It is spring and with it comes a new planting season. Local farmers are plowing, fertilizing, and preparing their fields for another year of optimism for a healthy and profitable crop. Hopefully, April showers will bring May crops. Agriculture is Maryland’s first and still largest single industry. Productivity in agriculture continues on the rise. Today, each U.S. farmer produces food and fiber to feed 143 people. This is double the number a single farmer’s output could feed in 1970 and more than seven times that rate in 1940. Progress in agriculture is truly amazing.

 On the demand side, commodity prices are at the highest levels in years. Corn can be forward contracted at $5.49 per bushel, soybeans can be contracted at $11.84 per bushel and wheat is at an all time high of $10.75 per bushel. While on the surface these prices appear to be at very profitable levels, there are significant challenges facing St. Mary’s County farmers and grain producers in particular.

 The most worrisome is of course the lingering effects of last year’s severe drought. The water tables are still very low. If you drive by any pond you can clearly see this. If you were hoping to get a perc test done this year you also know that percs have been limited because of the low water table. In addition to the drought, input costs of fuel and fertilizer are at record highs. We all feel the pain when we fill up our gas tanks for our cars. $4 per gallon diesel prices are an everyday reminder. Just imagine the amount of fuel it takes to operate farm equipment. The simple economics are that the input costs per acre can now easily exceed the revenue received in a normal yield, even at these record output prices.

 Last week, the Department of Economic and Community Development and other local agricultural agencies met with several grain producers to hear directly from them on their plans for the current planting season and for the next several years. Grain crops such as corn and soy beans are the largest commodity that cover the land mass of St. Mary’s County. Grains have replaced tobacco which is now all but gone from the fields as a result of the tobacco buyout program. The 10-year program that started in 2000 will start to end in less than two years.

 Local farmers shared many thoughts and ideas during the meeting. The lack of water was a major concern. The group decided to look further into the use of gray water among other suggestions for irrigation. The cost of transportation to haul grain was also discussed. This is compounded further by high fuel prices. The idea of barging grain out of the area was discussed. In addition to these ideas, a list of equipment which could be shared cooperatively was discussed. More information was also going to be gathered on ethanol. We realized that more work is required to better understand and address the needs of the local farming community.

 We plan to meet again after corn is planted later this month. Then will come soy beans. The season will be well underway by then. While many of the variables are out of our control (such as the weather and short term input prices), there are things we can pursue that will help in this year’s season and beyond. For now, please remember the local farmers and all they do for us, not just in crop production but in helping maintain the rural character we all enjoy. Finally, please frequent the county’s farmers’ markets at the Charlotte Hall Public Library and open soon at the BAE Systems parking lot in California.