Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming Program

Conservation. Conservation tillage, nutrient input reductions, cover crops, natural filters, buffers, wildlife and pollinator habitats, healthy soils practices, adoption of on-farm renewable energy, and more…

Community. Research, mentorship, service to food banks and solutions for food insecurity, participation in Maryland’s Certified Local Farm and Fish Program, participating in Nutrition Programs, and more…​

Value. Practices would have weighted points assigned, according to the intensity of a practice and/or according to its value in reaching statewide goals.

Prioritize. Practice weights can be assigned based on the location of a priority best management practice (BMP), if it falls within the critical area, for example.  

Implement. Farms would add conservation practices based on their unique operational needs, and resource concerns. Implementation must include both conservation and community practices.​

Stack. Farms would be encouraged to add practices that further enhance their efforts and increase their overall score. Higher score would unlock greater incentives. 

Verify​. MDA will leverage field assessment staff and data to minimize additional reporting from farmers. 

Tiers. Participants would earn points to qualify for tiers, like the example below:

• Platinum (80+)
• Gold (60-79)
• Silver (50-59)​​​​​
• Certified (40-49)

Promote. MDA and industry partners would promote a farm’s LEEF status and empower farms to share their stewardship stories.

Incentives. Prioritization for equipment funding or contracts with vendors. Future incentives could include priority access to programs and grants, tax incentives, or lower loan rates.