Farming Advocates Push Back Against Gov. Moore’s “MeatOut Day”
MARYLAND – Maryland Governor Wes Moore is receiving pushback from agricultural advocates after proclaiming Friday, Mar. 20, “MeatOut Day in Maryland.”
The announcement comes from the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM), which has promoted the MeatOut program since 1985 to encourage individuals to reduce or eliminate meat consumption in favor of plant-based diets. The proclamation was reportedly signed on Tuesday, Mar. 10, but has not been made available on the State’s website at this time.
While celebrated by animal rights groups like FARM, the move has drawn soured reactions from agricultural proponents. Maryland Farm Bureau President Jamie Raley issued a response to Governor Wes Moore on Thursday afternoon, calling the proclamation a “discouraging signal” to farm families across the state.
“To suggest that abstaining from meat is a necessary step to prevent animal cruelty ignores the reality of modern animal husbandry,” Raley wrote. “For Maryland’s livestock farmers, the welfare of their animals is not just a priority — it is their livelihood and a core value passed down through generations. Our members adhere to rigorous, science-based standards of care that ensure the health and safety of their herds and flocks.”
Raley went on to argue that agriculture remains a cornerstone of the state’s economy, especially as 94 percent of the more than 12 thousand Maryland farms are family-owned.
“Rather than encouraging citizens to reject locally produced food, we should be celebrating the hardworking families who sustain our communities,” he continued. “We respectfully urge the administration to ensure that future state-endorsed observances support, rather than disparage, the vital contributions of Maryland agriculture.”
United States Representative Andy Harris blasted Governor Moore’s proclamation, issuing the following statement on Thursday evening:
“Maryland farmers and watermen have been under siege from the Moore Administration since his first day in office. The mass-covering of farm fields by subsidized and state-mandated solar panels is threatening livestock and poultry production across the state. And now, in the midst of a historically challenging year for Maryland’s oyster industry, instead of extending a helping hand to promote ‘Maryland’s Best,’ he openly encourages Marylanders to even further cut down their consumption of meat products. This is yet another demonstration by ‘Governor IDGAF’ that he does not care about the Eastern Shore, or any rural communities that rely on these critical industries. Perhaps the Governor needs a reminder of what industries are represented on the State Seal, unless he plans on changing that too.”
WMDT will continue to provide updates on this story as they are made available.
