The Patrick family employs several farming techniques that contributed to their selection as 2007 inductees into the Maryland Agriculture Hall of Fame, according to the governor's office. They include:

Crop rotation -- switching the crop planted in the same space between seasons to prevent depletion of the soil.

No-till farming -- planting seeds in a small line dug by a disc in lieu of digging, or tilling, all the soil within the plot.

Grassed waterways -- planting land with grass to stem soil erosion by slowing water runoff and guiding it into a designated outlet.

Critical area planting -- planting vegetation in areas of high erosion.

Cover crops -- planting vegetation to be intentionally killed off and allowed to remain on the soil to mulch it and prevent erosion.

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