Extension

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.

Join ROPTA as we identify the factors that cause pain, an overview of the different types of pain, and some strategies for managing pain.

This talk will b egiven twice and two different locations.

Thursday March 14, at 3:30 at the Hurlock Old Library Building (222 S Main St, Hurlock, MD). Free.

Tuesday, March 19, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Dorchester County Historical Society (1003 Greenway Drive, Cambridge, MD). $5 for non members.

Join Master Gardener Volunteer, Janet Mackey, to learn about these ephemeral flowers and their fascinating roles in the ecosystem. Ephemeral flowers are early spring wild flowers in woodlands that emerge early and provide food for unique pollinators. Free and open to the public.

If you require reasonable accommodations, please contact Mikaela Boley at 410-822-1244 or mboley@umd.edu by April 3rd, 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.

Guest speaker Ron Ketter will share the latest update on the Breeding Bird Atlas and the recent research on bird populations in Talbot County.

Free and open to the public; located at the Talbot County Free Library- Easton Branch meeting room.

If you require reasonable accommodations, please contact Mikaela Boley at 410-822-1244 by March 6th, 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.

The University of Maryland and the University of Delaware will host the Hiring and Retaining Farm Employees – What you Need to Know and Do four webinars every Friday in April at noon starting on April 5th and ending on April 26. The free webinars will cover developing an employee handbook for your operation, basic legal requirements, and how to incorporate benefits that agricultural employers deal with. The funding for this program is thanks to the Northeast Risk Management Education Center.

The webinar schedule includes:
April 5: Introduction to the Employer Guide and Workbook - Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Specialist, UD Cooperative Extension;
April 12: Finding the right person, Employee Handbook, Paul Goeringer, Sr. Faculty Specialist and Extension Specialist, UMD
April 19: Overview of health insurance options with case study, Jesse Ketterman, PhD, AFC, Senior Agent, University of Maryland Extension
April 26: Overview retirement savings options with case study, Maria Pippidis, Extension Educator, Financial Wellness, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension;

“This program will be a great opportunity for agricultural employers to get valuable information on their legal responsibilities and options,” said Paul Goeringer. “This information will be useful for any employer, regardless of the size of the operation,” said Goeringer.

For more information or to register for the webinars, go to https://bit.ly/3uwXmdx - and do not hesitate to reach out to Paul Goeringer at lgoering@umd.edu if you have any questions.

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.

Come see the latest varieties we have to showcase. Fresh strawberries will be served at the conclusion of the tour.

Cecil County Master Gardeners will teach the basics and benefits of vermiculture from setup to harvest, that can help even the smallest spaces yield big results.