FY2025 Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets

FY2025 Proposed Budget Organizational Budgets

County Administrative Services

Office of Agriculture Mission Statement The Frederick County Office of Agriculture is dedicated to preserving farmland through conservation easements, supporting agricultural operations with business support and technical assistance, and promoting local farms through initiatives like Homegrown Frederick, ensuring a vibrant and diverse agricultural community. The Office of Agriculture serves as the primary contact for the agricultural and craft beverage community and provides the following services: implement agricultural policies and programs, provide financial and technical assistance, and preserve

agricultural land. The Frederick County Office of Agriculture is dedicated to preserving our rich and fertile farmland, providing comprehensive agricultural business support, and fostering the diversification of our agricultural community. We are committed to marketing our farms and agricultural products through initiatives such as Homegrown Frederick, promoting local agriculture, and strengthening connections between farmers and consumers. Through these efforts, we aim to ensure a vibrant and thriving farm community that embraces innovation, diversification, and resilience, thus safeguarding our agricultural heritage for generations to come. Frederick aims to preserve a minimum of 160,000 acres of land in permanent preservation easements. Agricultural Land Preservation administers a variety of local, state, and federal land preservation programs focused on protecting agricultural lands. Current programs are the Critical Farms, Installment Purchase, Maryland Agricultural Preservation Foundation, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and Rural Legacy. The main funding sources for the agricultural preservation programs are derived from dedicated County recordation tax, State grants, and a portion of the State Agricultural Transfer Tax. The County has dedicated 25% of recordation tax revenues toward agricultural land preservation in the County. Departmental Strategic Goals

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