Agriculture & Productive Farmland as a Priority
     We recommend the University of Maryland systems establish an Ag Producers Board of Advisors. '03
     We support the alternative agricultural systems program of the University of Maryland, but not at the expense of "traditional crop" courses and research. ‘08
     We urge the University of Maryland to provide adequate and such additional research as is necessary to maintain agriculture as a viable industry in Maryland. We support Maryland Cooperative Extension in its dissemination of research findings and other education programs. '04

Funding
     Since agriculture is the largest industry in the State of Maryland, the state should continue to financially support the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Institute of Applied Agriculture, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Maryland Cooperative Extension. All agriculturists benefit directly from the research findings and educational programs. The citizens of the state who are employed in ag-related businesses benefit because their work is based on successful agricultural enterprises. '00
     We believe that the University of Maryland should establish a line item in their budget for funding the Cooperative Extension Service and the Agricultural Experiment Stations. We urge increased funding for agricultural research and extension to bring a more equitable funding support and correct the disparity between these departments and the rest of the University. We also urge that the leadership for the Institute for Government Service be restored to the Extension Service. '03

Maryland Cooperative Extension
     Maryland Cooperative Extension has consistently been recognized by the agricultural community as the leader in providing farmers unbiased, research-based education to help them compete in a competitive market place. The strength of Extension has always been at the local level. We recommend that each county have a minimum of one Agricultural Extension Agent/Educator. ’08
     We encourage the Maryland Cooperative Extension to develop a nitrogen test to use in the fall prior to planting small grains. ‘08
     Due to agriculture's ever increasing reliance on technology and research, we believe every effort should be made to fill vacant research positions at the agricultural experiment stations and specialist positions in the Maryland Cooperative Extension.
     We support maintaining the title “county agent”. ‘08

Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center
     We support the MD Rural Enterprise Development Center, which provides assistance to farmers for business plan development. ’08

Plant Protection Center
     We support the creation of and funding for the Maryland Plant Protection Center. ’06

Research and Data
     We support a joint effort by the University of Maryland and the MDA to develop and publish information that thoroughly and accurately describes the role of agriculture in the state’s economy and in protecting and enhancing the state’s natural resource base. ’07
     We strongly urge that a portion of the funds allocated to the University by the state legislature be specifically directed to the dairy research within the University system. ’07
     We encourage the University of Maryland Experiment Station to continue to develop varieties of vegetables, fruits and field crops highly adaptable to our area to increase competition with other areas of the country. ‘08
     We urge the University to reinstate the "Field Days" at the research farms. '04

Teacher Preparation
     We urge the University of Maryland System to continue to develop a program to prepare teachers for their careers with courses in agri-science as a requirement towards their teaching degree. ‘08

Tuition
     We believe that tuition increases at the schools within the University of Maryland System be limited to the cost of living index. '03