The mission of the Cecil County Office of Economic Development’s Agriculture Division is to support and encourage the growth and sustainability of our agricultural businesses. It's goals are to unite the agriculture community of Cecil County, to promote and enhance the economic vitality of all sectors of agriculture, to advise government (local, state, national) on the interest of agriculture, to raise the public awareness of the importance of agriculture and to increase public understanding of modern agricultural production processes.

 

Cecil County Agriculture

Farmers work 36% of the land in Cecil County every day and in every season! Like generations of farmers before them, the farmers of today must be businesspeople and advocates as well as stewards of the land.

Today’s farmers grow row crops, feed, and vegetables; run orchards, greenhouses, and vineyards; raise livestock including poultry, goats, sheep, horses, alpacas, dairy and meat cows; keep bees; and grow trees, shrubs, and flowers—all right here in Cecil County!

While in many ways, farming is an age-old practice, today’s farmers also use modern methods and technologies to improve crop yields, safeguard local waterways, improve soil quality, and market their products. Above all, today’s farmers are innovative—constantly and creatively expanding their offerings with value-added products like beeswax candles, soaps, ice cream, pies, cider, wool products, evergreen wreaths, and agritourism—to name a few.

Agritourism is when farmers invite the public to their farms to purchase products at farm stands, taste wine or beer, take a tour, ride horses, pick their own fruit, or enjoy seasonal activities like pumpkin patches, hayrides, and choosing a Christmas tree! Agritourism engages the public with working farmland and helps farmers maintain viable businesses.

A purchase from your local farmer supports Cecil County’s hard-working producers, economy, health, and resilience, and helps preserve its rural culture and pastoral ambience. Look for the Cecil Grown logo that certifies products are grown here. If you ate good food, breathed clean country air, or enjoyed the beauty of a lush, green landscape today, thank a farmer! 

2022 Census of Agriculture, Cecil County Profile

Economic Development would love to help your new farm get started!

Consult the resources here and contact Ariel Balog, Ag Industry Coordinator, at abalog@cecilcountymd.gov with any questions or to learn more.

• Starting A Farm outline (updated Apr 9 2024)
• Beginning Farmer Success | University of Maryland Extension (umd.edu)
• Maryland Agricultural & Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO)

Cecil County Farms For Sale

Click the link below to start your search for local farms and land for sale in Cecil County.
https://www.landandfarm.com/search/MD/Cecil-County-land-for-sale/

Weed Control

Prohibited noxious weeds are annual, biennial, or perennial plants that the Secretary of Agriculture has designated as having adverse or threatening affects to agricultural production throughout the State. There are currently eight plant species that have been designated as noxious weeds in Maryland. Maryland law requires that these weeds not be allowed to produce seed. There are as follows:

- Bull Thistle, Cirsium vulgare, designated in 1984
- Canada Thistle, Circium arvense, designated in 1984
- Johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense, designated in 1969
- Musk/Knodding Thistle, Carduus nutans, designated in 1984
- Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri, designated in 2020
- Plumeless Thistle, Carduus acanthoides, designated in 1984
- Shattercane, Sorghum bicolor, designated in 1987
- Tall Waterhemp, Amaranthus tuberculatus, A. rudis, designated in 2020

For information about the County's Noxious Weed Control Program, a fee-for-service spraying program, click here for Public Works: https://www.ccgov.org/government/public-works/public-works-divisions/roads-division/weed-control-branch

For information about the State's Noxious Weed Program, click here: https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Pages/noxious_weeds_in_md.aspx

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