Statement by Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson on Passage of Farm Bill
ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 15, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley and Department of Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson released the following statements today regarding United States Congress’s passage of the Farm Bill:
“I want to thank the members of the U.S. Senate, and especially Senator Mikulski and Senator Cardin, for their overwhelming passage of the Farm Bill today. The Farm Bill is good news for Maryland farmers, for the Chesapeake Bay and our environment, as well as all residents who enjoy locally grown and raised foods,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “If enacted, the Farm Bill will provide unprecedented funding for restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, new money for local marketing, organic research and research into biofuels. All of these protect our priorities of strengthening our family farms and businesses, protecting the environment and the health of our residents, and expanding opportunity for more people rather than fewer. I urge the President to sign this bill into law.”
“This Farm Bill is an enormous undertaking and we thank our U.S. Congressional representatives for seeing it through to passage. We are very pleased to see such strong funding for the Chesapeake Bay to help our farmers to increase their conservation efforts,” said Department of Agriculture Secretary Roger Richardson. “Hand in hand with conservation is the focus on new marketing and research opportunities for agriculture. From farmers markets, organics and specialty crops to biofuels, feedstocks and new energy sources to crop insurance to international marketing, nutrition programs and so much more, there is a lot that is good for our farmers and for all of our residents. We look forward to seeing the President sign the bill.”
