MPT Series Maryland Farm & Harvest Visits Baltimore, Prince George’s, Talbot, Worcester Counties and Baltimore City During Jan. 15 Episode

The Local Buy’s Al Spoler checks out Nazirahk Amen’s rice harvest. Photo credit: Maryland Public Television’s Maryland Farm & Harvest

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) popular original series Maryland Farm & Harvest, in its sixth season, will feature farms and other locations in Baltimore, Prince George’s, Talbot and Worcester Counties as well as Baltimore City during a new episode airing Tuesday, January 15 at 7 p.m.

Maryland Farm & Harvest takes viewers on journeys across the state, telling stories about the farms, people, and technology required to sustain and grow Maryland’s number one industry: agriculture. During the past year, MPT’s production team has filmed episode segments at more than four dozen farms in preparation for the new season. Segments featured on the upcoming episode are:

• Wheat to Brownies (Talbot County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City): In this segment, viewers follow Maryland wheat from the field to Nagel Farm Service in Wye Mills, one of the state’s grain elevators, and eventually to Atwater’s, a Baltimore area culinary institution. Viewers meet owner Ned Atwater, who explains why the soft red winter wheat raised in Maryland is key to making his delicious chocolate brownies.
• Prince George’s County Conservationist: This segment looks at the changing landscape of farming in Prince George’s County through the eyes of agricultural advocate and Soil Conservation District Manager Steve Darcy. Viewers visit Steve’s farm, Edgewood Farm in Upper Marlboro, where he implements the latest conservation practices, and Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, home to a three-day soil health training event Steve organizes. Finally, viewers are taken to a local community garden, where Steve and a soil scientist use a piece of technology called an XRF Analyzer to measure heavy metals in the soil – something particularly useful at farms in developed areas. Despite continuing development, there are 60,000 acres of farmland in the county.
• The Whole Hog (Worcester County): When it comes to pork – ham, bacon, and chops are just the beginning. During this segment, viewers find out what it means to go “whole hog.” Farmer Bob Mattie of Elysium Farm in Berlin explains his approach to raising pigs, and why he believes consuming nearly every part of the pig is a way to pay respect to his animals.
• The Local Buy: Rice (Prince George’s County): Maryland is not known for growing rice, but if farmer Nazirahk Amen of Purple Mountain Organics has anything to do with it, someday it will be. During a visit to a rice field at the University of DC Firebird Research Farm in Beltsville, Nazirahk explains dryland rice production to The Local Buy segment host Al Spoler. Al then gets a taste of the rice crop there in the form of a delicious vegetarian gumbo. This and related recipes are available to viewers at mpt.org/farm.

Maryland Farm & Harvest 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 7:30 p.m. More information about the series is available at mpt.org/farm, and viewers can join the conversation on social media at the hashtag #MDFarmHarvestFans.

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 Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit; Maryland’s Best; the Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation; the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation; and the Maryland Soybean Board. Other support comes from the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts; Wegmans Food Markets; the Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association; the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.; the Rural Maryland Council; the Maryland Seafood Marketing Advisory Commission; the Maryland Farm Bureau, Inc.; Mar-Del Watermelon Association; and the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission.

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Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Twitter @MdAgDept