New Season of MPT’s Maryland Farm & Harvest Premieres November 15

Veteran Farmers Episode Visits Sites in Baltimore, Carroll, Garrett, and Queen Anne’s Counties

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Nov. 10, 2022) – Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) popular original series Maryland Farm & Harvest returns for its 10th season on Tuesday, November 15 at 7 p.m. with the first of 13 new half-hour episodes. A preview is available here: https://bit.ly/3pMCbiA.

The season premiere features farms and locations in Baltimore, Carroll, Garrett, and Queen Anne’s counties as part of a “veteran farmers” themed episode. These farmers have dedicated their lives not only to growing our food, but also to serving and defending our nation. Joanne Clendining, who has earned two Emmy® awards from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for her work on Maryland Farm & Harvest, returns as host. She is joined by Al Spoler, who handles duties for each episode’s The Local Buy segment.

Segments featured in the November 15 episode are:

• Iraqi War Veteran and Grain Farmer (Queen Anne’s and Carroll counties) – When Evan Miles came home from a tour of duty in Iraq, he resumed the life he left behind – farming the fields of his beloved Eastern Shore. The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks moved Evan to join the military to serve his country. After two tours of duty with the U.S. Navy, he returned to Bluestem Farms, his family farm in Chestertown, which grows commodity crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. When Maryland Farm & Harvest visited Evan, he was operating a large combine, harvesting winter wheat destined for specialty breads, cookies, and crackers. Viewers also hear from cattle farmer Rob Burnett of Good Run Farms in Union Bridge, who also serves as Executive Director of the Maryland Chapter of Farmer Veteran Coalition. Rob, an Army veteran, explains how being a farmer and a veteran are analogous to each other. 
• Vietnam War Veteran and Permaculture Farmer (Garrett County) – Kenny Braitman returned home from Vietnam in 1968 a profoundly changed man. In the heat of a major battle, Kenny lost both of his legs as he attempted to save a fellow Marine. Howevere he would not let his injuries keep him down. He learned and embraced a farming method called Permaculture. This approach to agriculture looks to nature and forests as models to create sustainable and resilient food-producing ecosystems. In response to climate change, Kenny started Edgesville Farm in Frostburg with the hope that his farm will outlive him, and help feed his community in a time of need.
• The Local Buy: Regenerative Farming/Pasture Raised Chickens (Baltimore County) – When Vince Matanoski retired from the U.S. Navy after 31 years as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) Officer, he decided to drop anchor on an 81-acre farm he and his wife Carin call Ladybrook Farm in Monkton. During this episode’s The Local Buy, segment host Al Spoler visits the farm on what was originally part of the famed My Lady’s Manor in Baltimore County. Vince shows Al the farm’s pasture-raised chicken operation where they gather fresh eggs. Then, Carin whips up a brunch-style dish that uses local produce and, of course, eggs from the farm. A recipe for this dish will be available for viewers at mpt.org/farm.

More than 13 million viewers have watched Maryland Farm & Harvest on MPT since the series’ fall 2013 debut. The series has traveled to more than 430 farms, fisheries, and other agriculture-related locations during its first nine seasons, covering every Maryland county, as well as Baltimore City, and Washington, D.C.

Past episodes can be viewed at video.mpt.tv/show/maryland-farm-harvest, while episode segments are available on the series’ YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/MarylandFarmHarvest/featured. Engage with the show on social media @MarylandFarmHarvest on Facebook and @mdfarmtv on Twitter.

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 MDA’s Maryland’s Best buy local program, Rural Maryland Council, Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation, a grant from the MDA Specialty Crop Block Program, Farm Credit, Maryland Soybean Board, Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Wegmans Food Markets, Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association, Maryland Seafood Marketing Fund, Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Maryland Farm Bureau, and The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment. Other support comes from Mar-Del Watermelon Association.

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Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Twitter @MdAgDept