anchor Mission Statement
The Office of Agriculture (OAG) was created in July 2016 and exists to promote agriculture as a viable component of the County's economic sector, as well as to preserve farmland as a resource for future agricultural production. The goal of the OAG is to promote Montgomery County as a leader in the agricultural industry by providing support to our farm community and working to educate our residents.
anchor Budget Overview
The total approved FY23 Operating Budget for the Office of Agriculture is $1,066,776, an increase of $47,911 or 4.70 percent from the FY22 Approved Budget of $1,018,865. Personnel Costs comprise 67.10 percent of the budget for ten full-time position(s) and one part-time position(s), and a total of 5.15 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 32.90 percent of the FY23 budget.
County Priority Outcomes
While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following are emphasized:
- Thriving Youth and Families
- A Growing Economy
- A Greener County
Program Descriptions
Agricultural Services
The Office of Agriculture (OAG) serves in a variety of capacities to provide the following services: implement agricultural policies and programs; provide financial and technical assistance to farmers; manage agricultural education programs; provide financial and staff support to its partner agencies; serve as a liaison between the Executive Branch and...
| Program Performance Measures | Actual
FY20 | Actual
FY21 | Estimated
FY22 | Target
FY23 | Target
FY24 |
|---|
| Technical assistance contacts with farmers | 700 | 1,241 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Acres of land under easements inspected by Agricultural Services | 3,927.07 | 1,032.72 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Percent of easement acres under most restrictive easement disallowing development | 24.4% | 32% | 33% | | |
| Percent of participants who learned or benefitted from Agricultural Services event, training, or farm tour 1 | 100% | N/A | 100% | | |
Read More Soil Conservation
This program is comprised of staff and other resources from Federal, State, and local Agricultural agencies. It provides technical and outreach educational assistance to farmers/rural landowners for implementing best management and conservation practices. The Montgomery Soil Conservation District (MSCD) assists the County which is required to achieve the nationally mandated,...
| Program Performance Measures | Actual
FY20 | Actual
FY21 | Estimated
FY22 | Target
FY23 | Target
FY24 |
|---|
| Soil conservation contacts with farmers and landowners to provide technical assistance | 349 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
| Water quality plans completed | 46 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Percent of interagency site visits coordinated within one business day of agricultural complaint | 90% | 100% | 100% | | |
| Pounds of nitrogen reduced through conservation and best management practices 1 | 20,144 | 20,000 | 20,000 | | |
Read More University of Maryland-Extension (UMD-Extention)
The Montgomery County Extension Office serves as the agricultural outreach and education component of the University of Maryland. This agency is funded cooperatively through local, State, and Federal governments. Farmers, families, and youth are the primary audiences of the Extension Office. Educational programs for farmers include raising crops and livestock,...
| Program Performance Measures | Actual
FY20 | Actual
FY21 | Estimated
FY22 | Target
FY23 | Target
FY24 |
|---|
| Nutrient management plans completed | 109 | 89 | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 4-H youth development program participants 1 | 5,293 | 319 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Average pre- to post-test score increase of Close Encounters with Agriculture participants on agriculture, nutrition, and the environment | 49% | 0 | 50% | | |
| Percent of Food Supplement Nutrition Education youth participants who try new healthy food | 42% | 42% | 42% | | |
| Percent of participants who purchase produce they learn about from Food Supplement Nutrition Education farmers market programming | 92% | 92% | 92% | | |
Read More