Central Maryland Research & Education Center

The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC), University of Maryland Extension, and the Ag Law Education Initiative will host three one-day workshops on Jan. 13th in Mountain Lake Park, Jan. 27th at the Central MD Research and Education Center, and Feb. 11 at the Eastern Shore Hospital Center, in the English Room. The Farm Succession and Estate Planning workshops will be from 10 am to 2:30 pm.

The free program will assist Maryland farm families in starting the estate planning process, including creating a successful succession plan, having difficult conversations, and health insurance options for farmers. A grant funds the program through the Northeast Risk Management Education Center.

The workshop will feature Dr. Jesse Ketterman, Senior Agent, Dr. Alex Chan, Senior Agent, and a Farm Succession Coordinator, and Paul Goeringer, a Principal Faculty Specialist and Extension Specialist in agricultural law.

“Farm families often want to plan for the future but don’t always know where to start,” said Paul Goeringer. “These workshops give Maryland landowners the tools, confidence, and practical guidance they need to begin building a succession plan that protects both their operations and their families for generations to come.”
Lunch is provided with the workshops. Each workshop will begin at 9:45 am with a check-in, and the workshops will run from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. The dates and locations are:

January 13, Garrett County University of Maryland Extension Office, 1916 MD-135, Mountain Lake Park, MD 21550.

January 27, Central Maryland Research and Education Center, 4240 Folly Quarter Road, Bldg 671, Ellicott City, MD 21042, and

February 11, Eastern Shore Hospital Center, English Room, 5262 Woods Rd, Cambridge, MD 21613.

Participants will receive copies of Extension fact sheets and other valuable documents as a part of the workshop series.

You can join us in-person at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center in Clarksville, or online via Zoom!

Join your fellow MGs for a fun night of festive watercolor! Signature Member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society and fellow MG Betty Walke will guide us through creating a beautiful watercolor holly branch.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Stephanie Pully at pully@umd.edu or (301) 226-7616 by December 4, 2025.

Topics include:
Scouting/Field Assessment Technology
Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
Pest Management
Animal Waste Technology
Irrigation & Drainage
Livestock Management

Join us as we celebrate the incredible diversity of insects through fun, hands-on learning for all ages. Whether you are fascinated by bugs or just a little curious, this event is designed to be welcoming and inclusive for everyone. We recognize that people have a wide range of experiences and comfort levels with insects—and that is okay! Our goal is to help you explore your personal connection with these animals and leave with a new appreciation for the vital role they play in our world.

This free, family-friendly event will take place indoors and outdoors at the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center in Columbia, MD. The event will feature the University of Maryland Insect Zoo, insect crafts and hands-on activities, educational displays, and local environmental education groups including the University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener Program, the Community Ecology Institute, and more!

June 10: Health Insurance Management, build up your skills to better understand, manage, resolve, and avoid health cost conflicts.
June 17: MIND Diet, nutrition for better brain health
June 24: Emotional Grief, managing grief and loss through narrative
July 1: Kitchen Eye Spy, learn best practices to save food and maintain your health

Note: One Zoom link will cover all four sessions.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact the educator, Dr. Henley, on or before May 8th, 2025, at shenley@umd.edu

Join us at lunchtime (on your cell phone or computer) as Paul Goeringer discusses current legal issues farmers on Delmarva are facing, including, the Open Fields Doctrine. Paul will also be giving updates on other legal hot topics as well and taking any questions you may have.

The workshop will feature Paul Goeringer, a Principal Faculty Specialist and Extension Specialist in agricultural law. He will address leasing, landowner liability issues, right-to-farm law, fencing laws, livestock liability, and estate planning. The workshops will also involve research related to solar development by Elizabeth Thilmany, a Faculty Specialist in AREC.

Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Central Maryland Research and Education Center, 4240 Folly Quarter Rd, Ellicott City, MD 21042 (Directions: Participants will meet in the new teaching and research building at 4240 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042. After turning from Folly Quarter Road make the first left and continue around the building to park.)
Cost: $30 for the day, paid by September 27, 2024 via check to the Maryland Department of Agriculture, covers materials and a box lunch.
Description: Hands-on activities to enhance any certified farmer or certified nutrient management consultant’s skill set. This year’s session will focus on topics most relevant to diverse agricultural operations. Topics to be covered include: Dr. Amanda Grev: "Pasture and Hay Management,” UMD Ag Nutrient Management Program: “Corn yield checks,” MDA Q&A during lunch, and UMD Ag Nutrient Management Program: “Manure Spreader Calibration.” CEUs: 4 hours of credit toward consultants’ or operators’ continuing education
requirement will be earned from full participation in this event.
Who should attend: Certified nutrient management consultants/operators and any individual interested in learning hands-on aspects of nutrient management are encouraged to attend.
For more information: Email Kayla Griffith at kmgriffi@umd.edu
Register online:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhB5JENEREw3k7e-AypjnyFpI9WKaW5T_EELxuuYbLnXPCbQ/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 (Payment link, agenda, and directions will be sent to registrants)

Schedule

8:15 Leave Chester Park & Ride (Under the west side of the Kent Narrows Bridge)

9:00 Arrive Davidsonville Park & Ride (Davidsonville Road, at Rt. 50/301 Exit 16)

9:30 Leave Davidsonville Park & Ride

9:55 Stop 1: Arrive Greenstreet Gardens (95 minutes) - 391 W Bay Front Road, Lothian 20711. For more information visit https://greenstreetgardens.com/

11:30 Leave Greenstreet Gardens

12:00 Stop 3: Arrive Robin Hill Farm and Vineyards (110 minutes) – 15800 Croom Road, Brandywine 20613

Lunch Location - https://www.robinhillfarmandvineyards.com/

1:50 Leave Robin Hill Farm and Vineyards

2:15 Stop 4: Arrive Montpelier Farms (75 minutes) – 1720 Robert S. Crain Hwy, Upper Marlboro 20774. For more information visit https://www.montpelierfarms.com/

3:30 Leave Montpelier Farms

3:45 Arrive Davidsonville Park & Ride

4:00 Leave Davidsonville Park & Ride

4:30 Arrive Chester Park & Ride

Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RFJKEUMYMWwtncfD7

Notice of Filming and Photography - When you attend this event, you enter an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By attending this event, you consent to such recording media and its release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction.

University 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 a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact Kate Welch at the Talbot County Extension Office at 410-822-1244 by September 19, 2024.