in Frederick.
“By creating the Office of Agriculture, we are making services easier to access and creating more opportunities for collaboration with our farms and our farmers,” said Executive Fitzwater. “We have more young producers than any other county in Maryland. My goal is to ensure farming remains an important part of Frederick County’s bright future.”
Frederick County is home to 1,367 farms, more than any other county in Maryland, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, which was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday. More than 57% of land in Frederick County is zoned for agriculture. The industry generates an economic impact of $1.08 billion in Frederick County, according to a 2022 study by BEACON.
Under the leadership of Director Katie Stevens, the Office of Agriculture combines existing staff from the County’s agricultural land preservation programs and the agriculture-focused economic development specialists. The Office also manages the Agriculture Innovation Grants program and the HomegrownFrederick.com website. One of the first tasks for the new office will be to update the County’s Agricultural Strategic Plan, which was last published in 2008.
To learn more about the Office of Agriculture, visit FrederickCountyMD.gov/Agriculture. The office can be reached by emailing FCAG@FrederickCountyMD.gov or by calling 301-600-3037.
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