Governor’s ‘MeatOut Maryland’ proclamation meets opposition
Photo by: Giuseppe Lopiccolo, Capital News Service
Article by: Jane Bellmyer, March 16, 2026
ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has proclaimed March 20 at MeatOut Day, encouraging residents to take one day each week to eat a plant-based meal.
March 20 is a Friday, which for some religious denominations means eating fish during the Lenten season leading up to Easter. However, Moore’s position is more health-based, and he is working with the Farm Animal Rights Movement. He said plant-based diets are healthier and result in less animal cruelty.
Maryland Farm Bureau members and Congressman Andy Harris, however, disagree with the proclamation Moore signed Tuesday.
“While the Maryland agricultural community respects the right of individuals to make personal dietary choices, we are deeply disappointed by Governor Moore’s recent proclamation. This initiative, created by an animal rights activist group, sends a discouraging signal to the thousands of farm families who work tirelessly to provide a safe, nutritious, and sustainable food supply for our state,” said Jamie Raley, Farm Bureau President. “To suggest that abstaining from meat is a necessary step to prevent animal cruelty ignores the reality of modern animal husbandry. 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.”
Harris (R-1st Dist.) said this was another example of Moore’s disdain for Maryland’s farmers, calling him “Governor IDGAF.”
“Maryland farmers and watermen have been under siege from the Moore Administration since his first day in office,” Harris said. “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.”
“Perhaps the governor needs a reminder of what industries are represented on the State Seal, unless he plans on changing that too.”
About The Author
