EASTON, MARYLAND — Talbot County farm families have two weeks left on the clock. The Maryland Department of Agriculture is accepting nominations for the Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame through Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

MDA said Sept. 2 that the Hall of Fame recognizes farm families with significant achievements in Maryland agriculture. Nominating packages must include signatures from the county Extension agent, the county Farm Bureau president, and the county Soil Conservation District manager. Completed nominations go by mail to MDA Chief of Staff Harrison Palmer by the Oct. 2 deadline.

Only one farm family per county will be considered. Applicants work with their county nominating committee to document agricultural leadership, community involvement, and advances in areas such as soil and water conservation, marketing, machinery, and safety.

“The Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame honors those Maryland families who have not only built a lasting agricultural legacy, but who have strengthened their communities and helped ensure that farming remains an important part of our state’s future,” Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks said in the release.

The Hall of Fame was established in 1991 and has honored 58 farms spanning Maryland’s 23 counties. The McGinnis Family of Baltimore County was the most recent inductee, honored this past February. The 2026 inductee will be recognized at the annual Taste of Maryland Agriculture on Feb. 4, 2027.

MDA’s Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame page hosts the nomination materials and lists past honorees by year. Talbot County has prior inductees on that roster, including the Councell Family (2014) and the Hutchison Family (2005). MDA has not named a 2026 Talbot nominee; county committees assemble packages before the statewide deadline.

Questions go to Palmer at MDA. Communications contact on the release is Rachel Felver, director of communications, at 667-493-8683.