Maryland’s Ag Tag — that specialty farm-themed license plate featuring a beautifully hued sky and a sprawling agricultural operation — has benefitted the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation since the plate’s inception in 2001.
The creation of the specialty plate was led by then-MAEF Executive Director Steve Connelly, along with the organization’s board of directors and a group of Maryland legislators. The original design, which is meant to represent all farms across Maryland, is still the one used today.
“Given the diverse agricultural operations in our state, from the eastern shore to western Maryland in the mountains, southern Maryland in the plains, and central Maryland with more populated and urban areas, the plate’s design depicts [what can be interpreted as either] a sunrise or sunset. The owner of the tag gets to decide, as it symbolizes the beauty that surrounds a farm at all times of the day,” said Ben Brown, MAEF’s communication director, demonstrating how people view the orange and yellow sky on the plate.
Roughly a third of Maryland land is dedicated to the agricultural industry, with most of that in cropland. Grain products — including corn, wheat, barley, and hay — represent the largest commodity grown by acreage in the state. Additionally, the chicken broiler industry provides $1.2 billion in total agricultural production.
Yet so much of this is done on a relatively small scale, especially compared with states farther west: The state has nearly 12,500 farms, with most of them being between one and 99 acres in size.
The tags cost an extra $20 annually per customer, and with over 400,000 Ag Tags distributed since 2001, the program has raised more than $12 million for MAEF.
The primary goal of MAEF is to increase agricultural literacy and education for students and adults in Maryland through programs such as Mobile Science Labs, professional development programs, ag literacy book programs, and garden grants. However, MAEF also oversees Maryland FFA — so proceeds from Ag Tag sales help support FFA and agricultural education for all students.
Brown noted that in 2023, MAEF programs reached 150,000 students with in-person agricultural education opportunities.
“The Ag Tag is a fantastic way for Marylanders to demonstrate their love for agriculture, support for Ag Education, and pride in our state’s No. 1 industry while enhancing the appearance of their vehicles,” he said.
An article from The Delmarva Farmer newspaper noted the variety of personalization that people will see on Maryland’s Ag Tags, such as “MDA 1,” “YO SOY,” “AG TERP,” “VINEGIRL,” and “FRMCHIC.”
“The most common sentiment we hear is that people choose the tag to support ag education and the future success of agriculture in Maryland,” Brown said. “Others select the tag to support farmers and agriculture in general, while some appreciate its aesthetic appeal on their vehicles, considering the ag tie-in as a bonus.”
Vehicles that are eligible for Ag Tags include passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles, trucks up to 26,000 GVM, trailers, and farm trucks.
“We continually strive to expand our programs, and thanks to the support of Maryland legislators for the Ag Tag, we can bring agricultural education to students across the state,” Brown said. “With the assistance of the Ag Tag, we are expanding our programs each year to reach even more people.”
This is part of a state-by-state series from AGDAILY that highlights agriculture-themed license plates nationwide. Read more articles from the series here.