(a) The Young Farmers Advisory Board shall consist of 20 members appointed by the Governor.
(b) Of the 20 members:
(1) 1 shall be from the Department of Agriculture;
(2) 1 shall be from the Department of Economic Competitiveness and Commerce;
(3) 1 shall be from the Forestry Program within the Department of Natural Resources;
(4) 1 shall be an officer of the Maryland FFA Association;
(5) 1 shall be an urban farmer;
(6) 1 shall be from the Maryland Farm Bureau; and
(7) 14 shall be appointed from the general public.
(c) To the extent practicable, the Governor shall attempt to ensure regional diversity among the members of the Advisory Board appointed from the general public.
(d) Each member from the general public shall:
(1) Be interested in the preservation and development of agriculture and preservation of the agricultural way of life in Maryland;
(2) Be under the age of 45 years at the beginning of the member’s term;
(3) Derive at least 50% of the member’s personal income from farming or agricultural activities in the State; and
(4) Be a resident of the State.
(e) (1) Except for the initial terms of the Advisory Board, the term of a member shall be 3 years.
(2) (i) The terms of members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Advisory Board on October 1, 2004.
(ii) The terms of the initial members shall be staggered evenly between 2 years and 3 years as the Advisory Board shall determine at the Board’s first meeting.