UniversityofMarylandExtension‐ForestStewardshipEducation
www.naturalresources.umd.edu Vol 20 No 1; 2012
Branching Out Reaches 20 Volumes
ThiseditionofBranchingOutmarksthenewsletter’s
20thyearinpublication!After70issuesandover
400articles,thenewslettercontinuestogrow.
Tocelebratethislandmarkedition,ourwebsitehas
beenneatlyupdatedwithallavailablebackissuesof
thenewsletter,datingbackto1993.46original
newslettershavebeenscannedandre‐catalogedin
ourNewsletterArchiveandDirectory.Additionally,
afterfouryearsinhiatus,twoupdatedarticle
directorieshavereturned:ArticlesbyCategoryand
ArticlesbyYear.Thesedirectoriesareprovidedfor
convenientlylocatinginformationyouneed.
FromtheveryfirsteditionintheSpringof1993,to
thesecondeditionin2006whenthenewsletterhit
theworld‐wide‐web,toourfirsteditionthisyear,
BranchingOutcontinuestobeasteadypartofthe
NaturalResourcesandForestStewardshipEducation
programhereatUniversityofMarylandExtension.
ouareinvitedtovisitthenewlyformattedBranching
OutNewsletterArchiveandDirectorypageonlineat:
http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu
Page 1 of 10 Branching Out University of Maryland Extension Not Any Axe Will Do Thechallengeofcuttinginvasivevinesandsmall
treescanbequitedauntinganddangerousifyoutry
touseconventionaltoolssuchasahatchet,smallaxe,
machete,handsaw,orevenachainsaw.Onetool
mostwoodlandownerswillfindveryusefulisthe
brushaxe,speciallydesignedforworkinginthe
woods.
Thebrushaxewasoriginallydesignedforuseby
surveyorswhoneededtocutsmalltreesorvinesto
runsurveylinesthroughbrush.Usingaconventional
axeormacheterequiresextremecareandacommon
resultisthebladebouncingorbeingdeflectedfrom
whatyouarecuttingintoyourleg,hand,foot,or
worse.
Thebrushaxeisconstructedofa7¼”Swedishsteel
bladethatisaboutaninchdeep,andattachedtoa
20”hickoryhandle.Itisbalancedtoprovide
excellentleverageandsincethebladeisenclosedand
sharp,itdoesnotbounceoffthetarget.Inthefield,
theusershouldcarryafileandconstantlykeepthe
bladeverysharp.
Whencuttingavine,youcangenerategreatforceina
smallareaduetothedesign.Forsmalltreesupto4”
indiameter,youcanpushthesaplingoverwithone
handandthenhitthebaseofthetreewiththeaxein
theotherhand.Thetensionandforceoftheblade
willquicklyseverthetree.Itisamazinghowwellit
worksandhowsafeitis.Youshouldusethetool
wearingheavybootsjustforaddedsafety.Aftera
treeorvineissevered,youcanapplyherbicideifitis
beingused,andmoveon.Itispossibletotreata
largeareainashorttimeandnotgettired.
Thecostisabout$45anditiswellworththe
investment.Itisnotsoldinmanystoresbutis
Page 2 of 10 availablethroughonlinesurveyorandhorticultural
supplystores.Searchtheinternetfor“brushaxe”to
seewhat’savailable.
Pruning How and What By Nevin Dawson, Forest Stewardship Educator, University of Maryland Extension Asflowersbloomandbudsburst,springbeckonsus
forwardintothegrowingseason,thewarmweather
promisingaflushofvibrantgreengrowthjustover
thehorizon.Untamedgrowthisnotalwaysagood
thing,though.Pruningcanhelpyouimprovethe
safety,health,appearance,fruitproduction,and
timbervalueofyourtreeswhendonecorrectly.
Startplanningyourcutsbylookingatthetreeasa
whole,usingyourobjectivesasaguide.Never
removemorethanonequarterofthetree’sfoliageat
atime.Ifyou’reclearingbranchesfromthetrunk,
don’tgohigherthanonethirdofthetree’sheight.
Goodpruningtechniqueshelpthetreerecover
quicklyandreceivethemaximumbenefitfromthe
procedure.Pruningcutsshouldbemadeatthebase
ofabranch.Makingacutinthemiddleofabranch
usuallyleavestheremaininghalftorot,slowing
downtherecoveryprocessandpossiblyintroducing
anewdiseasetotherestofthetree.
Thebranchcollaristheslightbulgeatthebaseofthe
branch,andshouldbeleftintact,nomatterwhattype
ofcutisused.Leavingthisslightnubwillallownew
layersofwoodtogrowoverthewoundmuchmore
quickly,sealingoutpotentialpathogens.Aflushcut
maylookbetteratfirst,butitwilltakemanymore
yearstocompletelycover.
Cuttinglargerbranchesrequiresaseriesofthreecuts
sothattheweightofthecutbranchdoesn’ttearbark
awayfromthematerialthatyou’rekeeping,orpinch
yoursaw.Firstmakeashallowcutonthebottomof
thebranchafewinchesoutsideofthebranchcollar
toseverthefibersthatmighttear.Thencutallthe
waythroughthebranchfromthetopanotherfew
inchesoutsideofthefirstcut.
Branching Out University of Maryland Extension cuttingmechanismmountedonanextendablepole,
andusuallyincludeasawattachment.Somepole
sawshavehooksonthetopendtokeepthebladein
thecut,andbarkcuttersonthebottomtoprevent
tearing.
Mosttypesofsawscandothejob,althoughthereare
afewthatarespecializedforpruningwork.Asingle‐
handedpruningsawcanbeusedtocutbranchesup
to10inchesindiameter.
Ropesawshavealengthofsawchainwithropeon
eachend,andcanbeagreattoolforcuttinghigh
brancheswithoutclimbing.
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_prune/cuts.htm Nowyoucancutallthewaythroughtheremaining
stubjustoutsidethebranchcollarwithoutworrying
abouttheweightofthebranch.
Itusedtobecommonpracticetotreatpruningcuts
withadressingorsealant.Sciencehasshownthat
thispracticeoftendoesmoreharmthangood.
Althoughthesapthatoozesfrompruningwoundsis
sometimesunsightly,it’sthetree’snaturalmethodof
flushingoutinsectsandpathogens.Dressingsand
sealantsinterferewiththisprocess.
Theonlyexceptiontothisruleisinthecaseofoaks
andnativeelms,whichneedextraprotectionfrom
oakwiltandDutchelmdisease,respectively.Any
cutsorwoundsmadeduringthegrowingseasonin
thesespeciesshouldbetreatedtokeepoutthese
deadlydiseases.
Pruningtoolsgenerallyfallintothecategoriesof
shears,loppers,andsaws.
Single‐handedshearsanddouble‐handedloppersare
availableinanvilandbypassstyles.Bypassmodels
havetwoblades,likescissors,andarepreferredfor
pruningbecausetheymakecleancuts.Anvilmodels
haveonebladethatclosesagainstaflatplate.They
areslightlymorepowerfulandresistanttojamming,
buttheirdesigncausescrushingandamessywound.
Compoundactionandratchetmechanismsadd
mechanicaladvantage,andletyoucuttough
brancheswithlessforce.Poleprunersuseasimilar
Page 3 of 10 Whendoinganytypeofpruningwork,makesure
thatyou’renotputtingyourselfindangerbystanding
underthebranchthatyou’recutting.Alwayshavea
clearescapepath,anduseitoncethelimbbeginsto
fall.
Visit bit.ly/treepruning for more information. Previously printed in the Delmarva Farmer)
Small 2011 Acorn Crop Predicted to Increase Human Lyme Disease in 2012 AccordingtoaNewYorkTimesarticleonDecember
2,2011,theboomandbustcycleinacornproduction
overthepasttwoyearswilllikelyresultinavery
highincidenceofLymeDiseaseinareaswithlotsof
oaktreesin2012.RichardS.Ostfeld,adisease
ecologistattheCaryInstituteofEcosystemStudiesin
Millbrook,N.Y.,said,“Weexpect2012tobetheworst
yearforLymediseaseriskever.”
Bumpercropsofacorns,liketheonewesawin2010,
provideahugesourceoffoodformanymammal
species,includingthefieldmouse.Thissurplusin
foodledtoapopulationexplosioninfieldmiceinthe
summerof2011.Becausethe2011acorncropwas
verysmallandunabletosupportthebigger
population,fieldmousenumbersareexpectedto
crashthisyear.
Thisfoodboomandbustcycletricklesdowntoother
species,likedeerticks—alsoknownasblacklegged
Branching Out University of Maryland Extension ticksorbearticks.Justasmoreacornsmeanmore
mice,moremicemeanmoreticks.Whenthemouse
populationcrashes,tickswillbeinsearchofother
sourcesofabloodmeal,includinghumans.Although
thepercentageofdeerticksinfectedwithLyme
diseasemaybeatnormallevels,thenumberoftick
bitesonhumansisexpectedtoincrease,leadingtoan
overallincreaseinhumancasesofthedisease.
Whatdoesthismeantoyou?Besuretotakeextra
Neighborhood Green Workshop Wouldyouliketolearnhowtodesignasustainable
andenvironmentallyfriendlylandscapeforyour
propertyandacquirethetoolsnecessarytomake
yourvisionareality?Ifso,youareinvitedto
participateintheupcoming“NeighborhoodGreen
Workshop”from8:30a.m.to3:30p.m.onSaturday,
May12,2012.Theworkshopwillbeheldat
LinganoreHighSchoollocatedat12013Old
AnnapolisRd,Frederick,MD.
TheNeighborhoodGreenWorkshopwillcover
relevantconservation,wildlifeenhancement,forestry
andtreecarepractices;workshopparticipantswill
alsoreceivehelpwithdevelopingtheirown
individualplanfortheirproperty.Oncethisplanis
prepared,anaturalresourceexpertwillbeavailable
tomeetwitheachparticipantontheirpropertyto
reviewthisplaniftheywishtodoso.Inaddition,the
propertycoveredintheplanmaybeeligibleforcost‐
shareassistancetopayforasubstantialamountof
theimplementationofthispractice.
precautionswhenworkingorplayingoutsidethis
year.Regularlyapplyinsectrepellentcontaining
DEETortreatyourclotheswithpermethrin,wear
light‐coloredclothessothatticksaremoreeasily
spotted,andtuckyourpantsintoyoursocks.Doa
carefultickcheckaftergoinginside.
Asthediseaseprogresses,symptomslikefacialpalsy,
meningitis,jointswelling,shootingpains,andchange
inheartbeatmaydevelop.
Untreatedcasesofthediseasecancauselong‐term
arthritisandneurologicalproblems,soearly
treatmentisessentialifinfectionissuspected.
Althoughtheimpactsinthiscaseareundesirable,
thisrelationshipbetweenfoodsourcesand
populationsisanexampleofthetiesthatbindthe
foodwebtogether,fromtreestopeople.
Page 4 of 10 Workshopparticipantswillalsoreceivethefull‐color
139‐page“TheWoodsinYourBackyard”manual(a
$20value),lunch,additionalreferencematerials,and
afreesoiltestkit&analysis.RegisterbyMay4,2012
andonlypay$20perpersonor$35percouple.
RegistrationwillbeallowedafterMay4thandatthe
doorfor$30perperson/$45percouple.(Couples
willreceiveonesetofmaterials).TheNeighborhood
Greenworkshopagendaandregistrationformis
availableon‐line:www.watershed‐alliance.com,orby
contactingHeatherMontgomery,Community
RestorationCoordinator,at301‐600‐1741.
Landownersofjustafewacrescanmakeapositive
differenceintheirenvironmentthroughplanningand
implementingsimplestewardshippractices.Small
lotsareimportant,sincethevastmajorityof
landownershavelessthan10acres;thisland,
woodedornot,isavitalresourceforallofus.
Byenhancingorcreatingnaturalareasandwoodland
ontheseproperties,landownerscanenjoy
recreation,aesthetics,wildlife,andwaterquality.Ifa
landowner’slotconnectswithotherlots,thereis
Branching Out University of Maryland Extension ampleopportunitytomakeanevenlargerimpactby
gettingneighborsinvolved.
Increasing Wood Energy Use in Maryland Biothermal Wood Energy Workshop topics will include: 









Basicsneededwhenconsideringaplanfora
property
Briefintroductiontoforestry,wildlife,and
treecareproducts
Onlinetoolstohelpprepareaplananddraw
apropertymap
Forestryandreforestationpractices
Wildlifemanagementprinciplesandpractices
Plantingandcaringfortreesaroundyour
home
Identificationandmanagementofinvasive
plantspeciesandpests
“Bay‐wise”Landscaping
Howtoperformasoiltestanduseanalysis
resultstobettermanageyourlawn
HowtouseNeighborhoodGreentoachieve
yourmanagementgoals
Ifyouhave1‐10(ormore)acresofopenspaceon
yourpropertyandareinterestedinplantingmore
treesorconvertingyourcurrentlymowedlawnto
somethingmorebeneficialforwaterqualityand
wildlifehabitat,thisistheworkshopforyou!
Ifyouareunabletomakeittotheworkshopbutare
stillinterestedinreforesting/plantingtreesona
portionofyourproperty,orhaveanyquestions,
pleasecontactHeatherMontgomery,Community
RestorationCoordinator,at301‐600‐1741or
HMontgomery@frederickcountymd.gov.
Listeningtothenewstoday,youmaythinkthat
renewableenergyonlyincludessolar,windand
geothermal,butyouwouldbeverywrong.Inreality
thesetechnologiesonlyprovideafewpercentofour
energyneeds.Woodistheoldestrenewableenergy
source,andresurgence ofwoodenergyisduetoits
lowcostandrecentimprovementsinwoodburning
technology.
Woodisthefastestgrowingresidentialheatingfuel
inMaryland,increasing33%between2000and
2010.Whenhomeownersorinstitutionsconvertto
woodheat,theuseoffossilfuelisreduced,whether
it’sthroughareductioninthedemandforheatingoil
andnaturalgasortheuseofcoal‐poweredelectricity.
Oneoftheprominentreasonsforincreasedwooduse
istheenergysavingsfortheaveragehomeowner.
Whetheryouusefirewoodorpellets,thecostper
unitofheat(knownasBtu’s)inwoodischeaper
comparedtomostotherenergysources(exceptfor
naturalgas,whichisacost‐effectivefuelbutisnot
renewable).Youcanfigureoutthecostofdifferent
fuelsbyusingtheonlineheatingfuelcomparison
calculatorprovidedontheUSEnergyInformation
Administrationwebsiteat:
www.eia.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls
Usingwoodybiomassfromforestsandurbansources
istrulyrenewableandsustainable,whileproviding
greenjobslocally.Forwoodlandowners,wood
energyprovidesanothermarketforforestproducts
thatcanprovideasourceofincome.
Advancesinwoodburningtechnologyhavecreateda
well‐deservedimageofwoodybiomassasalow
emissionrenewablefuel.Smokywoodstoves
manufacturedpriorto1990canproducearound30
gramsofparticulateperhour.Stovesmanufactured
after1990areEPAapprovedandproducelessthan
7.5gramsofparticulateperhour.
Moreinformationmaybefoundonlineatthe
followinglinks:
ProgramFlyer:
http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu/Documents/
Events/20120512.pdf
Agenda/Registration:
http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu/Documents/
Events/20120512RegistrationForm.pdf
However,ifoperatorsuseunseasonedwood,ordon’t
givetheirstoveenoughair,eventhenew,EPA
certifiedstovescanemittoomuchsmoke.Pellet
stovesarenottestedbyEPAbuttheyhaveeven
Page 5 of 10 Branching Out University of Maryland Extension loweremissionsthatareusuallylessthan2.5grams
perhour.
Thegreaterproblemisreplacingoldwoodstoves
withthepost1990EPAapprovedstoves.Themain
incentiveforhomeownersisthatthenewerstoves
saveyoumoneybecausetheyaremoreefficientand
burnlessfirewood.Stovesmanufacturedbefore
1990werebasicsteelboxeswithaflueandburned
woodat30to40%efficiency.Comparatively,post
1990stovesare70‐75%efficient,andburnabout
halfthewoodtogetthesameamountofheat.
Regardlessofwhetheryoucutyourownfirewoodor
buyit,yousaveaconsiderableamountofmoney(or
labor)withanewerstove,nottomentionadramatic
reductioninsmokeandemissionswhichisgoodfor
theenvironmentandyourcommunity.
Thegreaterpotentialforwoodenergylieswithwood
biomassboilersusedinsmalltomediuminstitutional
orbusinessapplications(governmentbuildings,
schools,hospitals,prisons,etc.).Insteadofheatinga
boilerwithfossilfuels,modernwoodboiler
technologyuseswoodchipsthataredeliveredtoa
heatingfacilityandfedtoawoodbiomassboilerbya
conveyorsystem.StateslikePennsylvania,Vermont
andotherNewEnglandstateshaveprogramslike
FuelforSchoolsthathelpincentivizethereplacement
ofoldfueloilboilerswiththoseheatedwithwood
chips.Thefuelsavingrealizedfromlowercostwood
chipsallowsmanyofthesecapitalprojectstopayfor
themselvesinlessthan10years.Thecurrentwood
burningtechnologyallowsforhighefficiencyandlow
emissions.
Deliveringtonsofwoodchipsbytruckrequires
accesstonearbywoodlandstosourcethematerials.
Theresultisreal“greenjobs”thataresustainable
andkeepmoneyinthelocalcommunity.The
greatestbarriertousingwoodchipsinboiler
applicationsinMarylandisthelackofapermitting
systemfromtheMarylandDepartmentof
Environment.
SohowcanwoodenergyuseinMarylandbe
increased?TheMarylandWoodEnergyCoalition
wasorganizedbyUniversityofMarylandExtension
Page 6 of 10 andtheDepartmentofNaturalResourcesForest
ServiceinApril2010withthegoaltoincreasetheuse
ofwoodybiomassinMaryland.TheCoalitioneffort
producedaprospectusthatprovidesresearch‐based
informationandpolicyrecommendationsthatwill
increasetheadoptionofadvancedwoodenergy
technology,andhelpMarylandreachtargetsforthe
RenewablePortfolioStandards(RPS).
TheprospectuswasreleasedpublicallyonFebruary
2,2012andisavailablefordownloadat:
http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu/Documents/
BiomassThermalEnergy/20120212MarylandWoodE
nergyProspectus.pdf.Theinformationinthe
documentisbeingusedtosupportpolicychanges,
education,research,andoutreach.
Wood Stove Design Challenge
TechnologyCompetitionSeeksCleanerWood
Stove
Innovationmayhelpre‐inventtheclassicwoodstove.
TodaytheAllianceforGreenHeatannouncedthe
publiclaunchofaNextGenerationWoodStove
DesignChallengethatseekstopromoteinnovationin
woodstoves.
TheChallengewillculminateinaWoodStove
Decathlon,modeledaftertheSolarDecathlon,which
willtakeplaceontheNationalMallinWashington
D.C.inNovember2013.Eminentstove,technology,
airqualityandcombustionexpertswilljudgethis
publicexhibitionofnextgenerationwoodstove
designs.Stoveswillbejudgedonemissions,
efficiency,affordability,innovationandeaseofuse.
TheDesignChallengegrewfromdiscussionsbetween
theAllianceforGreenHeatandeditorsatPopular
Mechanicsmagazinewhobelieveinnovationcan
overcomesomeoftheproblemsinherentinthewood
Branching Out University of Maryland Extension stoveandthata“smart”woodstovemaybeonthe
horizon.
Modernwoodstovescanburnrelativelycleanly,but
theycanbesmokyandinefficientwhennotused
properly.“Woodstovesarealifelineformillionsof
mostlyrurallowandmiddle‐incomefamilies,but
theyaretooeasytomisusebyoperators,”saidJohn
Ackerly,PresidentoftheAllianceforGreenHeat,the
independentnon‐profitorganizationsponsoringthe
DesignChallenge.
AccordingtotheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy,wood
stovesproduce80%ofresidentialrenewableenergy
inAmerica,whilesolarandgeothermalcombined
produce20%.TheU.S.governmentfunnels
hundredsofmillionsofdollarsintoR&Dand
incentivesforsolar,biofuelsandothertechnologies,
yettherenewableenergydeviceusedbymost
Americanshasbeenneglected.
“Thewoodstoveisavitalpartofournation’s
technologicallegacy,andwethinkitcanbeavital
partofourfuture,”saidJamesMeigs,Editor‐in‐Chief
ofPopularMechanicsmagazine.“Weareexcitedto
seewhatsortofinnovationengineers,inventorsand
universityteamscanbringtothetabletomakethe
woodstovecleaner,andpossiblyre‐inventits
consumerimage,”hecontinued.
Federalstandardsforwoodstoveemissionswillbe
somewhatstricterby2014,butwilldolittleto
impacthowconsumersuseandmisusestoves.The
twobiggestproblemswithwoodstoveshappen
whenoperatorsuseunseasonedwoodordonotgive
thestovesenoughair,whichleadstoincomplete
combustion.“WeexpecttheDesignChallengeto
producestovesthatintegrateelectronicsthatare
ubiquitousintoday’sappliancesandcaninclude
novelfeaturesthatconsumerswant,”Ackerlysaid.
“Asmartwoodstovemaymotivatepeopletotradein
theirolderpollutingstoveandreplaceitwitha
higherefficiency,highertechmodel,”Ackerlysaid.
Apowerfulandgrowingarrayofpartner
organizationsthatarehelpingwiththeChallenge
includePopularMechanics,theStateofWashington
DepartmentofEcology,theNewYorkStateEnergy
Page 7 of 10 Research&DevelopmentAuthority(NYSERDA)and
theGlobalAllianceforCleanCookstoves.TheDesign
Challengewillalsobringtogetherengineersworking
ondevelopingcleancookstovesinthedeveloping
worldwiththoseworkingonheatstovesinthe
developedworldonthecommongoalofincreasing
efficiencyandreducingemissions.
ThedeadlineforinitialapplicationsisDecember20
andthefinalistswillbringtheirstovestoWashington
fortheDecathloninNovember2013.Thewinning
designwillreceive$25,000andcoverageinPopular
Mechanicsmagazine.Secondprizeswillsharea
$10,000award.Forrulesandmoreinformation
abouttheWoodStoveDesignChallenge,goto
www.forgreenheat.org/stovedesign.
A New Look for Maryland Woodland Stewards MarylandWoodlandStewardsClassof2012is
kickingoffthisyear’sprograminAprilwithanew
look!
Thelogofortheprogramwasredesignedtobetter
representthisoutreachprogram.Important
componentsofthenewlogoincluderepresentation
forforests(theoakbranch),wildlife(thehawk),and
waterresources(blueelement).Butmostimportant
aretheMarylandWoodlandStewardswhowillbe
sharingthisnewlogointheircommunitiesalong
withthemessageandknowledgethatcomeswith
beingaparticipantoftheprogram.
TheStewardsforthe2012classhavebeenselected
andtrainingisscheduledforApril26to29.Best
Branching Out University of Maryland Extension wishestotheMarylandWoodlandStewardsClassof
2012!
FormoreinformationaboutMarylandWoodland
Stewards,pleasevisitourwebsiteat,
http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu,orcontact
NevinDawson,ForestStewardshipEducator,
UniversityofMarylandExtension,at410‐827‐8057
x125orndawson@umd.edu.

DigitalDatabases:GettingYourBusinessListed
‐howtoentertheirbusinessinformationinthe
8‐9digitaldatabases,suchasGoogleMapsand
others.

FingertipMarketingforPortableDevicesand
Apps‐incorporatingdigitalserviceand
applicationintoyourmarketingplan.

Social&ProfessionalApplications‐An
introductiontothebasicsofFacebook,Twitter,
andLinkedInforbusinesses.Thisseminarwill
explorebasicfundamentalsofpopularsocial
networkingsites,examplesofuse,andthe
potentialbenefitssocialmediacouldbringto
yourbusinessandcommunity.
Producer’s Digital Toolbox Coming Your Way Businesseseverywherearebeginningtoincorporate
smartphones,iPads,socialmedia,anddigital
technologyintotheirbusinessandmarketingplans.
Agricultureandruralbusinessesarenodifferent.
Socialmediahasseenthegreatestincrease.
AccordingtoNielsen,peopleintheU.S.continueto
spendmoretimeonsocialnetworkingandblogsites,
withtotalminutesincreasing210%year‐over‐year
andtheaveragetimeperpersonincreasing143%
year‐over‐yearfromDecember2009.
Withthishugeincreaseintechnologyusebythe
public,itwillbeimportantforfarmersandrural
businessestohavetheknowledgeandskillsto
incorporateitintotheirbusinessandmarketing
plans.Examplesofon‐farmapplicationsinclude:
Thecostis$40.00perpersonwhichincludeslunch
andcoursematerials.Youmustpre‐register!No
walk‐inswillbeaccepted.
Seminarlocations:
April20,2012(8:00AM‐1:30PM)
ChesapeakeCollege
EconomicDevelopmentCenter,Room#:EDC‐27
Routes50&213,WyeMills,MD21679
RegistrationDeadline:April11,2012
May10,2012(8:00AM‐1:30PM)

Registeringfarmsindigitaldatabasesforeasy
consumeraccess,suchasGooglemaps,
MapQuest,Bingetc.

Socialmediasitesforfarmmarketsthatinclude
eventsandannouncements

Smartphoneappsforcommodityprices,credit
cardpurchases,weather,GPS,andmore.
TheProducer’sDigitalToolboxisasuiteofseminars
thatwillbeofferedatseveralvenuesstartinginApril
2012.TheseseminarswillassistUniversityof
MarylandExtensionclientsincapitalizingonthe
hardwareandmanagementsystemstoolsnow
availablethroughtheWeb.
HagerstownCommunityCollege
CareerProgramsBuilding,Room#:CPB142
11400RobinwoodDr.,Hagerstown,MD21742
RegistrationDeadline:May1,2012
May15,2012(8:00AM‐1:30PM)
CecilCollege‐NorthEastCampus
ElktonStation,Room#:Room303
OneSeahawkDr.,NorthEast,MD21901
RegistrationDeadline:May6,2012
Thefollowingmaterialsmaybefoundonline:
ProgramFlyer:
http://www.agmarketing.umd.edu/Documents/Digit
alToolboxFlyer.pdf
Theseseminarswillcovertopicson:
Page 8 of 10 Branching Out University of Maryland Extension We'realsogoingonestepfurther:ATFSisofferinga
month‐longForestsintheFarmBillhelplineto
answerallyourquestions,nomatterhow
complicated.ThehelplineisopenfromApril1to
April30.
OnlineRegistration:
http://agnradmin.umd.edu/training/description.cfm
?ID=179
Formoreinformation,contact:

ShannonDillat410‐822‐1244or
sdill@umd.edu

GingerS.Myersat301‐432‐2767x338or
gsmyers@umd.edu

JonathanKaysat301‐432‐2767x323or
jkays@umd.edu
Calldirectly(202.463.2734)between9amand5pm
easternOREmailexpertsat
farmbill@forestfoundation.organdgetallthe
answersyouneed.
Ifwecan'tansweryourquestionrightaway,we'll
eitherdosomediggingorpointyouintheright
direction.Welookforwardtotalkingwithyou!
Forests in the Farm Bill Helpline Nodoubt,you'veheardaboutFarmBillconservation
programsbefore.Butmaybeyouwrotethemoff,
thinkingthattheseprogramsdon'tapplytoyou.In
fact,theFarmBillhasseveralgreattoolsthat
woodlandownerscanusetohelpmanagetheir
forests.Afterall,forestownersarefarmers,too!
CalltheForestsintheFarmBillHelplinethis
month(call202.463.2734oremail
farmbill@forestfoundation.org)!Getanswerstoyour
questionsandlearnaboutthetoolsavailabletoyou
throughFarmBillConservationprograms.
DoyouwanttomanageyourTreeFarmforeither
turkeyorsongbirdhabitat?TheWildlifeHabitat
IncentivesProgram(WHIP)canhelpyoudojustthat.
Interestedinthinningorburningtoimproveyour
forest'shealth?TheEnvironmentalQualityIncentives
Program(EQIP)isthetoolforyou.Whetheryour
prioritiesrevolvearoundforesthealthmanagement,
invasivespeciesremoval,recreation,orwildlife,
FarmBillconservationprogramsgiveyouthetools
youneedtoachieveyourmanagementplan
priorities.
TheAmericanTreeFarmSystem(ATFS)hasseveral
greattoolsforyoutolearnmoreabouttheFarmBill
andreceiveon‐the‐groundassistanceyouneed.
Checkoutourwebsiteformoreinformationand
publicationsonwhichprogramsarebestforyour
TreeFarmandhowforestsarefaringinthese
programsthusfar.
Page 9 of 10 Best,
ChristineCadigan;Manager,PublicAffairs
AmericanForestFoundation
202.463.2734|ccadigan@forestfoundation.org
Events April 14, 2012 (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) BackyardBuffersProgram
Location:ExtensionOfficeforWicomico,
SomersetandWorcesterCounties
UMEispartneringwithMarylandDNRForest
ServicetooffertheBackyardBufferProgramto
theLowerEasternshore.Thisprogramis
designedtoassisthomeownerswhohavea
streamorotherwaterwayonoradjacenttotheir
propertytocreateastreamsidebufferofnative
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April 20, 2012 (8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) Producer’sDigitalToolbox
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ChesapeakeCollege
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Producer’sDigitalToolbox
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HagerstownCommunityCollege
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