NEXT GENERATION LAND STEWARDS
ShoreRivers is focused on supporting the next generation of agricultural land stewards on the Eastern Shore.
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.
Through this program, funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, ShoreRivers regularly brings together Next Generation Land Stewards—people who are new or upcoming agricultural landowners—to share resources and expertise, and create a network of peer support and to help set conservation objectives concurrent with agronomic and profitability goals.
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.
Whether you are the first generation on family land or the 15th, this program is for you. To learn more or join our cohort of Next Generation Land Stewards, contact Laura Wood at lwood@shorerivers.org.
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“The team at Shore Rivers has already, in a short time, provided us with resources, knowledge, tools, ideas, collaborators, and hope that there are partners out there to enable our vision to become a reality. It has been an exciting honor to be selected and welcomed into the NGLS program, and it has accelerated the farm and land plans that we were already dabbling with for our almost 100 acres of paradise.”
– Jodie Schram and Chris Wheedleton, NGLS cohort member“This program has connected us to essential resources and knowledge; we have learned about topics such as conservation easements, managing family dynamics, regenerative growing practices, and more from other farmers and experts. We are very grateful for these learning opportunities because it can be difficult to find this type of information on our own, and we have already begun to integrate what we have learned on our farm.”
– Sarah Starman, NGLS cohort member“As part of a generational Queen Anne’s County farm family, I’ve felt in equal measure 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. The issues faced by NGLS members are complex, multifaceted, and in constant evolution: What are best practices for sustainability, environmental protection, and financial viability? How to maintain good family relationships while navigating tricky decision-making, equitable access and responsibility, inheritance, and financial risk and reward? Meanwhile, there are also mundane but crucial questions like: What is the best local source for tractor parts? How do small local food producers reach customers?
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”
– Maria Wood, NGLS cohort member
