Queen Anne's

The delightful hum of lawnmowers is right around the corner. Soon we’ll be tackling all of those outdoor tasks that have been calling our names during the cold winter months. As we transition into warmer days, our 2024 summer “Ask A Master Gardener Plant Clinics” will be traveling around the county to various events and open houses. This is a great opportunity to have Master Gardeners help with all your questions about gardening, from garden pests, to plant problems, to selecting the perfect native plants, and beneficial insects. Master Gardeners will be on hand to give tips and tricks to make your home garden flourish, help troubleshoot tricky growing situations, and offer encouragement on creating the perfect garden for your space. These events are free and open to the public.

Dates/Topics:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 Topic: “Bay-Wise” Gardening
Place: Greenwood Creek Nursery (201 Bennett Point Road Queenstown, MD 21658)
Time: From 10 am to 2 pm

Saturday, June 1, 2024 Topic: “Pollinators”
Place: A Little Farm & Nursery (100 Davidson Drive Stevensville, MD 21666)
Time: From 9 am to noon

Saturday, June 22, 2024 Topic: National Pollinator Week
Place: Lowe’s Bayshore Nursery (703 Love Point Road Stevensville, MD 21666)
Time: From 9 am to noon

For further information please call or make reasonable accommodations to participate in these events email the University of Maryland Extension Queen Anne’s County, Senior Agent Associate for Horticulture and Master Gardener Coordinator, Rachel J. Rhodes, at 410-758-0166 or rjrhodes@umd.edu at least two weeks before the events or see us on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/QueenAnnesCountyMasterGardeners

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

This year’s Poultry Grower Expo will include a tradeshow with 25+ businesses and several educational sessions throughout the day, including generators, generator maintenance, energy savings, solar opportunities, heater repair, and summer readiness.

Queen Anne’s County Master Gardeners are busy getting ready for their 9th Annual Plant Sale slated for Saturday, May 11th at the University of Maryland Extension-Queen Anne’s County Office (505 Railroad Ave, Centreville, MD 21617) from 8:30-11:30, rain or shine. In addition to mingling with a group of passionate and knowledgeable gardeners, you can buy plants, introduce the kids to pollinator-friendly gardening, or ask questions about your landscape. You are welcome to request advice about flowers, fruits, vegetable beds, and plants that can beautify your yard and provide a friendly habitat for wildlife like songbirds, butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds at our ‘Ask A Master Gardener Plant Clinic.’ Master Gardeners are volunteers who are trained by the University of Maryland Extension and will help you select the perfect plant for your garden. Maybe you’ve been longing to have some herbs by the kitchen door, or finding the most delicious variety of heirloom tomatoes, or try a new kind of pepper but don’t know how or where to find the plant (like the fish pepper or shishito pepper). Master Gardeners will be there to assist you on your gardening journey.

For further information please call or reasonable accommodations to participate in this event email the University of Maryland Extension Queen Anne’s County, Senior Agent Associate for Horticulture and Master Gardener Coordinator, Rachel J. Rhodes, at 410-758-0166 or rjrhodes@umd.edu by Friday, April 26, 2024.

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.

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

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 within one week of 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.

The 2024 Agronomy Meeting  will take place at 4:30 pm on February 22, 2024, at the Caroline County 4-H & Youth Park, located at 8230 Detour Rd., Denton, Md. 21629.

This event is free and counts for 2024 private pesticide and nutrient re-certifications.

Register to reserve a spot at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-agronomy-meeting-registration-780369625557?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Dining with Diabetes is a nationally-recognized program designed for adults with type 2 diabetes. It includes a series of 4 weekly, 2 hour sessions and a 3-month reunion to help individuals learn strategies to manage their diabetes. Strategies and concepts taught are menu planning,  carbohydrate counting, portion control, label reading and sampling healthy recipes. 

Enjoy learning diabetes management strategies and tasting recipes that build on the concepts presented each week.

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 Cheryl Bush at cherb@umd.edu or 410-758-0166 x3906 by February 26.

2024 Poultry Grower Expo!

This event will include a tradeshow and educational sessions throughout the day, including generator maintenance, controller training, energy savings, summer readiness, and more.

Enjoy a free lunch and fellowship.

MD and DE Nutrient Management Credits Offered

Biosecurity is essential!  Take all precautions with clothes and footwear.

Please contact with any questions: Jon Moyle, jmoyle@umd.edu, Jenny Rhodes, jrhodes@umd.edu, Maegan Perdue, mperdue@umd.edu, Jennifer Timmons, jtimmons1@umes.edu, Georgie Cartanza, cartanza@udel.edu, and/or Holly Porter at porter@dcachicken.com

Date:  Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Time:  9 AM - 2 PM
Location:  Somerset County Civic Center, Crisfield Lane, Princess Anne, MD 21853
Registration to attend:  https://bit.ly/42vnpyj
For Sponsorship Opportunities:  http://tinyurl.com/2024growerexpo

Hosted by The Delmarva Poultry Team, UME, UMES, UDEL, DCA

The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) will host two one-day, in-person workshops on Feb 26th at Chesapeake College and March 12th in Boonsboro. The Cultivating Knowledge Together: Maryland’s Peer-Powered Land Use workshops will run from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Registration is required to attend. This program is complimentary and made possible through a Northeast Risk Management Education Center grant.

Elizabeth Thilmany, a Faculty Specialist in AREC, and Paul Goeringer, a Senior Faculty Specialist and Extension Specialist in agricultural law, will lead the workshops, covering topics such as leasing land, renewable energy policy implications, estate planning, and zoning, among other topics. Through interactive elements like live polling and case scenario decision-making, participants will actively engage with the material, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the processes and considerations involved in making informed land use decisions.

"These workshops offer a unique opportunity for landowners to connect and engage in peer-driven knowledge sharing, especially relevant in the context of owning farmland in the age of renewable energy development. Participants will leave with a comprehensive understanding of land ownership and valuable connections," said Thilmany.

Complimentary breakfast refreshments, coffee, and lunch will be provided during the workshops. Check-in begins at 9 am, with the workshops running from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. The workshop dates and locations are:

February 26, Chesapeake College, 110 Higher Education Center, 1000 College Cir, Wye Mills, MD 21679, and
March 12, Washington County’s University of Maryland Extension Office, 7303 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro, MD 21713.

For more information or to register, go to https://agrisk.umd.edu/events. For more information, reach out to Elizabeth Thilmany at thilmany@umd.edu.

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2021‐70027‐34693.

This is a free half-day seminar from 8 am to 2 pm. The agenda for the day includes presentations covering key topics such as the direction and future of organic production, insights into organic grain markets, and navigating certification, regulations, and requirements. Additionally, there will be a farmer roundtable discussion featuring panelists representing various aspects of organic farming, including grain, vegetable, animal, and research. Light breakfast refreshments and lunch will be served.

Please join us on National Ag Day for a FREE film screening of this documentary film on soil health and climate change, hosted by UMD Extension and Talbot County in conjunction with the University of Delaware. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion with conservation and farming experts who will discuss the film and answer audience questions.

When: Tuesday, March 19, 2024, from 6pm-8pm

Where: Avalon Theatre (40 E Dover St, Easton, MD 21601)

Register: Register at: https://forms.gle/d9xzaMkTvPqYFudp9

Farmers around the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays are leaders in environmental stewardship. Many of the practices are used to protect
and promote healthy soils while also safeguarding working lands against extremes posed by climate change. This film follows three
family-owned farming operations on the Delmarva Peninsula who all care about and depend on soil.

View the trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J095-ClDT-k