Practical Experiences in Nutrient Management is a workshop conducted by the University of Maryland Extension Agricultural Nutrient Management Program that provides participants with hands-on farming and nutrient management related activities including yield and moisture estimates of grain crops, harvest machinery overview and demonstration, and compost and cover crop application to fields.

9:00-9:30 -     Registration

9:30-12:00 - This session will provide a practical overview of key post-season grain crop management and harvest evaluation activities. Participants will review common grain crop yield estimate procedures, examine a combine and its major components, and observe the machine harvesting a grain crop in the field. The program will also include a comparison of moisture readings taken with a hand test moisture meter and those recorded by the combine yield monitor to highlight accuracy and calibration considerations. In addition, attendees will see post-harvest field operations including compost application, broadcast seeding of a cover crop, and vertical tillage used to incorporate the compost and cover crop seed into the soil. 

12:00-12:30- Lunch

12:30-1:00-   MDA Nutrient Management Update

1:00-3:30-     This session will provide participants with an overview of vegetable production and harvest, and view the vegetable harvesting conveyor.  The program will end with an overview of the production of compost on the farm and the planning process for fall applications.

CEUs: 5.5 hours of credit toward consultants’ or operators’ continuing education requirement will be earned from full participation in this event.

This session will cover the 8 keystone habits of the Bay-Wise Living Landscape Metric, and tell you more about steps involved in getting your landscape certified as Bay-Wise.

Join us for a workshop focusing on pruning fundamentals to enhance yield, fruit quality, and long-term plant health for apples, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, etc. The program will begin at The Mill and conclude with hands-on pruning demonstrations at the University of Maryland, Lower Eastern Shore Research and Extension Center, where participants will practice techniques and receive guided instruction and feedback.

Sessions on: Disease challenges in field crops, Sulfur for grain crops, Phosphorus research, Making sense of efficacy trials, and Right to farm law
MD and DE continuing education credits in nutrient management, private and commercial pesticide applicator and CCA.
Free Event

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. Participants will receive copies of Extension fact sheets and other valuable documents as a part of the workshop series. This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.