A look at farm troubles, triumphs

* The threat to Maryland's agricultural heritage by the rapidly rising value of farmland. Due to development pressures, Maryland has the sixth-most-expensive farmland in the nation. State agriculture officials called it a "scary situation" and said it is major threat to the future of farming in the state.

* Maryland has 40 percent more women farm operators than the national average. Women were the primary operators of 15.7 percent of Maryland's 12,100 farms in 2006. For the nation as a whole, only 11.2 percent of the farms were run by women that year.

* A three-part series in December 2007 on the continued demise of Maryland's dairy industry. Stories pointed out that state had lost 85 percent of its dairy farms since 1970. Five counties had lost all their dairy farms, and three others were down to their last farm.

The plight of dairy farmers was not limited to Maryland. It was a problem throughout the Northeast. But most of these states had passed legislation to help their dairy industries, including the payment of subsidies, tax credit and the establishment of a minimum price farmers are to be paid for their milk.

I learned over the years that farming is a tough business.

I wish you success in the future.