ShoreRivers’ first co-hort of Next Generation Land Stewards meets at Wildy Native Flower Farm in July 2023.

Maryland’s Eastern Shore has long been known for its agricultural influence. In fact, 92% of land in Maryland is privately owned. In Kent County, 68% of land (122,050 acres) is considered agricultural lands. To ensure the health of the region’s ecosystem, it is crucial that landowners are engaged in conservation.

A new program by ShoreRivers, Next Generation Land Stewards, has convened its first cohort of new or upcoming agricultural landowners to create a network of peer support. The project is funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and was founded by ShoreRivers staff members who are the stewards of family farms in the region.

Next Generation Land Stewards gather at Hermitage Farm in Centreville in May 2023.

“The goal of this project is to have a rising generation of land stewards who are educated and empowered to manage their land in a way that is profitable for the farm and their business and conscious of the ecosystem that the farm is part of,” said ShoreRivers Agriculture & Outreach Coordinator and Project Lead Laura Wood. “Such a large portion of our landscape here on the Shore is agriculture and is privately owned, so the people who manage that land are managing a large percentage of our landscape and our watershed so we see this project as a really important moment to engage those people.”

For the Eastern Shore, protecting agricultural lands means protecting 3,717 jobs and more than $1 billion in revenue to the state’s economy. Farmland provides food and cover for wildlife, helps control flooding, protects watersheds, and maintains air quality.

Since its inception at the beginning of 2023, the program has hosted workshops with expert partners and explored topics such as conservation easements; habitat management; and conservation incentive programs for buffers and wetlands. Future topics will include equitable leases; succession planning; forest stewardship; and government programs. As the program continues, it will connect participants to existing efforts and resources that will educate and empower the next generation of land stewards to feel confident as they navigate the decisions that will define our landscapes and waterways for years to come.

“As part of a generational Queen Anne’s County farm family, I’ve felt intensely connected to the farm where I grew up, passionate about protecting the land and water, and overwhelmed at the responsibility my generation will shoulder when it’s our turn to take up the mantle of good stewardship,” said Next Generation Land Steward Cohort Member Maria Wood. “The people who are connecting through Next Generation Land Stewards implicitly understand these sorts of questions and are eager—aching, even—to offer and seek wisdom and knowledge, and share the joys and stressors that we have in common while working, caring for, and ideally enjoying the rare and wonderful privilege of land stewardship on the Chesapeake Bay.”

While the grant provided by NFWF is planned to last a year, ShoreRivers plans to continue the program once the funding has run its course.

“We are hoping to—and intend to—continue the program beyond the first year. We are considering this the launching of the program and would love for this to continue on,” Laura Wood said.

To learn more or join the Next Generation Land Stewards Cohort, click here.