2013 Women In Agriculture Conference
is brought to you by:
Recognizing Women for Their Role In Agriculture
February 25—26, 2013
Dover Downs Hotel & Casino
Dover, Delaware
"This material is based upon work supported by USDA/
NIFA under Award Number 2010-49200-06201."
Presented by the University of Maryland Extension
In collaboration with Cooperative Extension Services of:
Delaware State University
“This institution is an equal opportunity provider.”
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
University of Delaware
University of Maryland Extension programs are open to everyone without regard to race, color,
religion, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or disability.
www.extension.umd.edu/womeninag
Program Planning Committee
Shannon Dill, Co-Chair
University of Maryland Extension
Jenny Rhodes, Co-Chair
University of Maryland Extension
Jenny Carleo
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Victoria Corcoran
University of Maryland Extension
Megan Messix
American Farm
Maggie Moor-Orth
Delaware State University
Megan O’Neil
University of Maryland Extension
Holly Porter
Maryland Farm Credit
Jessica Renshaw
University of Maryland Extension
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Door Prizes and Gift Bags Provided by the Following
Sponsors
WELCOME
Greetings and thank you for attending the 12th Annual Women in Agriculture Conference!
American Farmland Trust
Montana Silversmiths
Artisan Trellis (MANTS)
Murray McMurray
Blum’s Farmer’s and Planter’s Almanac
Niche Gardens
Carey Medispa
Sambo’s Tavern
Cobra Head LLC
Schreiner’s Iris Gardens
DE FFA Association
Territorial Seed Company
DE Sussex Farm Service Agency
University of Maryland Extension
Dr. Brigid McCree
Valley Vet Supply
DSU Small Farms Program
DSU Washington Extension Center
WaWa
Gurneys Seed & Nursery Co.
Weller & Associates, LLC
House & Garden
Zanfel
Indiana Berry & Plant Company
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
The objective of this conference is to empower you with the risk management tools to help your
farm business; whether you are happy with where you are now or if you want to grow and/or
diversify your farming operation. This conference offers you a relaxed learning experience with
keynote and general speakers, formal presentations and the opportunity to network with other
farm women like yourself. We hope you will find a significant risk management tool you can use
and take back to add to your farm toolbox.
The planning committee has worked very hard to put together a dynamic program of speakers
and topics. Please choose the sessions that most interest you and we challenge you to step out
of your comfort zone and attend other sessions that may offer you a new opportunity. The topic
areas for the conference this year include financial, marketing and current issues.
We have several featured general session speakers. Our keynote speaker is Julie DeYoung.
Julie is the Perdue Media Spokeswoman and will be talking about Putting the Family Back into
Farming- A Case Study in Reshaping the Image of Modern Agriculture. Joining Julie on this
panel will be Alan Hudson, Lee Richardson, & James Adkins. Yes, Alan Hudson, the farmer that
was sued by the Waterkeeper Alliance. We have all heard of marketing plans, but do you have a
social media plan for your farm? Ginger Myers, Director of the Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center and Extension Marketing Specialist will host a general session regarding having a
Social Media Marketing Plan. Our luncheon speaker will be Laurie DeYoung from 93.1 WPOC.
Laurie is the morning personality and will be speaking on Staying “Sane” as a Working Mom.
Our featured speaker will be Edwin Remsberg, a Freelance Photographer. Edwin will share
Telling your Story through Pictures. He will share tips and tricks for sharing your own story of
agriculture though pictures.
King Crop Insurance
Kitchen Garden Seeds
Maryland Department of Agriculture
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
Maryland Soybean Board
On behalf of the Conference Committee, we thank you again for joining us at this two-day woman
in agriculture, risk management conference. You are the reason this conference has been so
successful over the past eleven-years. Please take every opportunity to engage in learning
opportunities, network with the women in agriculture, visit our sponsor’s exhibits and enjoy our
featured speaker’s presentations.
Sincerely,
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Sponsors
Keynote Speaker
Julie DeYoung
Crow Insurance Agency
Delaware Department of Agriculture
Delmarva Farmer
Farm Service Agency
King Crop Insurance
Julie DeYoung brings more than 25 years of food and agricultural public relations experience to
clients in the food and agriculture industry. With corporate, trade association and public relations
agency experience, Julie has expertise in the full spectrum of communications disciplines: strategic
counsel, issues and crisis management, media and community relations, marketing
communications, employee communication, corporate philanthropy, and media spokesperson.
Prior to moving to Kansas in 2009, Julie was Vice President of Corporate Communications for
Perdue Incorporated, the third-largest poultry company in the U.S. Previously, Julie worked for
ConAgra Foods, Inc., in communications positions within the Refrigerated and Deli Food Groups as
well as Corporate Communications. Earlier, Julie gained a wide range of experience through
positions with the National Turkey Federation, public relations agencies Rhea & Kaiser Marketing
Communications, Fleishman-Hillard Inc., and Bader Rutter & Associates; and a publishing firm,
Johnson Hill Press, where she began her career in 1983.
Julie grew up on a diversified crop and livestock farm in southern Iowa and is a graduate of Iowa
State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture journalism with an
emphasis in animal science and public relations.
Mid Atlantic Farm Credit
Maryland Department of Agriculture - Agriculture Mediation
Maryland Department of Agriculture - Crop Insurance
University of Maryland Extension
USDA Rural Development, Maryland and Delaware
Julie lives and works on 160 acres near Lawrence, Kansas, with her husband, dogs, four cats and
three horses.
Take time to visit sponsors at their table
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We welcome your input and ideas for future events!
These conferences are planned, in a large part, with input from your responses on the evaluations.
Please be sure to fill out workshop evaluations and the conference evaluation form. Thank you!
Featured Speaker
Ginger Myers
Please share your suggestions for future sessions and / or speakers:
Ginger S. Myers is the Director of the Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center and
Extension Marketing Specialist, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Maryland
Extension. Myers brings over 30 years of experience in production agriculture, agri-business and
consulting to these positions. She currently works with rural entrepreneurs and new and beginning
farmers, helps to develop new markets and networking opportunities, and assists with business
development and business planning. She also publishes several newsletters, maintains both a rural
business development and a marketing website, and is a regular contributor to the agricultural
press.
The Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center (MREDC) is a University of Maryland Extension
Community Resource and Economic Development Online Initiative.
MREDC, a one-stop-shop for the 21st century agricultural/natural resource entrepreneur, provides
successful rural business innovation strategies for your farm business plan, and your production and
management techniques. Learn anywhere by using the many distance learning tools delivered on
MREDC in audio, video, or other interactive format that are organized in modules. These unique
modules and tools are designed to help you get information quickly and make informed decisions.
After completion of this form, it can be given to any Conference volunteer.
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Whether your business is large or small, established or just getting launched, if it involves any
aspect of agricultural or natural resource production and marketing, the Maryland Rural Enterprise
Development Center has the tools and information you need to help you succeed. Visit the site
online at www.mredc.umd.edu.
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Luncheon Address
NOTES
Laurie DeYoung
Laurie DeYoung has been the voice of WPOC's morning show since 1985. She often gets asked if
she's always been on a country station and the answer is no. WPOC is the only country station she's
ever hosted a show on. There were several other stations before she landed in Baltimore, in fact
WPOC is her ninth. Her career started in Michigan where she worked at stations in Detroit, Fremont
(home of Gerber Baby Foods) and Grand Rapids. Laurie then took a job at KBST in San Diego
because, "who wouldn't leave Michigan for sunny southern California?" Her final stop to date is WPOC
in Baltimore.
Laurie has been nominated for broadcast awards from many organizations thru-out her career
including R&R, Billboard and the Country Music Association. In 1994 she won the CMA's large market
radio personality award. In 1995 the CMA added major markets to their list and Laurie has been
nominated many times for that as well. In 2010 she was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of
Fame in Nashville.
Laurie is married to Ed, the man she met when she was just 16 and a senior in high school. They have
three children and have also "parented" many dogs since they decided to get married in 1977.
Laurie enjoys speaking at events, schools and churches in the Baltimore area and when asked about
hobbies, lists: baking pies, reading, writing and travel.
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Presenters
Featured Speaker
Edwin Remsberg
Lynn Thornton
Lynn Thornton grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on a small grain and vegetable farm. She has
worked as a loan officer with Farm Credit for over six years. She has a split portfolio working with commercial agriculture accounts in the Eastern Shore of Virginia and residential loans with our Country Mortgages by Farm Credit program.
Lynn is a Hokie, graduating from Virginia Tech in 2005 with degrees in Animal and Poultry Science and
Agricultural and Applied Economics and a minor in Crop Soils and Environmental Sciences. She also
has a Masters in Family Financial Planning from Kansas State University.
She still lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her husband, aging labrador retriever and two horses. In her spare time, Lynn gardens, rides horses and works with her husband remodeling their 100year old farm house (which is almost completed!). Lynn’s husband owns a small business, so she
knows first-hand the issues a start-up business faces.
Wen-fei Uva
Wenfei and her husband, Richard Uva, own Seaberry Farm – a 36-acre specialty fruit and flower farm in
Federalsburg Maryland. Wenfei received her PhD from Cornell University in agricultural economics and
held the position as the extension leader for the Cornell Horticultural Business Management and Marketing Program from 1999-2007. In 2006, Rick and Wenfei decided to travel south with their two young children and relocated to the Dalmarva area to start a farm. Wenfei also worked as the Agricultural Economic Development Specialist with the Mid-Shore Regional Council for Talbot, Caroline and Dorchester
Counties in Maryland in 2008 and 2009. Today, both Wenfei and Rick work full time on the farm. Seaberry Farm grows a large selection of trees and shrubs for woody cut branches as well as a wide variety of
perennial and annual cut flowers. We also specialize in cultivating specialty fruits, including peaches,
plums, figs and beach plum, a native fruit to the U.S. eastern seaboard. Our flowers and fruit are shipped
to wholesale buyers around the Northeast, and our beach plums are primarily sold to wineries and jam
makers around the region. We also retail our products in local farmers markets and provide full-service
floral design for weddings and events.
Ashley Winterstein
Ashley Winterstein and her husband live on his family’s farm in Sudlersville, Maryland with their two
daughters- June (4 years old) and Claire (4 months old). They milk about 130 Holsteins and have a menagerie of about 40 different animals for the petting zoo business, Party Animals. Party Animals offers a
mobile petting zoo and pony rides for birthdays, carnivals, fairs, and any other special events on the Delmarva Peninsula. We bring our barnyard full of goats, sheep, horses, chickens, ducks, bunnies, a donkey, and a miniature pig to any location and set them up in portable pens. Guests can join these animals
in their pens or enjoy their antics from afar. We can also saddle up our miniature horse and offer children
under 50lbs unlimited rides while we are at the events.
Tracy Wootten
Tracy Wootten works for the University of Delaware Extension as an Extension Agent in the area of Horticulture. She has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Plant Science from the University of
Delaware.
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Edwin Remsberg began his career as a photographer at the age of 15, combining his visual talents, interest
in photography, and generations of farming heritage to document Maryland’s agricultural community. These
early experiences laid the groundwork for themes and relationships that remain central to him as a mature
photographer. Remsberg began his career traveling around the state of Maryland as a photographer for the
Baltimore Sun. Today, Remsberg works as a freelance photographer documenting series in collaboration
with organizations such as Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland State Arts Council and Maryland
Life Magazine. He has contributed to Maryland's New Guide to the Old State Line and co-authored Dishing
Up Maryland, 150 Recipes from the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake Bay and Outdoor Sculpture in Baltimore, A Historical Guide to Public Art in the Monumental City. "Maryland Masters: Edwin Remsberg's Portraits of Maryland Traditions" fine arts series is a current traveling exhibit, which is shown annually at the
Creative Alliance of Baltimore. It has been on display at the Science Discovery Center of Frostburg State
University, The Ward Museum in Salisbury, Maryland and continues to travel throughout the state. He is
best known for his images that celebrate Maryland's people, places and culture. Through his passion for
creating iconic images and his fascination with the concept of identity, he aims to provide his Maryland viewers with a true sense of place.
"For me, the photograph is not an end in itself but rather a tool for transmitting information, telling stories
and educating. Photography is a means to bring these incredibly rich and interesting worlds to people who
would not otherwise have such an opportunity. The content and the story is what matters. I am passionate
about Maryland. The idea of sense of place is very important to me, because I have a long history with Maryland. I believe our sense of place comes not only from our geography around us, but from this human geography of who we are and the culture we create. I aim to provide Marylanders with the opportunity to gain
a sense of their local identity, giving them something to appreciate and love. The visual experience offers
individuals the chance to see themselves as unique but also for a larger culture to see itself as unique."
Remsberg is an active member in the community and sits on numerous boards including Friends School of
Baltimore, 1000 Friends of Maryland, LEAD Maryland and the Association for Communication Excellence in
Agriculture, Natural Resources, Life and Human Sciences. He currently lives the life of an agrarian artist on
his sheep farm in Harford County, Maryland with his wife and three children, the eighth generation of his
family to live and farm in this community.
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Presenters
Conference Schedule
Monday, February 25, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
7:30
Registration & Continental Breakfast
7:30
Continental Breakfast
8:30
Introductions
8:30
Workshop Session 4
10:00
Workshop Session 5
9:30
10:15
11:30
12:00
General Session
Keynote Address: Julie DeYoung
Workshop Session 1
General Session
Featured Speaker: Ed Kee
Refreshments and Door Prizes
Luncheon
Safe Trip Home
Luncheon Address: Laurie DeYoung
See you next year!
Workshop Session 2
2:45
Workshop Session 3
6-8pm
12:30
Featured Speaker: Ginger Myers
1:15
4:00
11:30
General Session
General Session
Featured Speaker: Edwin Remsberg
Reception and Harness Racing
Monday Reception Information
The reception in the Diamond Room will begin at 6pm. There will be plenty
to eat and plenty of time to network. A cash bar will be available.
For your convenience, a map of Dover Downs Hotel and Casino is located in the
center of this program.
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Susan Schoenian
Susan Schoenian is the Sheep & Goat Specialist at the University of Maryland’s Western Maryland
Research & Education Center in Keedysville. She has been with University of Maryland Extension since
1988 and previously served as the Regional Farm Management Specialist for Maryland’s nine Eastern
Shore counties and as a county agricultural agent in Wicomico County. Susan earned B.S. and M.S.
degrees in Animal Science from Virginia Tech and Montana State University, respectively. She is the
author and webmaster for several web sites pertaining to small ruminants and uses various social media tools to extend the reach of her extension educational program. Susan raises sheep on her small
farm called The Baalands in Washington County.
Nan Stenzel
Nan Stenzel is the East Region IT Coordinator for University of Maryland Extension. She has a BS
degree in Computer Science as well as a MS in Management Information Systems. She has worked
for University of Maryland Extension since 1999. Prior to that, she was a local computer consultant and
an adjunct faculty member at Chesapeake College, teaching Computer Information Systems and Continuing Education and Workforce Development courses.
Susan Summers
Susan Summers grew up milking Guernsey dairy cattle on a small family farm in Frederick County and
was active in the state’s 4-H program. She began her agriculture communications career as a reporter
at The Frederick News-Post then moved to the Maryland Farm Bureau as communications director. A
few years later she was offered the agriculture editor position back at The Frederick News-Post and
went back to the newspaper business. Fourteen years ago, Susan started her own agriculture communications business, AgriVisions. Today, she has several clients, including Maryland Farm Bureau –
producing their magazine, newsletter, website, social media, marketing, media and public relations;
Maryland Agriculture Council – serving as their executive director and organizing the annual MD Agriculture Dinner, now Taste of Maryland Agriculture; University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and
Natural Resources – producing their magazine; and the Great Frederick Fair – working with their agriculture education programs. She has been active with the Maryland Dairy Princess program, the Agriculture Business Council and in several positions at her church. Susan has been married for 26 years
and has two sons.
Cara Sylvester
Cara Sylvester grew up on a farm outside of Harrington, DE, surrounded by agriculture, and remains a
farm girl at heart. She and her husband, Phillip, currently till about 100 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat
and lima beans on their family farm. Cara holds a BS in Food & Agribusiness Marketing & Management
from the University of Delaware and has been a loan officer with Farm Credit for over five years in the
Denton, MD office. Outside of the office, Cara enjoys photography, eating, dancing with her son, Henry,
and “meeting” people through Twitter. She’s not a fan of cats or talking on the phone (though you’ll rarely see her without a smartphone in her hands). She also volunteers with CommonGround because she
wants to be an example of a farm woman who cares about her land and her legacy. You can find Cara
at http://storyworthtelling.blogspot.com and on twitter @carabecca.
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Presenters
Megan O’Neil
Workshop Sessions
Monday, February 25
Megan O’Neil is a personal financial management educator with the University of Maryland Extension
serving the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. She is Senior Agent who extends her work to rural
economic development and online financial education as well as traditional financial capabilities across
the life span. She has been recognized most recently by her peers with the Dean Don Felker Financial
Management Award in 2009 as an individual winner and again in 2010 as one of a 14 member winning
team, recognized for development of outstanding educational programs in personal financial
management. She received the 2012 Education Award from American Association of Family and
Consumer Sciences, Family Economics and Resource Management Community and in January was
named the national 2013 eXtension.org Fellow. Through this fellowship during the coming year, Megan
is assembling and coordinating a multi-state team to adapt an online Ask an Expert application to help
consumers make informed health insurance choices and to plan for health care costs as Americans
enter the dawn of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Time
Ballroom B
8:30
Welcome:
Lee Richardson is a 2,000 acre grain and poultry farmer from Willards, MD and is President of Wicomico
Farm Bureau. Lee became involved in the Save Farm Families effort through his membership in
Wicomico Young Farmers and has served as an outstanding spokesman and director for the SFF efforts
since its inception.
Talking with
the Media
10:15-11:30
11:30-12:00
Tim is also very active in the Salisbury community. He’s a member and past president of the Rotary Club
of Salisbury, was the chair of the corporate board of directors for the Mid-Delmarva YMCA from 2008 –
2010 and he currently serves on the Wicomico Farm & Home Show board. When he’s not volunteering,
Tim enjoys time at home in Salisbury with his wife June, and playing with his six grandchildren and one
great-grandchild.
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Silver Lake
Urban Agriculture
Why use Social
Media
Grain Marketing
General Session: Ginger Myers, University of Maryland Extension
“Do you have a Social Media Marketing Plan?”
Luncheon Address: Laurie DeYoung, WPOC Morning Personality
“Staying Sane as a Working Mom”
1:15-2:30
Social Media
Tools
Choosing the Best
Crop
Finding your
Place on the
Farm
Ag Leasing & Crop
Insurance
2:45-4:00
Your Credit
Creative Business
Panel
Computer
Technology
Ag Solar Workshop
4:15-5:00
General Session: Edwin Remsberg
“Telling you Story Through Pictures”
6:00-8:00
Reception and Harness Racing: NOTE: This will be in the Diamond Lounge
Tuesday, February 25
Time
Ballroom B
Kent
Chesapeake
Delaware
Silver Lake
8:00
Continental Breakfast
8:30-9:45
Food Safety
GAPs
Tapping into the
Water Cycle
Affordable Care
Act
So you want a
Loan
10:00-11:30
Farm Bill Update
Do you want to
Work Forever?
Estate Planning
Attracting Songbirds
Tim Sargent
Tim Sargent has over 25 years of lending experience, including 21 years at Farm Credit. He works with
a diverse portfolio of poultry, cash grain, nursery and young, beginning and small farmers throughout
Wicomico and Somerset counties.
Delaware
Julie will be joined by a panel including farmers Lee Richardson, Alan Hudson and James Adkins
Ginny Rosenkranz
Ginny has been with the University of Maryland Extension since 1994 as the Commercial Horticulture
Extension Educator for Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset Counties. Her responsibilities include
assisting and educating greenhouse, nursery, landscape contractor, garden center, cut flower and golf
course operations on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). With the IPM as a focus, she has organized
and conducted many programs in the tri county area. She has also conducted IPM research on cut
flowers with an emphasis on edible flowers. She is the Master Gardener Coordinator for the tri-county
area, organizing the yearly Master Gardener Training Program and the monthly tri-county Master
Gardener Advanced Training. Ginny received her B.S. Botany from the University of Maryland College
Park, and her M.S. degree in Horticulture/ Extension Education from University of Maryland Eastern
Shore. Since receiving her graduate degree, she has taught a credited course on ornamental
horticulture at UMES during the spring semester. She also teaches a credited course on insects and
diseases of ornamental plants with an emphasis on IPM during the fall semester for Wor Wic Community
College that is a pre-requisite for the MDA commercial pesticide applicators test.
Chesapeake
Keynote Address: Julie DeYoung, Perdue Farms Media Spokesperson, “Putting the Family Back
into Farming- A Case Study in Reshaping the Image of Modern Agriculture”
12:00-1:15
Lee Richardson
Kent
11:30-12:30
General Session: Ed Kee, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture
“The Changing Times of Agriculture”
A map of the conference facility, including breakout rooms, is located in the center of this program.
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General Session & Workshop Descriptions
Keynote Address- Monday, February 25- 9am-10am
Julie DeYoung, Perdue Media Spokeswoman
Putting the Family Back into Farming- A Case Study in Reshaping the Image of Modern Agriculture- When the Waterkeeper Alliance filed a lawsuit against a Maryland farm family and the poultry
company they grow for, it was framed as an environmental group fighting factory farming. But then
farmers stood up and began telling the story of the real family that was under attack and how the lawsuit could impact farm families everywhere. Showing that the “factory farm” is actually a farm family real people whose livelihood and way of life was at risk - revealed that the lawsuit was in reality an attack by a radical group with an anti-modern agriculture agenda. Joining Julie to share there insights
surrounding this lawsuit will be farmers Lee Richardson, Alan Hudson and James Adkins.
Breakout Session 1- Monday, February 25- 10:15am-11:30am
Grain Marketing Tools- Learn about various cash marketing tools, as well as futures and options and
how to incorporate them into today’s markets in any easy to understand manner.
Why use Social Media- You’ve heard the buzz about social media, but are you still wondering WHY
you should use it? This session is a double-dip into WHY you should use social media from an individual perspective to agvocate and “tell your story”, as well as from a business standpoint for promotion
and customer engagement.
Talking with the Media- Building relationships with media outlets goes a long way in generating positive press and telling our agricultural story. We will discuss how and when to write media advisories
and releases; explore all forms of communication with the press; share ideas on becoming a good story
teller; generate positive press story ideas; and give interview tips. This will be an interactive session so
come ready to participate!
Urban Agriculture and Food Systems- Urban agriculture and food systems developments are springing up across the country. University of Maryland Extension will talk about what’s happening in Maryland and how these changes are having an impact on larger agricultural arena. Presented by Elizabeth
Hill & Christie Bach
Presenters
Brent Marsh
Brent Marsh likes wild animals. But instead of living amongst elephants, lions, and wildebeests, he lives
in Georgetown, where the insects and birds in his garden are just as exciting, though a lot smaller. “You
just have to look,” he says. He became interested in native plants when he noticed that the wilder the
garden became, the more songbirds it attracted. A retired University of Delaware-educated engineer,
Brent recently completed the Master Gardener classes in 2009.
Sudeep Mathew
Sudeep Mathew is an Extension Agriculture Agent at University of Maryland Extension who works with
commercial vegetable growers and high value crop growers in Maryland. He conducts applied research
focused on potatoes, watermelon and aronia. He received his Master’s Degree in Plant Sciences from
North Dakota State University and Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture from University of Allahabad in India.
His extension program includes weed control, physiological disorder management, variety advancement,
GAP, risk management and specialty crop market development.
Teresa McCoy
Teresa McCoy is the Assistant Director, University of Maryland Extension (UME), Evaluation & Assessment. She came to University of Maryland Extension with a long-term commitment to higher education
outreach and Cooperative Extension, having worked in Ohio and Virginia. Teresa works with Maryland
Extension educators to teach them evaluation practices and on applied research projects that demonstrate the outcomes and impacts of UME. Teresa is a member of the UME leadership team with responsibilities in environmental scanning and situational analysis, strategic planning, and organization development.
Teresa earned her B.A. and MPA (Master’s in Public Administration) from Virginia Tech. She is now a
doctoral student in public administration (DPA), concentrating in performance measurement, at the University of Baltimore.
Meredith Melendez
Meredith is the Senior Program Coordinator for Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension of Mercer County. She offers outreach and education to growers focusing primarily on diversified small farms. A major
focus area is on farm food safety outreach for growers statewide, including direct market and wholesale
growers and is involved with several grant funded programs to assess risk and develop effective food
safety education programming. Meredith has conducted research on human pathogens found in vegetable production systems, cut sunflower varieties and cover crop usage in high tunnel systems. She has
a B.S. in Plant Science from Ferrum College and a M.A. in Environmental Conservation Education from
NYU. Prior to working in Mercer County Meredith was the Horticulture Consultant for Rutgers NJAES
Cooperative Extension in Burlington County for four years.
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Presenters
General Session & Workshop Descriptions
Jennifer Layton
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jennifer met William while both were studying at the University
of Maryland, College Park. Married shortly after graduation, they moved all over the country until she
was eventually convinced to settle into life as a co-owner of Lazy Day Farms, an 1800 acre grain
operation in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore.
In 2011, Jennifer gave up her position as a project manager in Salisbury to become ‘Jen’eral manager of
the new family business, Layton’s Chance Winery. In this role, she oversees the daily operations and
focuses on the marketing side of the business. Additionally, she manages human resources for Lazy Day
Farms.
Jennifer is actively involved in the community with a seat on the Board of Directors for the Dorchester
County Chamber of Commerce, is a Committee Chair for the Salisbury, MD Chamber of Commerce
marketing committee, a member of the Governor’s Young Farmer Advisory Council and is on the Career
Advisory Board and Strategic Planning Committee for the Franklin P. Perdue School of business. She is
also a current member of LEAD Maryland Class VII.
William Layton
William graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a business degree that he
immediately put to use with Toyota. After spending eight years living all over the country in different cities
and exploring life off of the farm, he returned to Dorchester County to answer the call of succession on
the family farm.
Upon his return, the family diversified their operation and added grapes to their existing corn, soybeans
and wheat operation. Shortly after this they opened Layton’s Chance Winery where William is now the
winemaker and overseer of the vineyard.
Along with his busy schedule on the farm, William is also active in the community and is President of the
Dorchester County Farm Bureau, Vice Chairman of the Maryland Soybean Board, a LEAD MD Class IV
alumni, and Treasurer of the Chicone Ruritan Club.
Lynn F Little
Extension Educator in Family and Consumer Sciences with University of Maryland Extension,
Washington County office from 1988 to present.
Graduate of Shepherd College with a BA in Secondary and Vocational Home Economics and Hood
College with a Masters of Science in Administration and Supervision.
Areas of educational responsibility include family finance, nutrition, health and well-being, food
preservation, and food safety. As part of her educational outreach into the community Lynn has a
weekly news column in the Lifestyle section of the Herald Mail newspaper.
General Session- Monday, February 25- 11:30am-12pm
Ginger Myers, Director of the Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center and Extension
Marketing Specialist
Do you have a Social Media Marketing Plan? Every business needs a marketing plan for its goods
or services. But today, marketing plans must include the communication tools that social media now
provides. Learn how to use social media as a marketing tool and how to gauge if it’s working in your
business.
Entrepreneurial Coaching Sessions- Entrepreneurs are made, not born. They benefit from having a
sounding board for their ideas and dreams and a trustworthy “reality check” in their business planning
process to help them avoid wasting time and resources throughout the development and launch of
their enterprise.
An Entrepreneurial Coaching session provide meeting with an impartial, one-on-one, trained professional who will listen to your ideas, provide guidance on next steps for your business’s development,
and provide you with valuable business resources that can help you clarify your pathway to business
success. Coaching Sessions will be available throughout the day, please visit the registration table to
sign up.
Luncheon Address- Monday February 25- 12:15pm-1:15pm
Laurie DeYoung, WPOC Morning Personality
Staying “Sane” as a Working Mom- Years ago I head Joan Lunden say that the phrase, "working
mother" was redundant. It's true, if you're a mom, you're already working. I started the "working" phase
of my life at 15 and had my first job in radio when I was 19, at 26 I officially became a working mom,
the rest is history. I've come up with a list of things that have helped me stay just this side of sane
throughout my career. Let's talk about those when we get together!
Breakout Session 2- Monday February 25- 1:15pm-2:30pm
Social Media Tools- Susan Schoenian makes extensive use of the Internet in her Small Ruminant Extension Program. In this session, she will share her experiences using various social media (e.g. blogs,
Facebook, Twitter, Flickr™, and SlideShare) to extend the reach of her program.
Lease Agreements- Do you currently lease farmland in your operation? Does my lease need to be in
writing? What happens when my lease terminates? Can the new tenant start tillage operations before
my lease expires? This program will discuss these issues and other issues that should be considered
when drafting a lease.
Lynn was born and raised in Howard County, Maryland and has lived in Washington County for 42 years
with husband David. Lynn and Dave have 2 daughters, 2 son-in-laws and 4 grandsons.
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Presenters
General Session and Workshop Descriptions
Breakout Session 2- Monday February 25- 1:15pm-2:30pm continued
Finding Your Place on the Farm- Hear first-hand about one family's experience of returning to the
farm. From learning to work together, navigating through diversification, and planning for the future,
the Layton's have kept a very open line of communication with one another throughout. Over these ever changing years, they have strived to keep both family and business strong yet they have been faced
with many challenges that they have had to work through. Learn some of the unique ways that they
have dealt with these ups and downs to prepare their business for the future.
Choosing the Best Crop and Marketing Options for your Business- How I Match the Decision
Making Puzzle in the Real World- Wenfei will share the decision making process of the development
of their farm. Seaberry Farm operates year-round and grows more than 100 types of trees and shrubs
for cut floral use, 200 + kinds of cut flower varieties, they also grows peaches, plums and other specialty fruits. It markets their products in a diverse channels. Wenfei will share why and how they select their
crops, the marketing channels and how you can make the best decision for your farm.
Sudeep will share some crops that might be the next winning profit center for your farm. Presented by
Wenfei Uva and Sudeep Mathew.
Breakout Session 3- Monday, February 25- 2:45pm-4:00pm
Your Credit, Your Identity, Your Life- Just as grades on your report card in high school summarized
how well you performed in class, your credit score provides potential lenders (and others) with a summary of how well you manage your money. The better your credit score is, the more likely you are to
qualify for lower interest rates on loans and other extensions of credit, and lower rates will save you
money. Regardless of your history of credit use and money management— good or bad — there is
always for improvement. This session will provide you with an understanding of credit and how credit
scores are calculated, as well as how to build your credit or improve your score, and how to monitor
your credit for free. You’ll also learn about identity theft—how to reduce your risk of becoming a victim,
how to detect if it’s happened to you, and what to do if it does. Since identity theft can ruin your credit
and wreak havoc on your life, this knowledge can empower you in situations where you might otherwise feel helpless.
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Elizabeth Hill
Elizabeth Hill is the Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Educator for University of Maryland Extension (UME). She organizes and provides community educational programs on developing urban agriculture enterprises and ways to improve production efficiencies in urban agriculture. Previously, Elizabeth worked as an Agricultural Economist at the Environmental Protection Agency. She has an M.S. in
Environmental Economics and a Graduate Certificate in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development from the University of Georgia.
Alan Hudson
Alan Hudson is a 4 generation poultry, beef, hay and grain farmer from Berlin, MD. Alan, along with his
wife Kristen have been at the center of a lawsuit initially filed by the Assateague Coastkeeper and later
under the Waterkeepers Alliance alleging that pollution from the farms 2 poultry houses were in violation of the Clean Water Act. Their ongoing legal battle has forced them into the national spotlight and
greatly strained the Hudson family financially, physically, and emotionally in addition to further straining
the relationship between farmers and environmentalists.
Jennifer Hutton
Jennifer Hutton is a life-long Maryland girl who has been in love with Art since she could hold a crayon.
She married her high school sweetheart and has 3 wonderful Rays of Sunshine living in the middle of
farm country.
Jenny’s husband was born to be a Farmer, however she struggled to find her passion, especially in the
middle of the country. One day, she went into yarn store and all of the yarn was nice but not perfect.
She had died reeds for basket weaving in college so she had a light bulb moment deciding she would
dye the yarn herself. Her passion was found and her love of color came out of retirement. Jenny
opened Bare Sheep Yarn Company 2006, an internet business specializing in hand dyed and hand
spun fibers.
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Presenters
General Session & Workshop Descriptions
Jean Good
Breakout Session 3- Monday, February 25- 2:45pm-4:00pm continued
Jean is a Certified Financial Planner with Northwestern Mutual. She works with successful individuals
and families to help them build their amazing future. A particular area of focus is in serving clients in
agriculture having worked in commercial horse breeding for many years before joining Northwestern
Mutual.
Computer Technology Update- According to one technology blogger, the year 2013 is the year
that “tech” as we know it changes. These changes have actually been brewing for a while. This
session will be a rundown of some of the new technology such as Windows 8, mobile computing,
cloud computing and of course, security. We will take a brief look at how some of this new technology can help at home, on the road, on the farm, and at work.
Julie Harris
Julie Harris grew up in the suburbs of Maryland, between Baltimore and Washington DC. After
graduating from high school, she moved to the Eastern Shore. In 1996, she met her husband, Steve
Harris, a 6th generation farmer. They we married in 1998 and continued to work as a bookkeeper off the
farm. Shortly after their first child was born an opportunity was presented to diversify their family farm.
This was a greenhouse operation that consists of growing flowers for a company that sells directly to
Home Depot. The greenhouse operation provided the opportunity for Julie to stay on the farm to help
her husband in the farming operation. Together, they have two children, Brockman, 13 and Annie, 12.
They farm 270 grain acres and 30 vegetables acres. Julie has expanded the farm to sell their
vegetables and flowers at three roadside markets. In 2013, the farm has expanded their operation to
include strawberries. This spring there will be a three acre u-pick strawberry patch.
Harris Farms is a family farm that grows grain, vegetables and flowers. Harris Farms retails their
vegetables (sweet corn, watermelons, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cantaloupe, string beans, etc.)
and annual flowers at three markets.
Mikel Williams Hawkins
Mikel is the Farm Bill Program Specialist for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative (CBWI) at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
in Annapolis, Maryland. With over 12 years of multi-state experience in the field of agriculture, she is
responsible for providing statewide program oversight, policy development and administration of federal
financial and technical assistance funds. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural
Sciences with concentration in Agronomy from Tennessee State University.
Outside of work, Mikel enjoys spending time with her husband traveling, volunteering, and exploring the
field of culinary arts.
Creative Business Panel- What does a farm stand, a traveling barnyard petting zoo and hand-dyed
yarn have in common? Each is a business started by a woman on her family farm. Come listen to
the story of how these businesses were started, and what lessons these women have learned along
the way.
Ag Solar Workshop- This presentation will focus on solar technology for farm operations. This will
cover equipment needed, design of systems and profitability of solar power.
Featured Speaker- Monday February 25- 4:15pm-5pm
Edwin Remsberg, Freelance Photographer
Telling your Story through Pictures
Edwin will show pictures he has taken that have been successful. He will describe how to make
great pictures from the camera side and how to use the language of images to communicate ideas.
Tips and tricks will then be shared with the audience allowing them to better share their own story of
agriculture.
Reception and Harness Racing- Monday, February 25- 6pm-8pm
Dover Downs is a harness racing track located within the city limits of Dover, Delaware. The harness racing events are actually held on the infield of the Dover International Speedway, a one-mile
concrete, banked oval track that NASCAR fans have nicknamed “The Monster Mile”. Dover Downs
has hosted harness racing events since its inception in 1969. Live harness races are simulcast to
tracks and other off-track betting locations across North America on each of the company's more
than 140 live race dates.
The reception will begin at 6pm in the Diamond Lounge, our own private room overlooking the race
track. Enjoy plenty of food while socializing with friends, new and old. Cash bar is available.
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General Session & Workshop Descriptions
Presenters
Breakout Session 4- Tuesday, February 26- 8:30am-9:45am
Bill Brown
So You Want a Loan? - Are all the acronyms and financial lingo making it difficult to get a loan?
Talking to a lender shouldn't be more agonizing than visiting the dentist. Find out some simple steps
you can take to walk away with the loan you need to keep your farm growing.
Bill Brown is the poultry Extension Agent for Delaware Cooperative Extension since 2009. In his position, Brown will serves a large constituency of individual poultry growers and businesses who have a
stake in what is the largest economic driver in agriculture in the region. Brown has spent most of his
lifetime dedicated to the poultry industry. After graduating the University of Delaware with a Bachelor
of Science in Animal Science with an Ag Business concentration, Brown was employed for 21 years
with Perdue Farms where he served as Flock Supervisor, Ventilation Specialist, Hatchery Manager,
Poultry Housing Specialist Area Supervisor and Grow Out Manager. For the past four years Brown
and his family have owned and operated a 7-house poultry farm as a contract grower. Brown is involved in 4-H, FFA, his church and Delmarva Poultry Industry Board.
Tapping into the Water Cycle--What’s in Your Well Water- If you are using a private well system for
your home drinking water, you know there are no regulations for periodic monitoring and water testing.
When was the last time you had your private well water tested? What’s the big deal? In this session,
learn why periodically testing your well water for family health is recommended, and how a few simple
behavior changes can help conserve and protect local groundwater resources.
The Affordable Care Act: Making Decisions for You and Your Family- Women are likely to be the
primary health care decision makers for themselves and their families. In addition, women may be the
primary health care decision maker for their family’s agricultural business. The Affordable Care Act (or
what some call Obamacare) will present individuals, families, and businesses with decisions and
choices—whether or not they currently do or do not have health insurance coverage. In this session,
we will talk about the major changes that are taking place, including the individual mandate. The
Educators will then present a newly developed tool to help guide you through the insurance purchasing
process and make you an informed, savvy health-insurance consumer.
Food Safety GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices)- This GAPs food safety session will focus on Good
Agricultural farm Practices that effectively reduce the risk of produce contamination. The basics of a
farm food safety plan will be discussed as well as the recently released Food Safety Modernization Act
proposed rule focusing on standards for produce safety.
Virginia Brown
Virginia Brown is a Family and Consumer Sciences Educator with the University of Maryland Extension (UME). She came to the University in April 2012 and has been developing programming in health
literacy, family and community health and healthy homes. As part of the Health Insurance Literacy
Initiative, she has worked with a multi-state and multi-disciplinary team to develop a tool that will help
people understand different health insurance plans and make the best choice for them and their families.
Virginia earned her B.A. and M.A., both in Sociology, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and graduated in May 2012 with her doctorate in Public Health Education from the University of
North Carolina Greensboro.
Amber Bullock
Amber Bullock grew up on a farm outside of Harrington, DE and has a true passion for agriculture. She is a recent graduate of the University of Delaware and holds a BS in Food and Agribusiness
Marketing & Management. Currently, she is a marketing specialist with a focus in digital communications at MidAtlantic Farm Credit in the Dover, DE office. She also serves on the Delaware FFA Foundation Board of Directors. In her spare time she enjoys travelling and spending time with family. You
can find Amber on Twitter @AmberBullock4.
Paul Goeringer
Paul developed a love for agriculture growing up on his family’s wheat and cattle operation in Western
Oklahoma. Prior to coming to the University of Maryland, Paul spent the past 4 years working on agricultural law issues and risk management issues at the University of Arkansas. While at the U of A,
Paul worked for the National Agricultural Law Center and in the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness department. Currently, Paul is working to develop an extension program in agricultural law issues important to Maryland farmers.
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Presenters
General Session & Workshop Descriptions
James Adkins
Breakout Session 5- Tuesday, February 26- 10:00am-11:30am
James Adkins is a part time Wicomico county farmer and an active member of Wicomico Young
Farmers. He was involved with the initial Wicomico Young Farmer fundraising efforts for the Hudson
case and later through Save Farm Families. James has built a relationship with the self-proclaimed “food
advocate” and NPR radio host Marc Steiner, and frequently serves as an ambassador for traditional
agriculture on the Stiener show.
Do You Want to Work Forever? - Are you looking forward to the day you can retire? Or do you
dread the thought? Being able to retire when you want and how you want is important to many of
us. What are you doing to plan for and prepare for your retirement? This class is designed to help
you plan and project your retirement options. Objectives for the class include: reviewing your retirement goals; determining sources of retirement income; estimating your financial needs in retirement
and determining what steps you will need to take to meet your retirement goals. Presented by Lynn
Little
Karen Aspinwall
Karen has been with the University of Maryland Extension for 5 years, but has been involved in nonformal science and environmental education for over 30, working with youth, adults and teachers. A
major area of programming focus with Extension is Healthy Homes and Environments. Currently she is
involved in a state-wide program development effort on private well water education.
Attracting Songbirds and Other Wildlife Using Native Plants- Songbird populations have been
declining for years because they are losing habitat. Home gardeners can help by adding native plants
to their yards and gardens. Unlike the non-native plants many of us have in our gardens, native
plants provide the food for insects that then become the food for baby songbirds. Native plants are
attractive and interesting additions to the garden. Presented by Brent Marsh and Tracy Wootten
Christie Balch
Christie Balch has spent her career working with community-based organizations, focusing on
sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. She works as a Program Coordinator for the
University of Maryland Extension, working to grow a healthier food system in Prince George’s County,
and is concurrently working towards a Masters of Public Health degree through the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health. She also serves on the board of directors of the Crossroads
Community Food Network and gardens at Wangari Gardens in Washington DC. Before relocating to the
Mid-Atlantic, Christie worked at Community GroundWorks in Madison, WI, a nonprofit organization that
connects people to nature and local food through hands-on education in gardening, urban farming,
healthy eating, and natural areas restoration.
Naomi Blohm
Naomi Blohm is an expert at advising farmers how to manage their cash marketing needs and properly
use futures and options. She also helps them understand the importance of managing basis, delivery
point considerations, cash flow needs and storage capacity. Naomi is co-creator and presenter of
Stewart-Peterson’s program “Women to Women: Educating Women about Farm Marketing.”
Naomi earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Agriculture Business at the
University of Wisconsin in Platteville. She has a Master of Science in Adult Education with an emphasis
in Ag Economics, University of Wisconsin, Platteville, and a Master Certificate in Global Education,
University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.
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Farm Bill Update- This session will provide an overview of how the Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) provides financial and technical conservation assistance to agricultural producers
through the Farm Bill authorized Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Estate Planning- Are you concerned about how to keep a family farm going on the death of the
owner? This presentation is designed to introduce the fundamentals of estate planning. We’ll discuss taxes, gifts, liquidity, titling, advanced directives and succession so that you understand the
tools an attorney, accountant and financial planner will employ to help your farm succeed for generations.
General Closing Session- Tuesday, February 26- 11:30am-12:30pm
Ed Kee, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture will discuss the current state of agriculture as well as our
agricultural history on the MidAtlantic. The Department of Agriculture and Secretary Kee is dedicated to the mission, which is to sustain and promote the viability of food, fiber, and agricultural industries in Delaware through quality services that protect and enhance the environment, health, and
welfare of the general public.
Secretary Kee is also known as a past Extension Agent and author. He is a fifth-generation Delawarean. He has worked closely with Delaware's farmers and agricultural industry since 1968 and has
gathered an engaging collection of historical photographs from state and university archives, museums, and farm family scrapbooks.
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