For Garrett Deltuva, returning to his family’s farm in northern Carroll County is usually a celebration. This year, it feels different. Garrett is home for the holidays, but he knows that the next time he returns, it may look incredibly different.

Just below the Mason-Dixon line sits Full Moon Farm, where Garrett’s father, Scott, and his wife Kim raise direct-to-consumer beef and breed Boer goats for local 4-H kids. It is a staple of the community, but the peace of Full Moon Farm has been shattered by the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP).

The project proposes a 70-mile transmission line slated to cut directly through the Deltuvas' property. Ironically, and frustratingly, the line would run less than a mile from an existing transmission corridor. It is a shortsighted plan that prioritizes energy convenience over the livelihoods of hardworking farmers, leaving hundreds of families like the Deltuvas facing the looming threat of eminent domain.

Fortunately, they are not fighting alone. The Maryland Farm Bureau has pledged $50,000 to fight the MPRP in court, a move recently bolstered by the Public Service Commission affirming the Bureau’s right to intervene. Yet, despite the support from the Farm Bureau and grassroots groups like Stop MPRP Inc., the Deltuvas are stuck in a David versus Goliath battle.

The stakes are higher than just land value; it is about food security and livelihoods.

“We’re a small farm, but we provide a lot of great meat to local people,“ says Scott. “We currently feed 32 local families. If the power lines come through here, we’ll have to scale back our operation, which will take food off their plates.”