Fourth season of MPT’s Maryland Farm & Harvest premieres November 15

Popular weekly series showcases Maryland’s largest industry

Series host Joanne Clendining (Credit: Maryland Public Television)

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) original series Maryland Farm & Harvest premieres for its fourth season with new half-hour episodes airing Tuesdays at 7 p.m. beginning November 15. The series puts a human face on Maryland agriculture by telling stories of the people, skills, and technology required to sustain and grow the state’s largest industry.

Approximately four million viewers have tuned in to Maryland Farm & Harvest since the series’ debut in fall 2013. For the past six months MPT’s production team has filmed at more than four dozen farms and agriculture facilities across the state in preparation for the new 13-episode season.

The season’s first episode takes viewers to Triple R Bull Company in Washington County where bulls are bred and trained for rodeo competitions; Briar Branch Alpaca Farm in St. Mary’s County to find out why more than 30 alpaca farms have emerged in Maryland over the past 20 years; Hutchinson Brothers Farm in Talbot County where NASA satellites monitor the farm’s soil to enhance sustainability efforts; and Yoder’s Tomatoes in Garrett County for the series’ Local Buy segment.

Series host Joanne Clendining, who earned an Emmy® Award from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for her work on Maryland Farm & Harvest, returns for season four. Joining her is Contributing Editor Al Spoler, who serves up the Local Buy segment during each episode.

The series airs on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on MPT-HD and is rebroadcast on Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6 a.m. Each show also airs on MPT2 on Fridays at 7 p.m.  For more information visit mpt.org/farm.

Agriculture is Maryland’s largest industry. In 2010 it accounted for more than $4.7 billion in direct output. The state has 12,200 farms accounting for approximately 2 million acres, and nearly 6,000 full-time farmers.  Agriculture alone directly employs more than 22,000 workers and stimulates additional employment for a total of 36,000-plus workers in Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is MPT’s co-production partner for Maryland Farm & Harvest. Major funding is provided by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.

Additional funding is provided by Maryland’s Best; the Maryland Soybean Board; MidAtlantic Farm Credit; the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation;  the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation; and the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts.  Other support comes from the Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association; the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association; the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.; Willard Agri-Service Company; the Maryland Farm Bureau Service Company; the Mar-Del Watermelon Association; and the Maryland Grape Growers Association.

About MPT
Launched in 1969 and headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, Maryland Public Television is a nonprofit, state-licensed public television network and member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).  MPT’s six transmitters cover Maryland plus portions of contiguous states and the District of Columbia.  Frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards, MPT creates local, regional, and national television shows.  Beyond broadcast, MPT’s commitment to professional educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through year-round instructional events and the super-website Thinkport, which garners in excess of 14 million page views annually.  MPT’s community engagement connects viewers with local resources on significant health, education, and public interest topics through year-round outreach events, viewer forums, program screenings, and phone bank call-in opportunities.

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Note: Maryland Farm & Harvest hi-res photos and logo are available upon request