LEONARDTOWN, Md. – The Leadership Southern Maryland (LSM) Executive Program met in October for a day-long tour and exploration of Southern Maryland agriculture.
“The LSM Executive Program brings together community-oriented senior professionals who want to understand Southern Maryland better so they can serve Southern Maryland better,” said Executive Director Dr. Sybol Anderson. “Our day-long study of Southern Maryland agriculture is an essential ingredient in understanding our regional identity.”
The group convened at the Solomons Mission Center where executive director Kelly Ward, LSM ‘25 provided an overview of the organization’s mission and programs, which include a community garden, food pantry, clothing bank, and more.
Local and state agriculture specialists Caroline Trossbach (Calvert County Department of Economic Development) and Sydney Garner (St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development) followed with a survey of major features and issues in Southern Maryland agriculture.
The executives traveled to the Loveville Produce Auction to experience local agriculture commerce in action. Southern Maryland Agricultural Develop Commission (SMADC) executive director Shelby Hampton met the group at Serenity Farm in Benedict, Md., where they learned about the decades-long efforts of SMADC to support local farmers and watermen.
A highlight of the day was learning about the mission of the nonprofit Farming 4 Hunger to serve those in need of fresh food in Southern Maryland. The class also learned lessons in life and leadership with Farming 4 Hunger executive director Bernie Fowler, Jr. and his team.
Participants dug deep into intersections of agricultural industry practices and environmental sustainability efforts in an honest conversation about the 2025 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card with local farmer JR Cosgrove, LSM ‘22 (Horsmon Farm); watermen Capts.
Simon and Rachel Dean (Patuxent River Seafood); environmental scientist Dr. Bill Dennison (Chesapeake Biological Laboratory); and state government representative Rachel Jones (Maryland Department of Agriculture). The report card is published by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science to provide transparent, detailed assessments of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
In the 2025 assessment, the Chesapeake Watershed scored a C+ overall (an improvement over 2024), but the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers scored D and D+ respectively, with trends in water quality showing only modest improvement in the Potomac. Participants learned about collaborative efforts among farmers, watermen, scientists, and government to protect the watershed.
Leadership Southern Maryland’s flagship Executive Program is an interactive and life-enriching nine-month, tuition-based “behind-the-scenes” experience designed to enhance the collaborative abilities of our region’s top senior professionals. LSM welcomes mid- to upper-level executives representing diverse geographic locations, industries, professions, ethnicities, genders, and other backgrounds who are committed to addressing the community needs of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties.