Ag Newsletter

Western Maryland Agronomy Meeting

The Western Maryland Agronomy meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 7th, at the Pleasant Valley Community Center at 975 Joni Miller Road, Oakland, MD 21550, starting at 9 am. Freedom Ag & Energy and the University of Maryland Extension are sponsoring the meeting. Participants will earn credits for private applicator pesticide licenses and Nutrient Applicator Vouchers. The meeting will be free of charge, and lunch will be provided. To register for the meeting, contact the UME Garrett office at 301-334-6960 or Freedom Ag & Energy, Oakland at 301-334-3121. Please register by Friday, March 3, 2023.

Beginner Farmer Workshop

This spring, a workshop series will be held for individuals who want to learn more about basic farming practices. Topics will include soil and crop fertility, pest management, production practices, equipment, farm resources, and economics. The focus will be on small farms with crop production. The workshops will begin on Thursday, March 16th, and run for six weeks. The sessions will be held at the University of Maryland Extension Office from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The cost for the program will be $20.00. To register or for more information, contact Willie Lantz at 301-334-6960.

Branching Out-New Issue Available

The Winter issue is available here: go.umd.edu/3YtnzDj

Download your PDF copy from the website: Branching Out Vol. 31 no. 1

Branching Out, Maryland's Forest Stewardship Education newsletter, is published four times per year by the University of Maryland Extension. Branching Out provides educational information, current news, and events and is intended to reach anyone interested in forest stewardship, including landowners and natural resource professionals.

Drinking Well Water Educational Programming for MD Farms

The University of Maryland will be conducting drinking well water educational programming for Maryland farms in 2023. We request your input by completing a short survey to provide Extension Educators with more information about drinking water wells on farms in Maryland and to develop educational programming to assist farmers in ensuring safe, good-quality drinking water. In addition, the project will be providing reduced cost (a $720 value for only $25) of well water testing for up to 75 farms that have wells of varied types and are located in varied regions of the state. We appreciate your time and feedback by completing this survey: https://go.umd.edu/farmwellsurvey. Your personally identifiable information is strictly confidential. If you have additional questions, contact Jeff Semler, UME Washington County Extension Agent, by email at jsemler@umd.edu or call 301-791-1304.

Scholarship Opportunity

The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF) is now accepting applications for the 2023 Academic and Seibel Scholarships. The recipients of the MAEF Academic Scholarship will receive $1,500 in support of their academic achievements and pursuit of a career in agricultural or Extension education. MAEF Academic Scholarships are open to rising junior or senior undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in majors leading to careers in agricultural education or Extension education. Qualified candidates should complete and submit their online application by April 1, 2023. Both award announcements will be made by May 1, 2023. Application information, the online application, and the full announcements are posted on MAEF’s website at http://maefonline.com/home/student-center/scholarships/.

Garrett Soil Conservation District

Individuals who would like to receive a copy of the Garrett Soil Conservation Newsletter are requested to send their email address to the Garrett Soil Conservation District office at jeannie.frazee@maryland.gov or call 301-501-5886.
Garrett Soil Conservation District has a new website. Please visit it at www.garrettscd.org for all the latest information about the District. Also please follow their website on Facebook under Garrett Soil Conservation District for up-to-the-moment notifications.
Applications for the Maryland Department of Agriculture Conservation Buffer Initiative close on March 10 for the 2023 season. This year, qualifying farmers who plant forest buffers will receive a one-time $1000 per acre signing bonus on top of an incentive payment. Please visit www.garrettscd.org/bufferinitiative.

Annual Implementation Report (AIR) Due March 1

The deadline to submit your Annual Implementation Report (AIR) is March 1, 2023. The report outlines nutrient applications made in 2022. Paper reporting forms will be mailed to regulated farmers in January and posted on the website. Pressed for time? File your report electronically. Last year, more than 30% of regulated farmers took advantage of this time-saving reporting option. To e-file your report: go to onestop.md.gov and browse the state agencies for the 2022 AIR reporting form. Follow the instructions to set up your account and complete your report. A mail-in option is still available. Paper reports were mailed to farmers in January. If you should have questions, please call Jill at 301-334-6960.

Submit Your Soil and Manure Samples

As a reminder to our farmers, start taking soil samples for your 2023 nutrient management plan. Feel free to contact Jill Hauser, Nutrient Management Advisor, at 301-334-6960 or email jhauser1@umd.edu to find out if you need new samples for your 2023 plan. Soil tests are good for three years. No manure sample is required if you apply manure and have under 20 animal units (20,000 lbs.) A book value for the manure analysis will be used in such cases.