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Mission Statement
Conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of the Eastern Shore.

ExcellenceITAC Accreditation
eastern shore maryland farmland conservation

December 2014

Future of Agriculture Presentations

Thank you sponsors, speakers, and guests of the 15th Eastern Shore Planning Conference, The Future of Eastern Shore Agriculture. Please take a moment to peruse our speakers' presentations, sorted by panel, and let them inspire you to consider the future for Eastern Shore agriculture.   Morning Speakers Andrew McElwaine Dale Hawks   Building a Stronger Rural Community Through Agriculture. Anchor Institutions - Louise Mitchell Food Security Gleaning   Strengthening Existing Agriculture Chester River Association MD Dept of Ag Perdue   Supporting Emerging Agriculture Opportunities Chesapeake College Crow Farm   The State of Eastern Shore Agriculture MARBIDCO

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Party to Preserve a success!

Thank you to our sponsors and to those who attended our 2014 Party to Preserve at the Daffin House Farm in Caroline County. The barn came alive with twinkling lights, a warm fire, music from the Lions of Bluegrass, and delicious barbecue. We honored Gov. Harry Hughes for his lifetime commitment to conservation on our beautiful Eastern Shore. As you can see, it was truly a party!

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American Farmland Trust’s director to headline conference

Andrew McElwaine, president of American Farmland Trust, will give the welcoming address at the 15th Eastern Shore Planning Conference, to be held Friday, Nov. 20, at the Tidewater Inn in Easton. To join the conversation, register now. McElwaine has more than 30 years of senior nonprofit management experience in conservation, public policy and land protection. Before joining AFT, he served for seven years as president of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. McElwaine has an impressive track record in conservation, land protection, agriculture and public policy. As president of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples, Fla., he helped to acquire easements on farm and ranch land through donations and purchases. He supported a successful campaign for a state constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes on lands with agricultural easements, and sought solutions to Florida’s long-term water and growth-management problems. He also successfully led coalitions at the local, state and federal level to restore the Everglades, improve water storage and management, and balance growth with land conservation. He acquired easements on farm and ranch land and oversaw more than 25,000 acres of easements held by the organization. Previously, he was president of The Pennsylvania Environmental Council, where he worked to conserve land and water resources in the state, including farmland. He co-chaired two successful statewide bond initiatives that generated more than $1 billion in conservation financing, including substantial support for local and regional farmland protection. As a result, Pennsylvania became one of the nation’s leaders in farmland easement purchases. He also served as the lead contractor for the Susquehanna River nutrient trading program, which rewards farmers for implementing best management practices. Previous positions include Director of Environmental Programs at the Pittsburgh-based Heinz Endowments, staff member on President George H. W. Bush’s Commission on Environmental Quality and Senior Legislative Assistant to the late U.S. Senator John Heinz (R-PA). McElwaine earned

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Ag secretaries discuss future of farming

EASTON -- All three Delmarva secretaries of agriculture will participate in a panel discussion at Eastern Shore Land Conservancy's 15th Eastern Shore Planning Conference: The Future of Eastern Shore Agriculture. Moderated by radio host Marc Steiner, the conversation will focus on learning from the past and looking to the future. Register now to reserve your seat for this important talk. EARL F. (BUDDY) HANCE Governor Martin O'Malley appointed fourth generation Southern Maryland farmer, Earl F. Hance as secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture in May 2009. He served as deputy secretary of agriculture from February 2007 until May 2009. Prior to these appointments, Buddy Hance served as president of the Maryland Farm Bureau, chairman of the Maryland State Tobacco Authority, and as chairman of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Commission among other farm and community activities. Hance also was active in numerous local, state, and national farm and civic organizations. At the national level, he represented the Northeastern states on the American Farm Bureau Federation and was a member of the Nationwide Insurance Company Board Council. In Maryland, he served as a member of the Rural Maryland Council, the Prince Frederick Volunteer Fire Department, the Patuxent River Commission, the Southern Maryland Tourism Council, the Maryland State Tobacco Authority, the Calvert Farmland Trust, the Board of the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum and the Board of the Calvert County Farm Bureau. A former tobacco farmer, Secretary Hance and his family farm 400 acres of corn and soybeans and operate several commercial greenhouses. Buddy and his wife Robin live in Port Republic, Calvert County and have three children and one grandchild. Ed Kee Ed Kee is a native Delawarean who was born in New Castle and now lives in Sussex County. He has spent his entire career in Delaware Agriculture. Kee began his professional agricultural career as the farm manager

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Recent Posts

  • Roots Monthly Giving Spotlight: Amanda Thornley
  • Big Changes on the Horizon for the CREP Easement Program
  • Trails Get a Boost Across the Shore
  • Seven Legislative Efforts That Could Impact Eastern Shore Land Use and Preservation
  • Land Protection for All
  • Board Spotlight: Jules Hendrix
  • New Regional Trail Map Shows Existing and Potential Trails for a Growing Network
  • Saving Maryland’s Tidal Salt Marshes
  • From the President: The Eastern Shore’s Most Urgent Conservation Need in 2024
  • Review: ESLC Forests and Forestry Workshop
  • Volunteer Spotlight: Roger Bollman
  • Where the Wood Drake Rests: Wetland Restoration & Conservation on the Eastern Shore
  • ESLC Partners with Urban 3 to Study Eastern Shore Land Use
  • 106 Acres Protected Forever in Quaker Neck, Kent County
  • An Autumn Stroll at Bohemia River State Park