Preserving a Part of History

(photo: google.com)

Southern Maryland is recognized by many as very "country" and very rural. However, with the growth of Washington D.C. and the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, what was once so beautiful and scenic is now facing extermination. As mentioned before, tobacco farming was a major source of income and way of life for a majority of farmers in Southern Maryland. Since these farms have been bought out and their crop is no longer being produced, a part of what makes Southern Maryland so unique is being lost. The tobacco barns that you used to be able to see all around are becoming few and far between. These barns add character and beauty to the southern counties in Maryland. There is an effort, though, to save these barns and preserve them. This effort is called the Southern Maryland Tobacco Barns Preservation Initiative. Through this initiative, awareness about the current situation dealing with the loss of tobacco barns will be addressed as well as setting up a fund to help preserve the barns still standing. These barns are a special part of Southern Maryland culture and history, and in order to keep them standing, something must be done.

(photo:google.com)

Another option

Another unique and interesting tactic used by farmers today is when they lease their land for hunting purposes. Since the tobacco buyouts and the selling of land for commercial development, farmers have begun leasing their land to hunting clubs or groups of organized hunters. These groups pay a lump sum, ranging from anywhere between $250-800 per person, to reserve hunting rights so that the land is exclusively theirs to hunt. The farmers are planting and producing crops such as hay, corn, soy beans, biologic seed, etc. in order to attract the wildlife that is being hunted. This biologic seed is not only used for hunting, but also to increase animal growth and development in their natural habitat. For this farming alternative, clubs and organizations can buy/rent the land by the month or for the entire year. This is a good way for farmers to make a steady income so they will be able to keep their land and not have to sell for commercial use.

Now What?

So what do farmers do now since one of their main crops (tobacco) has been taken away from them? Well, in Southern Maryland farmers have come up with different ideas, but I'm going to tell you about one of my personal favorites that is not only unique but successful as well!

(photo: somdthisisliving.somd.com)

1) Bowles Farm:

The owners of Bowles Farm have been creating corn mazes for the past six years. For those of you who do not know what a corn maze is, it is simply what it sounds like; A maze, made out of corn. It is open to the public and only a small fee is charged to wander through the extensive mazes. Bowles Farm also has a petting zoo, picnic areas, barrel rides, wagon rides, and a place to find the perfect pumpkin for Halloween. During the spring summer and winter, Bowles Farms also rents out one of their barns, which is not your typical barn, it is furnished, has heating/air conditioning, a state of the art kitchen, restrooms, etc. The most popular events that the barn are used for are wedding receptions/parties, and dances or fund raisers. I recently went to one of these fund raisers held by the Young Farmers Association and it was pretty neat!

(photo:bowlesfarm.com)

Key Crops?

This weekend, I spoke with a farmer who grew up on a Southern Maryland farm and still lives there today. I learned about many different things, such as the history and size of the farm, as well as the animals and crops they raised. The most important topic, however, that came up was the crop issue. Seeing that the fields are mostly grown up, I asked if this farm was still being worked and if so, what they were growing. I was informed that the 20 plus acres we were walking across was previously covered with tobacco. Apparently in Saint Mary's County, one of the highest selling and most profitable crops was tobacco. Growing tobacco is a "300-year-old tradition" within Southern Maryland and has been a means of employment for just as long. But what I learned next is what makes this discovery all the more relevant.

(photo:google.com)

Several years ago, when laws were passed and information appeared about tobacco being so harmful to the human body, local farmers were hit hard. Recognizing that this was a career and only means of income for so many farmers, the government began issuing tobacco buyouts. These BUYOUTS consist of the government essentially paying farmers to stop growing tobacco to sell to cigarette companies as well as for personal use purposes. Though many farmers accepted this deal, there are still a few that continue to plant their tobacco each year. Since this buyout there has been a decrease in tobacco production and farmers have had to come up with other uses for their land, which we will tackle next...