Farm News
S
St. Mary’s County
P.O. Box 663
26737 Radio Station Way E2
Leonardtown, Maryland 20650
TEL 301-475-4484 • FAX 301-475-4483
pring 2016
well with tight labor markets and increasing input
costs.
Beating the Odds
I always found the saying “beating the odds” unusual.
The word “odd” appears to have originated in the
sixteenth century to represent the chance or
probability of success given a certain set of
circumstances. It is often used in betting or statistics to
numerically describe the probability of a certain event.
William Shakespeare used the term “odd” in a
wagering sense in his 1597 work Henry IV, and the
term was pluralized to “odds” in the 19 century.
“Beating the odds” or “winning against all odds” means
succeeding or winning when the probability is not in
your favor.
I looked up some commonly quoted odds. The odds of
being struck by lightning in any given year in the U.S. is
1 in 700,000. The odds of finding a pearl in a wild
oyster is 1 in 12,000. The odds of being born with 11
fingers or toes is 1 in 500. The odds of being audited by
the IRS is 1 in 175.
During the winter meetings this year, many farmers
have expressed frustration over the decline in
commodity prices. Certainly the odds of making a
profit will be much lower this year than during the
height of the market three or four years ago. Corn,
soybeans and wheat are all trading in sideways
markets that are floating around the cost of
production. Other growers are facing challenges as
The good news- you can change your individual odds.
Standing in a field under a tall tree in a thunderstorm
will certainly increase your odds of being struck by
lightning. As a farmer, there are many things you can
control to increase your chances of beating the odds.
Careful management of both production and
marketing practices can help to maximize efficiency
and net income. In commodity crops, it will be
important to once again carefully scrutinize each input
to make sure it is paying its own way. Other methods
include looking at ways to maximize revenue by
increasing prices received through different marketing
channels, using value-added processing, or promoting
alternative uses. In a free-market system, those
producers who are able to manage risks while
maximizing profit stand the best chance of remaining
in business.
Farmers are used to living with odds. Each morning is
met with the odds of rain that day, chance of a new
weed showing up, or probability of market changes.
The list is long. That is why I think one of the most
important traits to “beating the odds” is a positive and
optimistic attitude. It is hard to lead and complain at
the same time. Keeping a long-term outlook and
having a positive frame of mind will go a long way to
keep the odds in your favor.
Wishing you a productive and positive spring season,
Ben Beale
Annie’s Project for Southern Maryland offers
four winter workshops from 6:00pm-9:00pm
Annie’s Project for Southern Maryland is offering a
series of four winter workshops to begin in late
February. These workshops will incorporate the values
of Annie’s Project and focus them into four, stand
alone, one night sessions. These “Annie's Project
Suppers” aim to provide educational opportunities
with a more flexible schedule. Register for one or all.
February 24, March 2, March 9 and March 16 (Snow
day: March 23)
Annie’s Project for Southern Maryland offers four
winter workshops from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
March 3, 2016
Private Pesticide Recertification
St. Mary’s Agriculture Services Center
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Annie’s Project focuses on the many aspects of farm
management and is designed to empower women in
overall farm decision making and to build local
networks throughout the state. The target audience is
women with a passion for business, agriculture and
involvement in the farm operation.
March 8, 2016
Southern Maryland GAP Training
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
St. Mary’s Agriculture Services Center
This year’s workshop topics include: Opportunities to
Increase Your Bottom Line through Value Added;
Farm Insurance, Liability and Agriculture Law Issues;
Funding Opportunities and Grant Writing Strategies,
Sponsored by Colonial Farm Credit; and Selecting your
Enterprise and Writing a Business Plan.
March 8-10, 2016
Cut Flower Short Course
Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, Maryland
March 31, 2016
Southern Maryland Farm Bureau
2016 Young & Beginning Farmer
Leadership Conference, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
CMS Prince Frederick Campus
Workshops will be held on the following Wednesdays:
February 24, March 2, March 9 and March 16 (Snow
day: March 23). Workshops will run from 6:00pm9:00pm. The cost to register is $15.00 per person per
workshop, which includes dinner and all course
materials. For more information:
www.extension.umd.edu/annies-project/classinformation Registration details are available at:
http://southernmd2016anniesproject.eventbrite.com
or call 410-822-1244 or email cjwalter@umes.edu.
Hush, Can you hear it?
The rustling in the grass,
Bringing you the welcome news
Winter's day is past.
Soft, Can you feel it?
The warm caressing breeze,
Telling you the sticky buds
Are bursting on the trees.
Look, Can you see them?
The primrose in the lane,
Now you must believe it –
Spring is here again.
Additional classes are being offered in different
formats and locations around Maryland and Delaware.
http://www.extension.umd.edu/annies-project
Programs are a collaboration of the University of
Maryland Extension, Delaware Cooperative Extension,
Delaware State Extension, Virginia Tech and Rutgers
Cooperative Extension. Programs are open to all, if
you require special assistance to attend the classes
please contact organizers at least one week prior.
Author: May Fenn
CONTACT: Candy Hefel 301-868-1001
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Registration is required to ensure adequate materials
are available.
Each workshop will take place from 8:30 am to 4 pm.
The fee for the program will be $15, and will cover
lunch costs and materials provided to each participant.
Attendees will receive a certificate of participation
following the program.
Private Pesticide Recertification
March 3, 2016
St. Mary’s Agriculture Services Center
A Private Pesticide Recertification class will be held on
March 3, 2016 at the Charlotte Hall Library. The
recertification class will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00
p.m. This will be the last recertification session for the
season, so if your license expired Dec 31, 2015, be sure
to attend.
Workshop Dates and Locations:
February 25, 2016 Upper and Central Eastern Shore
GAP Training.
Wye Research and Education Center, 124 Wye
Narrows Dr.; Queenstown, MD 21658. Workshop site
contact; Nevin Dawson; email: ndawson@umd.edu
Phone: 410 479-4030 Ext (5)
March 2, 2016 Western Maryland GAP Training.
Washington County Extension Office, 7303 Sharpsburg
Pike, Boonsboro, MD 21713. Workshop site contact.
Jeff Semler; email: jsemler@umd.edu
Phone: 301 791-1304
2016 GAP-Food Safety Training Programs for
Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Producers
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and
University of Maryland Extension (UME) will be
conducting a series of regional food safety training
workshops for fruit and vegetable producers. These
one-day workshops, offered across Maryland, are
important for small- and large- scale producers who
want to understand how to meet current FDA Food
Safety Modernization Act Produce Rule requirements
or are considering Good Agricultural Practice (GAP)
certification. The training will provide assistance in
writing and implementing a GAP program for both
wholesale growers and direct marketers.
March 8, 2016 Southern Maryland GAP Training.
St. Mary’s Ag. Services Center. 26737 Radio Station
Way; Leonardtown, MD 20650. Workshop site contact
Ben Beale; email- bbeale@umd.edu
Phone: 301-475-4482.
March 10, 2016 Lower Eastern Shore GAP Training.
Wicomico County Extension Office, 28647 Old
Quantico Rd, Salisbury, MD 21801. Workshop site
contact Ginny Rosenkranz; email: rosnkrnz@umd.edu
Phone: 410 749-6141 ext.106
Topics covered include: highlights of the FDA Food
Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Rule; Good
Agricultural Practices such as addressing pre-harvest
and post-harvest water quality issues; an update on
current food safety research; writing a food safety
plan; and MDA/University of Maryland programs to
assist producers in implementing GAP. A portion of the
training will be spent helping producers write their
own food safety plans. Producers are encouraged to
bring their own personal laptops. Laptops will also be
provided to those who cannot bring them.
March 15, 2016 Central Maryland GAP Training.
Carroll County Extension Office, 700 Agriculture Center
Dr.; Westminster, MD 21157. Workshop site contact
Bryan Butler; email: bbutlers@umd.edu
Phone: 410 386-2760
MDA offers two GAP certification programs for fruit
and vegetable producers. MDA GAP certification is
geared toward direct marketers or other producers
that want to start with a basic food safety program and
is available to Maryland fruit and vegetable producers
at no cost. USDA GAP/GHP and USDA Harmonized
GAP pre-harvest and post-harvest certification is
provided through a cooperative agreement with USDA,
Agricultural Marketing Service and is a nationally
recognized certification that meets the requirements
of many wholesale buyers. USDA specialty crop grant
Registration, Cost and Locations: Participants are
encouraged to register online at:
https://gap16.eventbrite.com or if you have
questions or encounter difficulties registering online,
please contact the organizer for the specific location.
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funding is available for cost share of the USDA audit
fees.
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For more information on these certification programs,
contact Deanna Baldwin with the Maryland
Department of Agriculture at
Deanna.baldwin@maryland.gov or 410-841-5769 or
Justine Beaulieu with the University of Maryland at
jbeauli1@umd.edu or 301-405-7543.
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Cut Flower Short Course
March 8, 9, and 10, 2016
Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, Maryland
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March 8
Spreadsheets for farmers: A beginner’s guide
to basic cut flower farm planning. Laura Beth
Resnick, Butterbee Farm
Know your flowers to maximize yield and
performances. Dr. Chris Wien, Professor
Emeritus and Former Department Chair,
Cornell University
Basics of maintaining a healthy soil for
growing cut flowers. Andrew Ristvey, UMD
Extension
What insects will be stalking your cut flowers
in 2016? Stanton Gill, UMD Extension
Water management in cut flowers. Andrew
Ristvey, UMD Extension
Business considerations for cut flower
growers. Shannon Dill, UMD Extension
Basics of soil preparation and weed control in
using plastics, pre-emergent herbicides and
other methods. Chuck Schuster, UMD
Extension
How to sell at farm markets. Ginger Myers
and Kim Rush, UMD Extension
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March 9
Preparing for success: Marketing and
production tips, avoiding pitfalls, and
business planning. Ben Beale, UMD Extension
Cut flowers for high tunnels: Choose flowers
that give you the most profit. Ginny
Rosenkranz, UMD Extension
Using cultivation tractors for weed control in
cut flowers. Focus on mechanical cultivation
equipment. Richard Uva, Seaberry Farm
Low risk pesticides for insect control in cut
flowers. Brian Kunkel, University of Delaware
Extension, and Stanton Gill, UMD Extension
High tunnels: The pros and cons in a changing
environment. Dr. Chris Wien, Professor
Emeritus and Former Department Chair,
Cornell University
What equipment do you need to get started?
How to handle, use and maintain equipment.
Chuck Schuster, UMD Extension
What type of vehicle works best to transport
flowers to farm markets and wholesale
markets. Richard Uva, Seaberry Farm, and
John Murphy, Murphy John’s Inc.
Demonstration of equipment (tentative)
March 10
Bulb crops for cut flower production. Ko
Klaver, Botanical Trading Company
• Tips for growing and selling dahlias. Bill
Preston, Retired Cut Flower Grower and USDA
Researcher
• Peony production and other interesting
perennials. Ko Klaver, Botanical Trading
Company
• Going the distance: Plant Masters’ best
practices over the last 35 years. How we
made the green while staying lean. Leon and
Carol Carrier, Plant Masters, Inc.
• Woody plants ideal for cut stems. Richard
Uva, Seaberry Farm
• Benefits of belonging to ASCFG. Dr. Chris
Wien, Retired Cornell University
For more information on the program:
301-596-9413 or sklick@umd.edu
For a brochure and/or to pay with check,
go to http://extension.umd.edu/ipm/conferences
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seed treatments if you haven't observed any issues
with scouting. In a good year those additional
treatments may not cost you much, even if they aren't
needed. When margins are tight, they could quickly eat
into your profits.
Searching for Profits with Low Grain Prices
By: Jarrod Miller, Ext. Educator; Lower Shore
At the 2015 Mid Atlantic Crop School, Dr. Bob Nielsen
discussed how to find profits from an agronomic point
of view. Between 2007-2013, land, fertilizer and seed
costs increased along with grain prices. However, while
grain prices have since declined, these input costs have
not. Dr. Nielsen described contribution margins as
what is left after you subtract variable input costs
(fertilizer, seed, pesticides) from what you have sold
after harvest (yield x grain price). These mar­gins are
what's left to pay for fixed costs (land, equipment
labor) and family expenses.
Due to declining grain prices, your contribution
margins have decreased from in the last two years.
Variable costs (fertilizer, etc.) may be easier to adjust
than increasing yield or waiting for a better grain price.
Dr. Nielsen had a few recommendations where costs
could be trimmed. These included delaying P and K
applications this year, as long as soil tests show these
nutrients are well within maintenance levels. This will
also be a good year to improve nitrogen manage­ment,
and to consider using optimum N rates for soil types
and applying N when the crop needs it (side-dress).
Always remember that yield response to N is not linear
(see figure), and you should rely more on optimum
economic N rates, versus achieving your highest yield.
Understanding N loss pathways, whether through
volatilization, denitrification or leaching may be
helpful, depending on your soil type and drainage.
Besides fertilizer costs, careful hybrid selection
and seeding rates could also give you better mar­gins.
Research hybrids to find out if they have performed
well over several soil types and look for resistance to
disease and drought. Also con­sider wisely whether
those transgenic traits are important to your situation.
Do you have the pest problem they target? If not it is
just an additional cost, without additional yield. Dr.
Nielsen also noted, that while a plant population of
2,000 was optimum in Indiana, the trend is flat enough
that similar yields could also be between populations
of 28-32,000. For "challenging soils", Purdue
recommends their producers lower FINAL stands into
the mid-20's. Adjustments like that could be made to
Delmarva soils.
You may also consider limiting the use of
micronutrients, foliar insecticides/fungicides and extra
Sharpen Your Pencil: 2016 Crop Budgets
Released
Cost of production is very important when making
decisions related to your farm enterprise and grain
marketing. Enterprise budgets provide valuable
information regarding individual enterprises on the
farm. This tool enables the farm manager to make
decisions regarding enterprises and plan for the
coming production year. The enterprise budget uses
farm revenue, variable cost, fixed cost and net income
to provide a clear picture of the financial health of
each farm enterprise.
The 2016 Maryland enterprise budgets were
developed using average yields and estimated input
cost based upon producer and farm supplier data. The
figures presented are averages and vary greatly from
one farm to the other. It is therefore crucial to input
actual farm data when completing enterprise budgets
for your farm.
The enterprise budgets can be used as a baseline for
your operation. Make changes to these budgets to
include your production techniques, inputs and overall
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management. These budgets are also available
electronically at
https://extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing/cropbudgets. Use this document to make changes for your
operation and to find a lower cost of production. If you
have problems downloading any of these budgets
contact your local Extension office for copies. You can
also contact Ben Beale bbeale@umd.edu for help in
completing a Southern Maryland budget for your
operation.
In 2015, the market underwent a major redesign and
expansion to make room for twice as many vendors as
hosted in the past and new products such as cut
flowers, fresh oysters, and other delicious offerings
from local farmers, ranchers and food businesses.
USDA also launched a USDA Farmers Market at Night
pilot – the first market of its kind in the District – that
was so successful it will be held regularly in 2016.
The USDA Farmers Market schedule for 2016 includes
the daytime market that will operate on Fridays, 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m., from May 6 through October 28 and the
night market that will operate on Fridays, 4 p.m. to 7
p.m., from June 3 through September 30. Interested
vendors can apply to participate in either or both
markets online at ManageMyMarket.com.
Southern Maryland Farm Bureau
2016 YOUNG & BEGINNING FARMER
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Thursday, March 31, 2016, 8:00am to 3:30pm
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has managed
the USDA Farmers Market for the past 21 years turning
it into a true gathering place for USDA and its
neighbors, including Washington, D.C.-area employees,
residents in Ward 2 and visitors to the National Mall.
The USDA Farmers Market also provides a great
business opportunity for entrepreneurs.
CMS Prince Frederick Campus • Building B, Room 104
• Board member responsibilities
• Parliamentary procedure
• Being effective with legislators
• Opportunities in agriculture
• Financing farm operations
• Business plans & accessing credit
Keynote: "Why Advocate" - Randy Dwyer, AFBF
Grassroots Advocacy
_________________________________
Registration: $15/person
Junior & Senior High School Students free with valid
student ID. Registration fee includes Farm to Table
lunch catered by Dreamweaver Café. Snacks and
refreshments served throughout the day.
The market fulfills its mission of promoting local food
and building community in Ward 2 by creating an
enjoyable and inclusive atmosphere for customers.
Sign language interpreters are on-site each week in the
information tent. Seating and picnic blankets are
available in the adjacent USDA People’s Garden. Live
music and educational classes are offered weekly free
of charge. Dogs are allowed on leash. Shoppers can use
a variety of payment options, including electronic
benefits such as SNAP, WIC and Senior Farmers Market
Nutrition Program (NFMNP) coupons. The market also
distributes DC Produce Plus checks.
Farmers, growers and producers located in the
Chesapeake Bay region (including the states of
Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
and West Virginia) and preferably within a 200-mile
radius of the District of Columbia are encouraged to
apply. USDA is partnering again this year with Union
Kitchen, a local food incubator that provides a lowcost, low-risk, full-service kitchen, and inviting their
members to test Made in DC products at the USDA
Farmers Market.
Application Period Opens for Vendors for
2016 USDA Farmers Market
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting
applications from farmers, growers, and other
producers for its 2016 Farmers Market, which will
open on Friday, May 6, 2016. Applications will be
accepted through March 16.
USDA does not charge a fee to vendors who participate
in the USDA Farmers Market. Instead, vendors are
required to commit to supporting the USDA
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gleaning/food recovery initiative. Thanks to this
program 8,496 pounds of food was donated to DC
Central Kitchen in 2015.
deadline to return the completed signed application is
May 27, 2016. As a reminder, if you have completed an
application in the past it does not automatically carry
over to the next cycle. A NEW APPLICATION MUST BE
SUBMITTED EVERY CYCLE FOR YOUR PROPERTY TO BE
CONSIDERED FOR EASEMENT.
More information, including the 2016 vendor
application form and USDA Farmers Market Guidelines,
is available at www.usda.gov/farmersmarket or by
calling 202-690-1300. Completed applications and all
required documentation are due by midnight Eastern
Time on Wednesday, March 16, 2016.
The ranking of St. Mary's County applications is
expected to be completed by the end of June, after
which applicants will be notified if their application has
proceeded to the state for review. Please note, per the
Md. Code Ann. §2-510(m)- Agriculture Article, your
ranking, asking price, and Foundation offer must
remain confidential until the end of the cycle, as
determined by MALPF.
Contact: Peter Wood, Peter.wood@ams.usda.com,
202-720-6179.
MAPLF requires that participating properties:
• Have a minimum of 50 acres, unless the adjoining
property is already protected
• Have a soil quality of at least 50% class I, II, III soils or
Woodland Groups I and II
• Cannot be within the County’s 10 year Water and
Sewer Plan
• Have remaining development rights
Applications to Sell an Easement to MALPF
Are Now Being Accepted
The Fiscal Year 2017 applications to sell an agricultural
easement to the Maryland Agricultural Land
Preservation Foundation (MALPF) are now being
accepted by St. Mary's County Government. MALPF is
the State funded easement program in which over
11,500 acres of farmland have been preserved in St.
Mary's County alone. In Fiscal Year 2015, eighteen
applications were submitted to St. Mary's County,
which were reviewed, scored, and ranked. MALPF
limited each County to eight submittals for
consideration. Of those eight applications St. Mary's
County received easement offers for all eight
properties, with six being accepted. Those properties
are expected to be enrolled into easement sometime
this spring or summer. MALPF has yet to announce the
total number of applications that a County may submit
for the upcoming cycle.
If you own property that meets the above criteria and
would like to submit an application for easement or
need more information, please call Donna Sasscer at
(240) 309-4021 or by email at
donna.sasscer@stmarysmd.com. You may also seek
additional information about the MALPF program on
their website, mda.maryland.gov/MALPF
Maryland farmers encouraged to consider
crop insurance
Deadline is March 15, 2016
The application to apply is quite extensive, and the
answers on the application could have an effect on the
future use of your property should an easement be
purchased.
ANNAPOLIS, MD (Feb. 26, 2016) – Maryland Secretary
of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder reminds farmers that
the sales closing date to purchase crop insurance for
spring seeded crops and to make changes to policies is
March 15. Spring seeded crops include corn, soybeans,
oats and grain sorghum.
As in the past, the Department of Economic
Development's Agriculture Division will assist
landowners with completing the application as much
as possible, but please contact Donna Sasscer no later
than April 29, 2016 so that there is adequate time to
prepare the application. The St. Mary's County
“I encourage my fellow farmers to meet with a crop
insurance agent before March 15 to ensure that they
have the coverage they need to prepare for those
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things Mother Nature and the markets may have in
store for us in 2016,” said Secretary Bartenfelder.
Nutrient Management Plan Update
Spring 2016
New in 2016 are changes from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency to make crop
insurance better for farmers transitioning to certified
organic production. The Contract Price Addendum
allows farmers transitioning to organic production to
insure certain crops at their contract price rather than
the published USDA Risk Management Agency price
election.
Now is the perfect time to update your Nutrient
Management Plan before you get the next crop in the
ground. Please remember that regulations do not
allow us to write your plan for the 2016 season after
the crop has been fertilized. After the crop has been
fertilized we can only provide recommendations for
the following year. Below is a list of items that will
need to be addressed in order to update your plan:
Risk Management Agency has also expanded organic
price premium elections to 57 crops, up from four in
2011, providing organic producers the option to
protect their 2016 crops closer to the market value.
1. Soil tests must be less than three years old.
- Fields with differing crop or nutrient application
histories, as well as differing soil types should
be sampled separately.
- Please keep in mind that Pastures should be
sampled as well, even if no nutrients are
currently being applied.
- We have plenty of soil sampling supplies here in
the office that you may use.
2. Manure samples, if applicable, must be taken
every year, and analyzed before manure is spread.
- If manure is collected from animals and spread
onto crop or pastureland, samples of that
manure must be analyzed before spreading.
3. Animal units, if applicable, should be documented.
- Type of animal, average weight, confinement
time, and bedding material.
4. Field histories should be updated, showing crops
from previous years.
- Multiple cropping scenarios can be planned for.
A plan can be developed that covers many
different crops that you may want to plant in
each field!
- Manure/Sludge, as well as Legume histories
should be documented.
5. Yield Goals for every crop should be developed
based on prior yield records.
- If you are unsure, or have no realistic yield goals
developed, we can help!
For Maryland grain farmers, the University of Maryland
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has
partnered with the University of Illinois to provide a
web-based tool to help make informed crop insurance
decisions.
The Federal Crop Insurance program continues to be a
reliable safety net to Maryland producers and has
provided $155 million in indemnities over the last
seven years and more than $238 million over the last
13 years.
Producers of 2016 spring planted crops must sign up
for federal crop insurance, or make any changes to
existing polices by March 15. A list of agents can be
found
http://prodwebnlb.rma.usda.gov/apps/AgentLocator/
#/
Maryland Department of Agriculture partners with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management
Agency and the University of Maryland College of
Agriculture and Natural Resources to provide Maryland
farmers with information on federal crop insurance.
Plans should be updated every year, depending on the
type of operation. So if you are ready to have your plan
updated, or if you are unsure, please give me a call at
(301)-475-4480, or email me at nfennell@umd.edu and I
will do my best to meet your needs. I look forward to
hearing from you and wish everyone a wonderful spring
season. –Nicole Fennelly
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On the Lighter Side
Wishing you a good spring and
productive 2016!
“Hearing Aid Test”
Ralph feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she
used to and he thought she might need a hearing
aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called
the family doctor to discuss the problem. The
Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the
husband could perform to give the doctor a better
idea about her hearing loss. "Here's what you do,"
said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from her,
and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if
she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and
so on until you get a response."
Benjamin E. Beale, Extension Educator
UME – St. Mary’s County
Agriculture & Natural Resources
That evening, the wife was in the kitchen cooking
dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself,
"I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens."
Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for
dinner?" No response. So the husband moves closer
to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and
repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Still no
response. Next he moves into the dining room
where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks,
"Honey, what's for dinner?" Again no response.
So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet
away. "Honey, what's for dinner?" Again there is
no response, so he walks right up behind her.
"Honey, what's for dinner?" This time she
responds in sharp, elevated voice, "Ralph, for the
FIFTH TIME, CHICKEN!"
Nicole Fennelly, Nutrient Mgmt. Advisor
UME – St. Mary’s County
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Jennifer Horton, Master Gardener Coordinator,
Program Assistant
UME – St. Mary’s County
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Jamie Fleming, Administrative Asst. II
UME – St. Mary’s County
Melissa Russell, Administrative Asst.
UME – St. Mary’s County
The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any
person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race,
age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability,
religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic
information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.
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