An insect festival hosted by the Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center in Solomons, Maryland. The event will feature many organizations including the UMD Insect Zoo, UME HGIC Faculty Specialist Madeline Potter with the nocturnal insects, and the Calvert County UME Master Gardeners with the garden friends & foes. Join us for a day of buggy fun as we explore and get creative with the world of insects. Enjoy activities for all ages, meet community groups who love bugs, and have fun roaming the garden, galleries, and indoor classrooms as you explore and have fun with insects! Celebrate these invertebrates and all the wonderful wildlife that depends on them.

Flowers can be picked, pickled, baked, and candied.  Learn the uses of flowers in contemporary and historic culinary practices.  

Join us online to learn how to cook healthy summer dishes bursting with flavor using herbs and spices while keeping food safety in mind!

Join us for a deep dive into summer health and nutrition, focusing on seasonal foods. It's Nutrition Plus!

This one-day event convenes digital inclusion leaders, practitioners, and advocates from across the state to discuss critical issues, share best practices, and collaborate on solutions for bridging the digital divide in Maryland. This year's event will offer a dynamic lineup of speakers and panel discussions, with ample networking opportunities. A special Maryland Digital Equity Awards Ceremony will also be held to recognize individuals and organizations leading the charge for digital equity in Maryland.

The first inaugural conference of its kind, the 2024 Cultivating Innovation in Maryland's Agriculture and Technology Conference has been designed to empower farmers and other agriculture industry stakeholders by providing in-depth knowledge of the latest and most promising technologies transforming the agricultural sector. By embracing cutting-edge agriculture technologies, farmers can significantly boost yields, enhance efficiency, and ultimately achieve greater profitability.

Cultivating Next-Gen Agritech Innovation with a Wide Selection of Conference Topics

The conference agenda boasts a diverse range of topics, including:

- Introduction to Technology: Gain a foundational understanding of the role technology is playing in modern agriculture practices when it comes to streamlining operations and improving productivity
-Uses and Applicability: Learn about the practical applications of technology across various farming and agriculture sectors.
-Data Management & Analytics: Discover best practices and explore the ways data is being used to improve crop yields and efficiency for a more sustainable and profitable future.
-Resource Management: Learn how drones, GIS, water management, precision farming, yield monitors, and other tech are being used successfully.
-Current Implementations: Hear first-hand experiences from early adopters who are already utilizing these hardware and software technologies in their fields.
-Future Outlook: Get a glimpse into the exciting future of agriculture technology, with insights into upcoming innovations and advancements expected in the next 3-5 years.

This conference is ideal for farmers from all sectors of agriculture, agriculture-related companies, University of Maryland Extension faculty, and USDA and other government agency workers.

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow farmers, industry professionals, and experts in the field. Together, let's cultivate innovation and drive Maryland's agriculture sector toward a more technologically advanced and prosperous future.

Mark your calendar and start planning your garden now! Winners receive prizes and bragging rights! This event will include:

Taste testing different tomato varieties
Demonstrations and interactive displays
Celebration of tomatoes!

Categories judged:

Largest (size and weight)
Ugliest (misshapen)
Best tasting
Cherry (10)

FREE to participate.

If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact the University of Maryland Extension at 301-334-6960 by Aug. 1, 2024.

Master Gardener volunteers will hold a table in the lobby of the Easton branch of the Talbot County Free Library to help answer garden/landscape-related questions; volunteers will also have give-aways, publications, and other resources to help you get growing this fall.

You can find us from 4-6pm on Thursdays, September 12th and October 10th. Feel free to bring in plant or insect samples!