Maryland farms – Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has asked the U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to issue a disaster declaration for counties hit by last month’s late-season freeze, saying some places lost 99% of the peach crop and grape acreage suffered a 36% total loss. Mary
When the freeze hit. it didn’t just damage crops—it tore through an entire growing season before it had a chance to stabilize. Now Maryland’s top political leader is asking the federal government to step in with a disaster declaration for farmers in the counties hit hardest by last month’s late-season cold.
Gov. Wes Moore sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requesting the disaster designation. In the letter, Moore said some counties lost 99% of the peach crop. He also pointed to losses tied to grapes grown for Maryland wineries. writing that the Maryland Wineries Association reported a total loss for 36% of grape acreage.
Moore’s request is grounded in urgency. with the governor arguing that farmers need help quickly in order to recover and plan for the next season. “Swift action is essential to provide for the stability Maryland’s farmers need to recover from this catastrophe and prepare for the next growing season. ” Moore wrote.
The move follows an earlier push by state farm advocates. On May 14, Maryland Farm Bureau President Jamie Raley wrote to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. saying. “Maryland farmers are resilient. but they cannot weather this storm alone.” Parker Welch. the Maryland Farm Bureau’s executive director. said the organization is still calculating the full scope of what the freeze did to farms.
Welch described losses that can reach staggering levels for individual operations. “We’ve had some farms say they’ve lost upwards to $2 million to 100% of their expected profit for the year,” Welch said.
In conversations with farmers and with researchers at the University of Maryland. Welch said multiple people had a similar reaction when they assessed the damage. “Several had the comment that it was the worst they’d seen in their career whether that was their research career or their farming career. ” he said.
For Welch, the disaster declaration isn’t just a formality. He said it “unlocks a lot of resources for losses and damages” that Maryland’s farming families are carrying after the combined impacts of weather extremes.
While grapes and peaches are among the crops most emphasized in the request. Welch said the losses extend well beyond vineyards and orchards. He said crop damage included strawberries. blueberries. apples. peaches. and “a lot of those pick-your-own products that people enjoy going out to the farm and picking.”.
The Maryland Farm Bureau represents 7,000 farm families across the state. Welch said the fallout from agriculture also affects the broader economy. warning that the scale of the industry can be overlooked. “I think sometimes it’s lost on Marylanders that it’s still the state’s number one commercial industry and contributes more than $8 billion to the economy each year. ” he said.
He also described the damage as more than a single weather event. Between the freeze in April—when overnight temperatures plummeted while young crops were in a vulnerable stage—and drought conditions that lingered into the spring. Welch said farmers faced what he called a “perfect storm” of conditions.
Now, farmers and advocates are also trying to manage expectations for what residents might see at local farms. Welch urged consumers to visit farms in their area to buy produce that is available, and to be patient if what’s usually on offer isn’t present “at this time of year.”
For federal approval, Welch pointed to a recent example of the process moving quickly elsewhere. He said Secretary Rollins was in Pennsylvania Tuesday and signed a disaster declaration for 17 counties. “So when it comes to Maryland, Welch said, ‘We will remain hopeful.’”
Still. the numbers Moore cited—some counties at 99% loss for peaches and 36% of grape acreage lost—underline what’s driving the pressure to act now. For growers who may be staring at missing harvests and erased profits, the timeline isn’t abstract. It’s whether relief arrives before the next season window closes.
Maryland farms Wes Moore Brooke Rollins disaster declaration late-season freeze peach crop loss grape acreage loss Maryland Farm Bureau Jamie Raley Parker Welch drought conditions