This Month! Young Farmers Social

The next Young Farmers Social will be held on May 27th at 2:30pm at Farmacy Brewing in Reisterstown. RSVP to Santana Mays by May 22nd via email or phone: 443-834-5824.

This Month! The MNLGA Ornamental Horticulture Scholarship will award three $5,000 scholarships for eligible students in ornamental horticulture and landscape programs. Applications for this scholarship are due May 31^st. Visit the MNLGA website, for more information. 

The Sustainable Horticulture Program at CCBC has a great lineup of Summer and Fall classes! The Summer semester starts June 7^th and is 10 weeks long. Two courses are available: HORT 111 Herbaceous Plant Materials on Wednesday evenings and IPM on Fridays. Both classes meet at CCBC Dundalk. Summer semester flier and Fall semester flier . There are scholarships available for some fall classes. Two classes are being offered at the CCBC Catonsville for the 1^st time. The Basic Horticulture Technician Certificate, a fully funded Certificate is available again for Fall 2023. BHTC more information

Email Winny Tan in the CCBC Sustainable Horticulture office: [email protected] with questions or for help with registration. Her office number is 443-840-3787.

American Landscape Institute (ALI) Applications are now being accepted for the ALI Program. ALI is a unique “Earn and Learn” scholarship program for high school graduates to take college horticulture classes at CCBC while working for a landscape or nursery company.  Students work 4 days per week for a landscape or nursery company, and attend classes at CCBC every Friday. Students graduate debt free with a Certificate in Landscape Installation, Maintenance, and Design. High school seniors or graduates can apply via the ALI website. Contact Martha Pindale 410-688-5115 [email protected]

Applications are now open for the 2023-2024 Maryland Farm Bureau Ambassador program, a scholarship and leadership development initiative for Maryland’s Farm Bureau member-families. Winners will receive $1,500 over their tenure as the ambassador, representing Maryland Farm Bureau at such events as the Maryland State Fair and Day-in-Annapolis; reimbursements for public appearances; and an all-expense paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership conference in March. For more information visit the MD FB website.

Tire Recycling Program

The Maryland Dept of the Environment, the Maryland Environmental Service, and the MD Farm Bureau are bringing back the Tire Recycling Program in in 2023. Click here for details on where and when to dispose of unwanted farm tires.

June 19th – June 30th | Monday – Friday

New! Governor Wes Moore Invites Chefs to Submit Recipes for 'Buy Local' Cookout On May 16, Governer Wes Moore invited chefs to feature local Maryland ingredients in original recipe submissions for the annual Governor’s Buy Local Cookout, to be held at the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s headquarters in Annapolis on July 20. The cookout promotes the statewide Buy Local Challenge Week, during which all Marylanders are encouraged to eat at least one local product each day of the week. Read more

Sign-up Period for Maryland's Small Acreage Cover Crop Program Now Open On April 24th, MDA announced that the sign-up period for its Small Acreage Cover Crop Program is open now through May 26. Now in its second year, the program provides grants to help small farms and urban growers plant cover crops on their production areas to build healthy soils, improve crop yields, protect local water quality, improve climate resilience, and provide other environmental benefits. Read more

MD Departments of Agriculture and Health Offer Trainings on Accepting Farmers Market Nutrition Program Checks and eWIC Payments The MDA The Maryland Department of Agriculture is partnering with the Maryland Department of Health to hold a series of free trainings on accepting Farmers Market Nutrition Program/Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks and eWIC benefits. Anyone who sells fruit and vegetables at farmers markets or farmstands is eligible to participate in these federal and state funded programs. Most of the training sessions are held in person and there is one virtual option. Although there is no cap on the number of people who can attend the sessions, registration is encouraged. For any questions on the training sessions, please call Mark Powell at 410-841-5775, or email [email protected]. To register, please email: [email protected] or call (410) 841-5770. Read more

In order to help Baltimore County farmers and landowners meet Maryland's nutrient management requirement, the Baltimore County Soil Conservation District has developed a limited cost-share assistance program. The district will pay 50%, up to a $200 maximum per plan, for the cost of a nutrient management plan written by a private nutrient management consultant. There is a $10,000 cap on this program. The program will end December 31, 2023, or when the $10,000 cap is reached, whichever occurs first. View the cost-share claim application form. View the private plan writer list.

Are you a Maryland farmer or forestland owner improving soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on your working land? You can now apply or nominate for the 2023 Maryland Leopold Conservation Award®. Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Award to farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners in 25 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. Application deadline is August 1, 2023. In Maryland, the award is presented with state partners: Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, and Maryland Farm Bureau Inc.

On March 6th, the MDA expanded its spotted lanternfly quarantine to include the following counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Washington and Wicomico, as well as Baltimore City. This quarantine is effective immediately, and restricts the movement of regulated articles that might contain the spotted lanternfly in any of its life stages, including egg masses, nymphs, and adults. A map of the new quarantine zone is available.

Updated! OHCEAC 2023 Conference

The 2023 OHCEAC's second annual conference Advancement of Sustainable Controlled Environment Crop Production Sciences and Technologies will be held on Wednesday, July 19th. Read the speaker bios.

On March 24th, MARBIDCO announced a grant funding opportunity to encourage Maryland’s agricultural producers to engage in value-added activities and pursue financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Value-Added Producer Grants Program (USDA-VAPG). The USDA-VAPG is a highly competitive nationwide grant program with approximately $31 million available for distribution in 2023. Read more

In the May Edition, you'll find:

To receive the newsletter directly, email Erika Crowl.

Visit the UMD Extension website for past newsletters.

In addition to a brand new Facebook Page, BCFB has just launched its Instagram account! Add BCFB to your regular scroll, and effortlessly keep up to date on all things Farm Bureau!

New Online Training Available to Assist Growers Better Understand Risk Management Tools

This summer, the University of Maryland (UMD) is partnering with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and USDA to create a four-module online training course Maryland Farming Success. This course will allow traditionally underserved and socially disadvantaged audiences to logically develop a plan focused on financial skills, risk management tools, and legal topics regarding their farm operations, and understand additional existing assistance available from USDA, including Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs and Risk Management Agency programs.

Would you like to have your nursery featured on Maryland's Best's website? Maryland’s Best is a program managed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Marketing and Agribusiness Development section. Our mission is to link Maryland farmers with consumers through this Web site, promotions and advertising. Register here to be featured on the website at no cost. Learn more about Maryland's Best.

Sizing and Pricing:

Double sided

18" x 24" $145

3' x 4' $380

Single sided

18" x 24" $105

3' x 4' $320

Double sided

18" x 24" $135

3' x 4' $350

Single sided

18" x 24" $95

3' x 4' $ 290

To claim your $60 rebate, provide proof of purchase to the BCFB via email.

Questions? Please contact BCFB at 410-823-1789 or email

410-620-9180 www.adartsignsinc.com

New Blog! Maryland Risk Management Education Blog

The College of Agriculture & Natural Resources' Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics has a blog that is focused on issues related to agricultural policy, crop insurance, and agricultural law.

The most recent blog from May 16, 2023 titled Webinar Recordings Are Now Available Online Focused on Insurance and Working With an Attorney can be viewed here. Earlier blogs can be accessed here on the college's website.