Tobacco's End

For well over 350 years, tobacco has shaped the landscape of Southern Maryland. Since the first years of English settlement, tobacco has been the region's primary market crop. Before the English, Native Americans also grew tobacco for ritual and sacred purposes. But in 2000, Maryland Governor Parris Glendening proposed a policy which would end tobacco's log relationship with Southern Maryland. Using proceeds from the Master Settlement Aggrement, Governor Glendening implemented the Tobacco Buyout, paying farmers to not grow tobacco. Many Marylanders were surprised when nearly 85 percent of the region's tobacco farmers took the buyout.

"The Crying of the Crop: Maryland's Tobacco Auction Market"
A Senior Project by Aaron Garnett, 1993
audio recording | find this paper or tape log

"Finding an Alternative Crop for Tobacco After the Maryland State Tobacco Buyout: The Case for Grapes"
A Senior Project by Amy Forbes, 2004
find this document | read the abstract