Faculty

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.

You are invited to the AAUFRC Urban Farm Tour Ice Cream Social at the Anne Arundel Extension Office located at 97 Dairy Lane, Gambrills, MD 21054 on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 from 5:00 to 7:30 PM. Ice cream will be served at 5:00 pm followed by a walking farm tour that begins at 6:00 pm.

This year the Anne Arundel County Extension Urban Farming Research Clinic will highlight: hops, wine grapes, apples, peaches, blackberries, sweet corn and flour corn varieties, pumpkins, gourds, high tunnel vegetables and herbs, cut flowers, market gardening, and bee keeping. Ice Cream Served at 5:00 PM Walking Farm Tour begins at 6:00 PM This event is free. However, a reserved meal ticket is required. If you need special assistance to participate, please contact the Anne Arundel County Extension office at 301-226-7470 by July 15th.

This twilight tour will feature watermelons, sweet corn, and tomatoes.

The event is free to attend.

Visit research and demonstration plots and get updates on weed management issues in the region.

Saltwater intrusion represents one of the foremost challenges related to climate change facing farmers in coastal communities in the Mid-Atlantic region. SALT, a two-day conference focused on saltwater intrusion and sea level rise in coastal agroecosystems, will be held June 11 and 12, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, Md., and hopes to address what is happening in academics and on the ground to face it.

SALT stands for “Salinity-Affected Lands in Transition.” The conference will feature expert speakers discussing saltwater intrusion and sea level rise, case studies of areas across the country and hemisphere, environmental justice, coastal farming, ghost forests, adaptation solutions and mitigation strategies.

“The SALT Conference will bring together practitioners, policy-makers, and scientists to discuss issues related to sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion across the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. I am excited to share some of our lessons learned from projects in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia (funded by USDA-NIFA, NFWF, and the NSF) and learn from others who are facing similar challenges across the U.S. and the world,” said Dr. Kate Tully, a University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources researcher investigating saltwater intrusion on the Delmarva Peninsula. “The SALT conference will provide a platform for information sharing, partnership building, and networking. I'm hoping for a great turnout.”

This conference highlights research being conducted by the University of Maryland (UMD) Agroecology Lab, the University of Delaware (UD) and George Washington University (GWU) on the Delmarva Peninsula, which comprises the coastal areas of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. The partners have been researching the extent and economic impact of saltwater intrusion in the region and developing potential mitigation strategies for land affected by saltwater intrusion. The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology has been partnering with researchers from these institutions on outreach and stakeholder engagement for the project.

This research and conference are supported by grants from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation. People can register for the conference online at go.umd.edu/SALT. Registration is open until June 3, 2024.

This conference is complemented by a podcast series called Delmarva’s Invisible Flood. The three-episode series features conversations with the researchers at UMD, UD and GWU who are working on the ground to test and implement mitigation strategies, map saltwater intrusion’s extent, and deduce its impact on society. The podcast series can be found at hughescenter.podbean.com.

“Man or bear?” asks a recent viral meme intended to draw attention to the risks that women face. Coming to the Profs and Pints stage to offer American black bears’ perspective is Dr. Jennifer Mullinax, who has spent more than 25 years trapping, collaring, and tracking black bears and other large animals.

In a talk that promises to be more fun than a pic-a-nic with Yogi and Boo-Boo, Professor Mullinax will discuss her research on black bears from Maryland to Louisiana to Tennessee. She’ll describe how researchers trap black bears and study their movements and behaviors, offering her own accounts of climbing 60ft trees to listen to cubs and of crawling into mother bears’ ground dens.

She’ll dive into the history of black bears populations in the Eastern United States and discuss bear ecology, describing how black bears survive in an ever-urbanizing world. You’ll learn how this once-disappearing charismatic megafauna is now expanding across the Eastern United States.

Professor Mullinax also will discuss bears’ omnivorous habits – with their tastes running from cheeseburgers to American cancer-root – and how they make they it through winter months without eating at all.

Finally, she’ll offer tips for dealing with bears that will increase your odds of walking away safely should you ever encounter one in the woods.
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June 10th, 2024
6:00-8:30 pm
Penn Social
801 E St NW
Washington, DC 20004
(Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)
TICKETS: https://profsandpints.ticketleap.com/blackbear/dates/Jun-10-2024_at_060…

Join the Maryland 4-H Foundation for a day of fellowship and fun!
Golf Tournament to benefit the Maryland 4-H Program.

Join the University of Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources and the AGNR Alumni Network for a night on the farm! 

Held on the Central Maryland Research and Education Center - Clarksville Facility, this casual farm to table event will include a picnic dinner, wagon tour and showcase of the research and education happening at the facility. Connect with faculty, staff, alums and family, enjoy a delicious meal and support AGNR student clubs at the silent auction. 

You will be representing the University of Maryland as we compete against other members of Audubon International. Last year we won International recognition in 2 of the 3 judged categories.  With your help, maybe we can sweep all 3.

We will meet on Saturday, May 4th at 6:30 am at the UMD golf course located at: 3800 Golf Course Road, College Park, MD, 20742.

Once you arrive you will be assigned a group and a starting location. We will give everyone a brief review of the process then send you on your way. Please be on time as we need to be off the course by 9:30 am. Dress in comfortable attire and be prepared to walk.

Our goal is to count as many different living species of plants, insects and animals as possible, in the time allowed.  To do this you will be using the iNaturalist App. It's as simple as taking a photo. If you are not familiar with the App we recommend you download it and check it out in advance.  You can also use the Merlin App to identify birds by their song.