Agriculture

Event: Equine Grazing School (2 part)
Cost: Earlybird $45.00; Regular $65.00
Registration: https://go.umd.edu/equinegrazing

Enrollment is limited to 30 people to keep the group small and allow for more interaction, networking, and hands-on opportunities. Lunch and morning refreshments will be provided for the in-person portion. Activities will take place both indoors and outdoors, so be sure to plan ahead and dress accordingly.

Part 1
Date: June 19, 2024  | Wednesday
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Online Zoom session (a zoom link will be sent to those who register)
Description: This online session will cover several foundational topics related to pasture management and rotational grazing to help set the stage for part 2.

Part 2
Date: June 22, 2024  |  Saturday
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Baltimore County Extension Office, Center for Maryland Agriculture & Farm Park, 1114 Shawan Road, Suite 2, Cockeysville, MD 21030
Description: Part 2 will include a combination of classroom and hands-on exercises to provide participants with opportunities to work with grazing tools and fencing materials and to implement some of the practices learned. Participants will also have an opportunity to talk with course instructors to begin developing a customized grazing plan for their farm.

If you have questions or need assistance please contact either your local county Extension office or the Western Maryland Research and Education Center at 301-432-2767. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity please contact us at least two weeks prior to the event.

This event is brought to you by University of Maryland Extension, the Maryland-Delaware Forage Council, and the Maryland Horse Industry Board. Thank you to our event partners!

University of Maryland Extension programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity please contact us at least 2 weeks prior to the event.

University of Maryland Extension, in cooperation with Montgomery College, is pleased to announce the 29th Annual Procrastinator's Pesticide and Urban Nutrient Management Conference. The meeting will be in person only.

Topics include exciting happenings in the insect and mite world, turf organic herbicide efficacy trial results, using the pest predictive calendar, disease updates, and equipment calibration. The full agenda will be available in late May.

Yes, this year is a true procrastinator's meeting. And yes, this will still count for Maryland pesticide credits!

Pending credits:

Maryland Pesticide

Maryland Professional Fertilizer Applicator

Maryland Licensed Tree Expert (LTE)

D.C. Pesticide

Virginia Pesticide

International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)

Date: June 24, 2024  |  Monday
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: 14010 Montevideo Road, Poolesville, MD. 20837  |  Cost: Free
Description: Join University of Maryland Extension, NRCS, and Amanda Cather for an educational pasture walk at Plow and Stars Farm in Poolesville, MD (Montgomery county). Plow and Stars Farm raises grass-fed Katahdin lamb and poultry with a focus on diversified grazing and soil health practices. Topics of discussion will include raising grass-fed lamb, practices to build soil health, and parasite management on pasture. Sponsored by University of Maryland Extension and NE SARE
Registration: https://go.umd.edu/pw-june

May 9, 2024 9:30am-2:30pm
Planting green demonstration, Biomass and root sampling activities, Soil pit investigation, Slug scouting and control methods, Single species and mixes, sandy and clayey soils
The field day will include coffee, light breakfast and lunch

Attend this in-person event to receive certification for Good Agricultural Practices from the Maryland Department of Agriculture. All-day attendance is mandatory to earn the certificate.

Agenda:

PSA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) Grower Training
Date: May 18, 2024
Time: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Cost: $35
Location: 10789 Stewart Neck Rd, Princess Anne, MD 21853

This training will cover the Produce Safety Rule and how to reduce sources of microbial contamination in produce production.

Registration Includes:

• • Course Materials (Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Manual v 1.2)
• • Course Certificate from the Produce Safety Alliance upon successful completion of course materials
• • Light breakfast & lunch provided

Who Should Attend?

Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires

‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.’

What to Expect at the PSA Grower Training Course?

The trainers will cover content contained in these eight modules:

• Introduction to Produce Safety
• Role of Maryland Dept. of Agriculture and On-Farm Readiness Reviews
• Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
• Soil Amendments
• Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use
• Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water)
• Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
• How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan

In addition to learning about produce safety best practices, key parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements are outlined within each module. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions. Appropriate time will be made for breaks at the discretion of the instructors.

Participation requirements for in-person attendees include:

• Course attendance and participation will be monitored. Any attendee who does not participate for the duration of the course will not be eligible for certification.
• A hard-copy Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Manual v1.2 will be available to each attendee prior to the course administration.
• Participants are expected to complete and return course evaluations after completing the course.

Funding for this series of work described in this article is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award U2FFD007444 totaling $523,497 with 100 percent funded by FDA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

For More Information: Megan Todd, motodd@law.umaryland.edu

Attend this in-person event to receive certification for Good Agricultural Practices from the Maryland Department of Agriculture. All-day attendance is mandatory to earn the certificate.

Agenda:

Attend this in-person event to receive certification for Good Agricultural Practices from the Maryland Department of Agriculture. All-day attendance is mandatory to earn the certificate.

Agenda:

How do you communicate to your workers, volunteers, and other visitors your policies and procedures that support produce safety? You give them a recipe! They are better known as a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Learn how to write an effective SOP and the best ways to communicate those ideas.

For more information contact Carol Allen, callen12@umd.edu, 240-994-5043

Topics include exciting happenings in the insect and mite world, turf organic herbicide efficacy trial results, using the pest predictive calendar, disease updates, and equipment calibration. The full agenda will be available in late May.

Yes, this year is a true procrastinator's meeting. And yes, this will still count for Maryland pesticide credits!

Date: Fri, Jun 28 at 7:45 AM

Location: Agricultural History Farm Park • 18410 Muncaster Rd, Derwood MD 20855

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/29th-annual-procrastinators-pesticide-and-…