Hot News

11.16.04

By RICKY BOURGEOIS

Although Rep. Wayne Gilchrest is looking forward to his eighth consecutive term, which begins when Congress convenes in January, his commitment to resource preservation in Maryland and on the Delmarva Peninsula is not on hold until then.
Gilchrest, a Republican, who authored provisions for the Delmarva Conservation Corridor into the 2002 Farm Bill, was reached at his home in Kennedyville, Md., after winning his bid for re-election over Democratic contender Kostas Alexakis to represent Maryland’s First Congressional District. Gilchrest’s contribution to the bill’s language enables the USDA secretary to direct federal conservation funds for use in the program.
“We — my office and myself — are very strong advocates for this,” Gilchrest said. “We’ve been engaging the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and we’ve been making some slow progress; slow but steady progress. We hope to make more progress in the coming year.”
He said he is pleased with USDA’s Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program, and that the department made millions of additional conservation dollars available to the peninsula this year.
“We look forward to increasing that in the next year,” Gilchrest said. “Although we’ve had increases over the years, we’re still in competition for those conservation dollars with the rest of the country.”
He said there are hundreds of farmers who want to enroll acres into farmland protection programs, but the funding is just not there.
“And, we’ve been targeted by massive development. Selling for development is every farmer’s right, and he should always have that option,” Gilchrest said.
It’s an option that often makes it difficult or even impossible for continued agricultural production to compete with. Gilchrest said the concept behind the Conservation Corridor is to strengthen the economic viability of agriculture and, in so doing, protect the ecological integrity of the peninsula.
He cited the efforts of Chesapeake Fields Institute, which markets specialty soybeans and grains grown by area farmers to ensure higher commodity premiums. The group expanded its range of products over three years from natto soybeans, which are used to make a condiment popular with Japanese consumers, to include organic and non-organic tofu-type soybeans, organic high-protein soybeans, corn for gourmet popcorn, and specialty wheat crops. From 11 farmers and 500 acres in three counties in 2002, CFI enlisted 28 farmers this year, and more than 3,500 acres. Growers of natto beans received a premium of 95 cents per bushel.
Chesapeake Fields Farmers, CFI’s for-profit affiliate, is planning a processing and marketing facility for soy snacks, popcorn and artisan breads, so that participating producers have control over the processing of the commodities they produce.
“I think Maryland, and the peninsula, in a lot of ways are ahead of the rest of the country,” Gilchrest said. “When we don’t get the dollars, it increases the initiative and ingenuity.”
Still, Gilchrest said, funding is an impediment to the purchase of property for the planned facility.
Gilchrest, who helped organize the U.S. House Organic Caucus and serves as its co-chairman, said he sees that endeavor as another way to help farmers in sustaining a healthy agricultural economy.
“The nature of our work is to make sure the federal and state inspectors are fair in the certification process,” Gilchrest said. “A lot of farmers worked real hard to become certified under the existing regulations. We watch the bills as they come through. We don’t want somebody to slip in there some language that makes it easier for other farmers to get certified without having to do the same thing.”
In addition, he said, the caucus will focus on educating interested farmers about organic production, to “help them put aside fears of too many bugs and too many weeds.” Gilchrest said the caucus will also work to identify organic markets, which he said are strong in Annapolis, Baltimore and Philadelphia, and the biggest — New York — is within only a few hours’ shipping.
“We’re not trying to turn the entire Delmarva region to organic agriculture,” Gilchrest said. “It’s a niche market, and some people have found it very profitable. Even though your yields might be a little less, your expenses are a lot less. And the markets are there.”
Gilchrest cited Horizon Organic Dairy, near his home in Kennedyville, which had for some time purchased much of its grain from Canadian producers but now purchases its grain locally.
Gilchrest said it is important to explore a variety of options for producers because that is what’s needed to improve the chances of maintaining the rural and agricultural lifestyle that Delmarva residents value. He said it is that regard which guides much of his own legislative activity.
“My view about policies, both economic — tax-wise, opening up markets — and just agriculture in general has been heavily influenced by farmers. Not the ag lobbyists, not the chemical lobbyists. Not even so much my colleagues” Gilchrest said. “But just the guy who runs the tractor himself, the guy who has his foot on the land, who raises the hogs, who milks the cows, who tends the chickens. The guy harvesting grain at midnight in October to get the crop in.”