Last week I attended the Scholars Convocation for the first time. It was fun to welcome the Scholars to the event and nice to hear from past students about what the program did for them. I enjoyed learning that Jazz Lewis, the UMD Director of State Government Relations, is a graduate of the program and introduced the keynote speaker, who is also an alum. This week is Faculty and Staff Convocation. This year we don’t have any awardees from AGNR but I’m sure we will again next year.
I continue to meet with departments and have a couple on the agenda this week. The conversations have been very useful to me; I hope the same is true for the faculty and staff who have attended. Each meeting has a few similar topics but also different perspectives, concerns, and ideas. I learn a lot in a short amount of time, and it is rare that I get dedicated time to spend with units, yet so important in order to be the best advocate for the college.
I had a chance to stop at the Baltimore County Extension office last week. The property and ag center were completely unexpected and it was a wonderful surprise to see so much land. From an agriculture programming perspective, there is tremendous benefit of having the office co-located with other agriculture programs and agencies, like Farm Bureau. I also recognize that the location of the office creates challenges of awareness of programs that serve the broader population of an urban county. I appreciate all of the good work coming out of the UME team in Baltimore County and their efforts to take advantage of opportunities while simultaneously scaling barriers.
Following the visit to Baltimore County Extension, I met with a group of farmers and agriculture business leaders. This meeting, too, was quite unexpected both in venue and content. I felt a bit like I was back in San Diego or Los Angeles County, meeting with growers, who are successful by working very hard and creatively adapting to challenges in order to sustain their farming livelihoods in an increasingly urban environment. They succeed by doing something different. The surprise wasn’t their situation but rather their camaraderie and support for each other, their optimism, and their support of AGNR. I have seen the same in California and I think there’s a lesson in this for me and perhaps all of us. Fun fact: until 1950, Los Angeles County was the largest (sales) ag county in the U.S.
Interviews for various positions continue again this week. I think we are winding down on those, and I look forward to welcoming our new members or existing members into new roles. With learning curves come new ideas, fresh enthusiasm, and more opportunity to grow.
I'm also thrilled to share that AGNR Terps have shined at Maryland State Fair this year! Agricultural & Resource Economics freshman Caroline Winterstein was crowned the 64th Maryland Dairy Princess and Animal Science sophomore, Paige Miller, exhibited the Grand Champion Brown Swiss Cow! Congratulations to these amazing students.
I hope to see most of our campus faculty and staff at Thursday’s Welcome Back Bash to show support for our students and reconnect across AGNR following the summer! Let’s all hope for pleasant temperatures and clear skies!