Residents support Md. farmers, survey shows

Local consumers prefer buying their produce from Maryland farmers, and nearly half of the grocery shoppers say they would be willing to pay more for locally grown fruits and vegetables.

These are several of the findings related to agriculture in the latest annual public opinion survey by the University of Baltimore's Schaefer Center for Public Policy.

Nearly 78 percent of the adults surveyed said they would be more likely to buy produce that is identified as having been grown by Maryland farmers.

This is a slight increase over last year's survey, which found that 75 percent of consumers expressed a desire to purchase homegrown farm products.

As an indication of the growing ties between farmers and consumers, the center found that only 57 percent of the shoppers expressed a preference for locally grown produce in 2006.

But fewer food buyers are saying they would be willing to dig deeper into their pockets to pay a higher price for local produce now than in the past.

This year's survey found that 44 percent of the consumers said they would be willing to pay a premium price for farm products. This is down from 48 percent last year.

The preservation of farmland, a major factor in the quality of life enjoyed by state residents, continues to be important to residents.

Ninety-seven percent of the people surveyed this year said that it is at least "somewhat important" that the state preserves land for farming. This is up slightly from 96 percent last year and 88 percent in 2006.

The vast majority of those surveyed this year -- 80 percent -- said it was "very important" to preserve farmland. Only 3.2 percent said it was not very important.

Consumer response to this survey is good news for Maryland farmers, Gov. Martin O'Malley said in a statement.

"Marylanders understand that agricultural products are essential to creating a sustainable Maryland to protect our culture, our economy and our environment," he said. "Buying local will continue our effort to protect and strengthen our middle class, our family-owned businesses and our family farms, while preserving our farmland and promoting rural economic development programs."