WALDORF, Md.  – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today joined local farmers, members of the Charles County Farm Bureau, Southern Maryland Agriculture Development Commission (SMADC) and the Maryland Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee for a lunch and roundtable discussion at Middleton Cedar Hill Farm. The event, organized by Maryland State Senator and farmer Thomas “Mac” Middleton, featured an open dialogue about ways to promote local foods and the next generation of farmers and the small businesses associated with Maryland agriculture.

“Agriculture is Maryland’s largest industry, supporting more than 350,000 jobs across our state,” said Senator Cardin, a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “The health of our farming communities is directly linked to the health of our economy and environment. The local foods movement has offered an exciting opportunity for all stakeholders involved in food production, from the farm to your table, to come together and craft policies that ensure that agriculture in Maryland remains a profitable and sustainable industry.

“The inclusion of young Maryland farmers made today’s discussion all the more productive. The future of farming in Maryland is bright. I look forward to taking their advice back to my colleagues in Washington as Congress crafts the tax code, trade deals and environmental policies that will impact them as they take the reins of Maryland’s agricultural sector in the coming years.” 

Senator Cardin was a recipient of the 2014 American Farm Bureau Federations’ Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the Maryland Farm Bureau for his work to protect resources in the 2014 Farm Bill for Maryland farmers as they contribute to the health of the Chesapeake Bay.