Old Line Farmer: Maryland Farm Bureau History, Magazine, Podcast and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Old Line Farmer is the member magazine of the Maryland Farm Bureau, named for the Old Line State nickname, and it now has a companion podcast, Old Line Farmer Radio. Produced at the bureau's Davidsonville headquarters, it covers farm families, young farmers, policy in Annapolis and the business of farming near the Chesapeake Bay.
| Publisher | Maryland Farm Bureau |
|---|---|
| Roots | 1915, Maryland Ag Society; Farm Bureau affiliation in 1920 |
| Format | Seasonal print magazine (for example, Summer 2025) plus the Old Line Farmer Radio podcast |
| Members | Nearly 10,000 member families in 23 county Farm Bureaus |
| Headquarters | Davidsonville, Maryland, since 2014 |
| Other publications | Hotline, Chesapeake Bay Farm & Food, Government Relations Bulletin |
| Official website | MDFarmBureau.com |
History of Old Line Farmer
Maryland Farm Bureau began in 1915, when seven commodity organizations formed the Maryland Ag Society to press for a state board of agriculture and for agricultural education in public schools. The society affiliated with the new American Farm Bureau Federation in 1920, sending E.P. Cohill, later the first Maryland Farm Bureau president, as its first national delegate. The Maryland Ag Society/Maryland Farm Bureau Federation name came in 1922.
Membership started at 500 in 1920 and peaked at 37,211 families at the end of 2012. The bureau built an office in Randallstown in 1959 and moved its headquarters to Davidsonville in 2014.
The bureau is a private, non-profit membership organization funded by voluntary dues. Its stated purpose is to increase net farm income and improve quality of life through a legislative voice, public education and member involvement.
Old Line Farmer Today
Old Line Farmer appears in seasonal editions; the bureau reposts magazine stories on its blog, such as a feature on its 2025 Ag Ambassadors first printed in the Summer 2025 edition. Recent bureau news has covered a five-generation family farm in Berlin, the Hutchison Brothers of Talbot County and a 21 percent rise in membership.
Old Line Farmer Radio, billed as a Maryland Farm Bureau production, covers state farm news, commodity prices and policy that affects farm finances. Recent episodes discussed a ballot question, gubernatorial candidates' farm positions, the bureau's convention, Eastern Shore poultry farming and a state legislator who farms.
What Old Line Farmer Is Publishing Now
Farm families
Profiles of multigenerational farms and Maryland producers, from grain and poultry on the Eastern Shore to diversified farms in central and western Maryland.
Young farmers and ambassadors
Coverage of the Young Farmers program, its members' roles at the national, state and local levels, and the Ag Ambassadors who speak for agriculture.
Policy and the Bay
News from Annapolis and Washington, the Government Relations Bulletin agenda and the environmental rules that come with farming in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Old Line Farmer Editors and Staff
Maryland Farm Bureau contacts connected with Old Line Farmer include:
- Jeb Burchick - Editorial contact
- Kendall Abruzzesse - Contributor, Old Line Farmer
Who Reads Old Line Farmer
Readers are Maryland Farm Bureau members, nearly 10,000 families across 23 county Farm Bureaus. Maryland is a small state with a diverse farm sector, and the Eastern Shore's broiler industry, grain farms that feed it, and nursery, dairy and produce operations nearer the cities all show up in the bureau's coverage.
Nationally, the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted about 1.9 million farms, 95 percent of them family farms, and 116,617 farms selling directly to consumers. In a state full of suburban neighbors, those direct sales and farm stands are a frequent Old Line Farmer theme.
Old Line Farmer readers farm within sight of suburbs, beltways and the Bay, so they have heard plenty of questions from neighbors who think chickens come from a grocery case. For a gentler laugh, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor in an easygoing voice, plus ranch humor for anyone still keeping beef cattle in Frederick County. Its farm jokes pair well with a crab feast after harvest.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
Old Line Farmer Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Maryland Farm Bureau: About Us - history, membership and mission.
- Old Line Farmer Radio - the bureau's podcast.
- Maryland Farm Bureau: Young farmers leading - young farmer coverage.
- USDA NASS: 2022 Census of Agriculture release - national farm numbers.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Maryland county and state farm data.
Old Line Farmer FAQ
Who publishes Old Line Farmer?
The Maryland Farm Bureau, headquartered in Davidsonville, Maryland.
Is there an Old Line Farmer podcast?
Yes. Old Line Farmer Radio is a Maryland Farm Bureau production covering farm news, prices and policy.
When was Maryland Farm Bureau founded?
Its roots go to the Maryland Ag Society of 1915, which joined the American Farm Bureau Federation in 1920.
How many members does Maryland Farm Bureau have?
Nearly 10,000 member families in 23 county Farm Bureaus.
In print and on the air, Old Line Farmer keeps a century-old bureau talking with the farm families of the Old Line State.