Farm Stewardship
Committee
Our Farm Stewardship Committee liaises with government entities, lobbies for incentive programs, and educates the membership about farm stewardship resources.
Horse farms constitute over 25% of all agricultural land in Maryland
88,000 equine acres are preserved in perpetuity as farmland. A pasture in good condition can store more carbon than arable land, and is second only to a mature forest for carbon storage. A pasture in good condition also helps reduce nutrient run-off and soil erosion. Horse pastures are pesticide free so they also create a safe environment for pollinators and birds.
MHC is committed to making sure that horse farms have the resources they need to operate in as sustainably and climate-friendly a way as possible. Our Farm Stewardship Committee liaises with government entities, lobbies for incentive programs, and educates the membership about farm stewardship resources.
Farm Stewardship columns from The Equiery
September 2023: Bloomsbury Forge
January 2023: Soil Conservation Districts
October 2022: Protect Local Streams
Accomplishments
- MHC begins publishing regular Farm Stewardship column in The Equiery. (2022)
- The number of horse farms certified by the Association of Soil Conservation District’s Farm Stewardship Assessment and Certification Program increases from 17 to 28 in large part due to the work of MHC’s Farm Stewardship Committee. (2016)
- The number of horse farms certified by the Association of Soil Conservation District’s Farm Stewardship Assessment and Certification Program grows to 17 in large part due to the work of MHC’s Farm Stewardship Committee. (2014)
- MHC Farm Stewardship Committee secures enrollment of 11 horse farms in the MD Association of Soil Conservation District’s Farm Stewardship and Conservation Assessment Program. (2013)
- The MHC Save the Horse Farms Committee, in partnership with the Law Offices of Kathleen JP Tabor, publishes a Zoning and Permitting Guide for horse farm owners. (2012)
- MHC launches its Farm Stewardship Committee. (2011)
- MHC launches the Save the Horse Farms Campaign, which has inspired several zoning-related victories in counties throughout the state. (2010)
- MHC sponsors “Horses as Agriculture” to codify that the definition of “livestock” includes horses, and that equine activities are agricultural. (2009)
- Successfully concludes effort to revise standards for application of MALPF program to equestrian properties. (2008)
- MHC advises on changing nutrient management regulations to apply to properties with 8 or more horses only instead of properties with 4 or more horses. (2003)