AGLINE Newsletter—Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties Volume 5, Issue 8 RCRA and CAA P.1 Poultry Growers Meeting P.1 Organic Vegetable Twilight Tour P.1 August 2015 Recent Legal Developments Under RCRA Animal Agriculture and the Clean Air Act 2015 has seen interesting development in legal issues related to livestock production. In January 2015, a federal district judge ruled that manure (stored or applied to a field) could become a solid waste under federal environmental laws. At the same time, a consortium of environmental and animal welfare groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA for failure to act on their petition to regulate ammonia gas releases from animal feeding operations. The law as it relates to these operations is currently in a state of flux. Calendar P.2 General Forestry Course P.3 UMES Small Farm Bus Tour P.3 New Online Pesticide Website P.3 On Farm Poultry Freezer Tech. P.3 Estate Planning Workshop P.3 Precision Ag Field Day P.4 Aronia Twilight Tour P.4 Food Preservation Class P.4 On August 6th at noon (EST), Dr. Shannon Ferrell, Oklahoma associate professor of agricultural economics, Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University, will discuss the implications of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Clean Air Act (CAA) on animal agriculture, recent litigation, and other legal issues. This webinar is open to livestock producers, Extension educators, agricultural service professionals, and anyone else interested in learning more about the potential impacts of RCRA and the CAA on livestock operations. The webinar is free to attend. Signup is available at: https://livestockrcrawebinar.eventbrite.com. New Publications P.4 The webinar is sponsored by the University of Maryland's Agriculture Law Education Initia- Interim Nutrient Management Advisor, Cecil & Kent Counties P.5 Women In Ag Webinar P.5 Pesticide Container Recycling P.5 Ag Progress Days Bus Trip P.6 Keeping Disease Off The Farm P.7 Ag Risk/Price Loss Coverage Safety-Net Programs P.8 QUEEN ANNE’S CO. FAIR AUGUST 10-15, 2015 Queen Anne’s County 4-H Park Centreville, MD 21617 Call: 410-758-0166 or visit http://queenannesco fair.com/ PESTICIDE CONTAINER RECYLING August 14, 2015 Nicholson Transfer Facility Kent County Chestertown, MD 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. tive, University of Maryland Extension Poultry, DAIReXNT, the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center, Texas AgriLife Extension, and the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center. Poultry Growers Meeting Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tilghman Terrace, 104 Tilghman Avenue, Centreville, MD 21617 State Agriculture Department Prohibits Poultry Exhibits at Fairs & Shows; Poultry Entering State Must be Tested or Certified Healthy ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 23, 2015) – To do everything possible to mitigate the risk of High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI) from infecting Maryland poultry flocks, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will prohibit This event will cover a host of legal issues that poultry exhibitions at all fairs and shows after impact commercial Poultry operations. A light Aug. 25. August 27 - Centreville, MD August 28 - Princess Anne, MD Topic: 'Securing Your Farm' by Ag Law lunch will be provided. Contact: Jon Moyle at 410-742-1178 or jmoyle@umd.edu If you need special assistance, please register two weeks before the event to request same. See more at: http://www.extension.umd.edu/ news/events/thu-2015-08-27-1100-poultry- MDA has also issued a quarantine order requiring all hatching eggs and poultry entering from out of state to be tested within 10 days or come from certified clean sources. This quarantine order will remain in effect until at least June 30, 2016. See www.mda.maryland.gov/AvianFlu Organic Vegetable Twilight Tour When: August 13, 2015. Dinner served from 5-6pm Wagon tours start at 6pm What: Tours of University of Maryland organic research plots The effect of cover crops on soil microorganisms Pest control in cantaloupe Food safety in organic systems Companion plantings for increased biocontrol Speakers include organic growers and University of Maryland researchers Where: Upper Marlboro Research and Education Center 2005 Largo Rd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 Who: All organic vegetable growers or those interested in organic vegetable production VOLUME 5, ISSUE PAGE 8 AUGUST 2015: CALENDAR 04 - Timely Ag Issues, 7:30 a.m., Tilghman Terrace, Centreville, MD. $2/person: coffee, donuts, etc. 04 - Kent County Farm Bureau Picnic, 6:00 p.m., Crow Farm Kennedyville, MD.. Meat and drinks provided. Bring a dish to share. Contact Kara: 410-778-4763. 05 - MidAtlantic Precision Ag Equipment Field Day, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Somerset County Civic Center, Princess Anne, MD. Contact Jarrod Miller, jarrod@umd.edu, 410-751-1350. 05 - 08: Caroline/Dorchester County Fair, Caroline Co. 4-H Park, Denton, MD. Call 410-410-479-4030. 06 - RCRA and the Clean Air Act webinar about implications of the resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Clean Air Act (CAA) on livestock operations. Sign up at: https://livestockrcrawebinar.eventbrite.com 07 - Nutrient Management Exam, Annapolis, MD. Call 1-800-492-5590. Ask for Nutrient Management. 10 - to 15...QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY FAIR! Call 410758-0166. Visit: http://queenannescofair.com/ 12 - Women In Ag offers free webinar on “ Calendars.” Register: www.wiawebinars.eventbrite.com 14 - Pesticide Container Recycling, 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., Nicholson Transfer Site, Chestertown, MD Call 410778-1661 for more info. (See details p.5) 18 - Timely Ag Issues, 7:30 a.m., Tilghman Terrace, Centreville, MD. $2/person: coffee, donuts, etc. 20 - Aronia Twilight Tour, Wye Research & Ed Center, Queenstown, MD, 5:00 p.m. To register, contact Debby Dant, 410-827-8056, X115 or ddant@umd.edu by 8/17. 26 - Estate Planning Workshop, 9:00 a.m. to Noon, UME, Wicomico County. Contact Jarrod Miller: 410-751-1350. 27 - Poultry Growers Meeting, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Tilghman Terrace, 104 Tilghman Ave., Centreville, MD. 27 - Farmer Meeting “Securing Your Farm”. Legal Extension Specialist, Tilghman Terrace meeting room, Centreville, MD 21617. Call 410-758-0166. 28 - Poultry Growers Meeting, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Somerset Extension Office. Contact Jon Moyle, 410742-1178 or jmoyle@umd.edu 28 - September 7...Maryland State Fair! 2 SEPTEMBER 2015: 01 - Timely Ag Issues, 7:30 a.m., Tilghman Terrace, Centreville, MD. $2/person: coffee, donuts, etc. 01 - Dec. 15: UME General Forestry Course. Register at http://extension.umd.edu/forestry-course Call 410827-8056 x-107, nstewar1@umd.edu. 15 - Timely Ag Issues, 7:30 a.m., Tilghman Terrace, Centreville, MD. $2/person: coffee, donuts, etc. 29 - Timely Ag Issues, 7:30 a.m., Tilghman Terrace, Centreville, MD. $2/person: coffee, donuts, etc. 30 - Poultry Grower’s Disease Control Workshop: Keeping Disease Off of the Poultry Farm. 10 a.m. Noon, Pocomoke City, MD; 2-4 p.m. - Bridgeville, DE; 68 p.m. - Ruthsburg Community Club, Queen Anne, MD. Call your local Extension Office for details. PRECISION AG EQUIPMENT DAY SAVE THE DATE! AUGUST 5, 2015 Somerset County Civic Center 11828 Crisfield Lane Princess Anne, MD 21853 Learn about current issues in data manage- UME GENERAL FORESTRY COURSE Sept. 1- Dec. 15, 2015 Registration opens July 1! Paper and online version offered. Register: http://extension.umd.edu/forestry-course Call 410-827-8056 x-107; nstewar1@umd.edu KENT COUNTY FARM BUREAU PICNIC! Tuesday, August 4, 2015 6:00 p.m. Crow Farm, Vineyard and Winery 12441 Vansant Corner Rd, Kennedyville, MD 21645 Please bring a dish to share. Meat will be provided. Kent County Farm Bureau Scholarships will be presented that evening to our very deserving recipients. Our gracious hosts will be offering tours of their winery and their products will be available for purchase during the event! Questions or concerns, please call Kara Morris, 410-778-4763. See you on August 4th! VOLUME 5, ISSUE 8 PAGE 3 General Forestry Course WHAT A DEAL! The General Forestry Course is offering a DISCOUNT! For the month of July the course cost only $275. That’s a $25 savings The University of Maryland Extension will offer the General Forestry Course for the Fall 2015 semester. Both the PAPER AND ONLINE version will be offered. The course begins September 1 and runs until December 15, 2015. Registration opened July 1. To register, go to our website at http://extension.umd.edu/forestry-course. As there are no formal classes, you work from the comfort of your home using your own woodlot, a friend's or a public forest. You will learn how to protect your trees from insects, diseases and fire; step-by-step procedures will walk you through a forest inventory and stand analysis; and the details of the forestry business are presented, including tax nuances and the sale and harvest of forest products. Ultimately, the course exercises help you develop the framework for a management plan for your forest. The cost for this forestry course is normally $300; however, we are offering the course at a $25 discount during the month of July so it only cost $275 through July 31. The cost goes up to $300 during the month of August. Late registration (September 2-14) is $400. Included in the cost are copies of the supplemental readings (A Sand County Almanac, The Woodland Steward, American Forests: A History of Resiliency and Recovery, and a small pamphlet entitled What Tree Is That?). The paper version text and appendices are in binder form. Online users receive a flash drive of the paper version of the text and appendices. A certificate of completion is awarded when all assignments are completed. But don't take our word for it. See it for yourself on our website at http://extension.umd.edu/forestry-course. There you can read a lesson from the text, view an interactive exercise, read through detailed course information and FAQs. For more information, contact Nancy Stewart at the University of Maryland Extension, Wye Research and Education Center, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD, 21658; phone 410/827-8056, ext. 107; or email nstewar1@umd.edu. REMEMBER, GET THE DISCOUNT DURING JULY. Check for details on our website today and mark the date for open enrollment on your calendar! Contact: Nancy Stewart, 410.827.8056, Ext. 107; nstewar1@umd.edu UMES Small Farms Bus tour August 26 & 27, 2015. University of Maryland Eastern Shore Princess Anne, MD A small farm bus tour offers a variety of educational stops over a two-day period late August/early September. Back by popular demand, the tour will allow participants to “Explore New Farm Income Opportunities,” on Monday, August 31, and Tuesday, September 1. For more information about select tour stops during the “Exploring New Farm Income Opportunities” bus tour or the Small Farm Outreach Initiative, contact rogers at 410-6516070 or 6693. Register at smallfarmbustour.eventbrite.com On Farm Poultry Freezer Technology Available Freezing technology can be an alternative to composting for poultry mortality. Although freezer units have been around for a while, regulatory agencies in Virginia and Delaware recently listed them as a best management practice. The Delaware NRCS also offers cost share through the EQIP program. A February 2015 article in the Delmarva Farmer listed many benefits including a reduction in odor, flies and vultures on the farm. The disadvantages are the upfront cost, which can be $4,800 for each freezer. A fact sheet from the NRCS describes freezers as being 40 cubic feet and able to hold 1,500 lbs. of dead birds. They are designed to operate between 10° and 20°F. Contact your local NRCS office for more information. New Online Pesticide Website Estate Planning Workshop Pesticide Licensing and Certification When: August 26, 2015 Time: 9 a.m. to Noon Where: Wicomico Extension Office As a certified applicator or business, you may have received a postcard/renewal notice in the mail from the MDA. Don’t throw it away! They have updated their website with useful information. The new website will allow you to renew licenses, search for certification, print certificates, and get approval for recertification sessions. Your label or document contains information you need to renew your certification, so keep it in a safe place! https://www.egov.maryland.gov/mda/pesticides Having an up-to-date estate plan is an important part of any farm or business. This workshop series will cover the features of an estate plan, tax considerations and what you need to consider before developing the estate plan. These workshops are sponsored by the Agriculture Law Education Initiative and the Maryland Crop Insurance Education Program. For more information contact: Jarrod Miller - (410)-651-1350 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 8 PAGE FOOD PRESERVATION CLASS The University of Maryland Extension office in Caroline County is offering a hands-on food preservation class on October 3, 2015 at the Caroline County 4-H Park in Denton from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The morning class will focus on water bath techniques and the afternoon class will be Pressure Canning. A Fall harvest lunch will be included. Cost of the class is $30 and includes a copy of USDA approved “So Easy to Preserve” book, along with handouts and materials for a hands-on canning activity. Take home 2 jars of produce at the end of the class! Space is limited so pre-registration is required. Please register by September 25, 2015. Please call 410-479-4030 for a registration form or for more information, contact Dr. Melissa Welsh at drmwelsh@umd.edu. A new issue of Branching Out is now available! The Summer 2015 issue is available through our website below. Branching Out Vol. 23, No. 2 ~ Summer 2015. https://extension.umd.edu/news/newsletters/ summer-2015-0 Branching Out, Maryland's Forest Stewardship Education newsletter, is published four times per year by University of Maryland Extension. Branching Out provides educational information and current news and events, and is intended to reach anyone interested in forest stewardship including landowners and natural resource professionals. You may subscribe to the newsletter at http://extension.umd.edu/woodland/subscribebranching-out . 2015 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations 2015 EB-236 http://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_docs/programs/mdvegetabl es/2015_CommercialVegRecommend_MarylandBook.pdf The Summer 2015 issue of Wild & Woolly has been published to the Maryland Small Ruminant Page. http:// www.sheepandgoat.com/#!currentnews/c1zk7 This is the first newsletter issue to be published to the newly designed web site. There are links to the newsletter on the home page. The newsletter is also available on ISSUU and as a PDF file. http://media.wix.com/ugd/ aded98_a18aa34c14c44f1ea9f5a4dd3eccfb3b.pdf http://issuu.com/mdsheepgoat/docs/summer2015 4 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 8 PAGE 5 Welcome Loretta Mae Collins! Loretta is the Interim Nutrient Management Advisor, Kent & Cecil Counties. She began working in Kent County on Monday, July 20, 2015. Please see her message below: “Hello All! Nutrient Management Advisor for Cecil and Kent counties, Caleb Snyder, has moved on to the Western Shore. While University of Maryland Extension works to find his replacement it is important to maintain coverage and communication for local farmers/operators; therefore, I am happy to be here to serve Kent and Cecil County as Interim Nutrient Management Advisor. I am originally from Silver Spring, MD and have a master degree in Soil and Watershed Science. I am new to the Upper Eastern Shore and very much look forward to familiarizing myself with the area and people. I am here to answer any questions and advise you in the process of tailoring a Nutrient Management Plan to your farming operation. Remember: Maryland requires a nutrient management plan if your gross income from agricultural operations exceeds $2,500 OR you maintain 8,000 or more pounds of livestock. I plan to be in both offices on a weekly basis: Chestertown each Monday; Elkton each Tuesday. Stop by and say hello or call the Extension Office to schedule an appointment. When I am not in the office, please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.” National Association of County Ag Agents RECOGNITION AND AWARDS “Maryland AGNR Educators attended the 100th National Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference last week in Sioux Falls SD. Maryland AGNR Educators had a successful meeting and received numerous awards and made peer reviewed presentations. Herb Reed, President, MACAA” Many UME Educators received recognition in different categories. Congratulations to all of them! In the Upper Shore Cluster (Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties) we say kudos to Jenny Rhodes! Peer Reviewed Posters - Applied Research Assessing Heavy Use Area Protection On Poultry Farms - Jennifer Rhodes, Ag Agent and Jon Moyle, Poultry Specialist MidAtlantic Women In Agriculture will offer a free webinar open to all on Wednesday, August 12 th! There are 365 days in a year but we don’t want to have to work all of them, so having an editorial calendar prepared is important in maintaining content for a 24/7 world while also maintaining our own sanity. There are many other sessions planned from August through December. Register online at: www.wiawebinars.eventbrite.com VOLUME 5, ISSUE 8 PAGE Ag Progress Days Bus Trip to Penn State University Come Join Us Something for everyone— exhibits, shows, machinery, demonstrations, tours, and more! Wednesday, August 19, 2015 Breakfast: Snacks on bus Lunch & Dinner: Food vouchers will be given to use at Ag Progress Cost: $20 per person includes bus, morning and return snacks, Ag Progress food vouchers For more information about Ag Progress Days visit agsci.psu.edu/apd Register online at www.mafc.com/event-registration.php or complete the form and return by August 7, 2015 along with your $20 per person registration fee made payable to MidAtlantic Farm Credit. Mail to: MidAtlantic Farm Credit 379 Deep Shore Road Denton, MD 21629 Seating is Limited! Convenient Departures from Maryland and Delaware! Ag Progress Days Bus Trip Registration Form Bus pick-up location (Check One): ❑ Centre at Salisbury, Salisbury, MD at 5 a.m. Lending support to rural America® 888.339.3334 | mafc.com | ❑ MidAtlantic Farm Credit Office, Dover, DE at 6 a.m. Name: Address: Phone: Email: Number Attending: Name of Guest(s): *Payment must be received prior to trip. For additional guest assistance, please contact Amber Bullock at 888.339.3334. 6 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 8 PAGE Poultry Grower’s Disease Control Workshop: Keeping Disease Off of the Poultry Farm September 30, 2015 Please note: this program was offered in Princess Anne, MD, Georgetown, DE and Harrington, DE on June 11, 2015. You may only receive nutrient management credits for attending this program ONCE. 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon: E l k s L o d g e # 1 6 2 4 , 1944 Worcester Hwy., Pocomoke City, MD 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Bridgeville Fire Hall, 311 Market St., Bridgeville, DE 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Ruthsburg Community Club, 105 Damsontown Rd., Queen Anne, MD Topics Include: Avian Influenza Outbreaks in Commercial Poultry in the U.S. Dr. David Shapiro, Veterinarian, Perdue Farms Practical Biosecurity Best Management Practices for Broiler Growers Dr. Jon Moyle, Extension Specialist, University of Maryland Extension Ms. Jenny Rhodes, Ag Extension Educator, University of Maryland Extension Mr. Bill Brown, Poultry Extension Agent, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Avian Flu Response and Control Plan on Delmarva Dr. Don Ritter, Veterinarian, Mountaire Farms Two DE & MD Nutrient Management Credits Available REGISTRATION DEADLINE is September 25, 2015 Please register online by visiting: http://ag.udel.edu/rec/ When registering, please be sure to choose the location of the workshop you would like to attend. For more information, please contact Lisa Collins at lcollins@udel.edu or call (302) 856-2585 x702 This event is hosted by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and University of Maryland Extension, in cooperation with Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., Delaware Department of Agriculture and Maryland Department of Agriculture. Cooperative Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Cooperative Extension Office. All reasonable efforts will be used to meet the accessibility requests. Please contact the office two weeks prior to event to request assistance. 7 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 46 University of Maryland Extension, Queen Anne’s County 505 Railroad Avenue Centreville, MD 21617 The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and expression. The University of Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Equal Access Programs. La Universidad de Maryland es una institución con Igualdad de Oportunidades de Empleo y con Igualdad de Acceso a Programas. Contact your local UME Agriculture Educator: Cecil County ~ Doris Behnke at 410-996-5280 or dbehnke@umd.edu Kent County ~ Contact 410-778-1661 Queen Anne’s County ~ Jennifer Rhodes at 410-758-0166 or jrhodes@umd.edu USDA Opens Enrollment Period for Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage Safety-Net Programs USDA News Release: Contact Kent Politsch (202)720-7163 WASHINGTON, June 15, 2015 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that eligible producers may now formally enroll in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2014 and 2015. The enrollment period begins June 17, 2015, and will end Sept. 30, 2015. "The extensive outreach campaign conducted by USDA since the 2014 Farm Bill was enacted, along with extending deadlines, is central to achieving an expected high level of participation,” said Vilsack. “We worked with universities to simplify these complex programs by providing online tools so producers could explore how program election options would affect their operation in different market conditions; these tools were presented to almost 3,000 organizations across the country. The Farm Service Agency also sent more than 5 million educational notices to producers nationwide and participated in over 4,880 educational events with more than 447,000 attendees. I am proud of the many committed USDA employees who worked hard over the last several months to provide producers support to help them make these important decisions.” The new programs, established by the 2014 Farm Bill, trigger financial protections for agricultural producers when market forces cause substantial drops in crop prices or revenues. More than 1.76 million farmers have elected ARC or PLC. Previously, 1.7 million producers had enrolled to receive direct payments (the program replaced with ARC and PLC by the 2014 Farm Bill). This means more farms have elected ARC or PLC than previously enrolled under previously administered programs. Nationwide, 96 percent of soybean farms, 91 percent of corn farms, and 66 percent of wheat farms elected ARC. 99 percent of long grain rice farms, 99 percent of peanut farms, and 94 percent of medium grain rice farms elected PLC. For data about other crops and state-by-state program election results go to www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc. Covered commodities under ARC and PLC include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity. The 2014 Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for the taxpayer. Since enactment, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.