MDA Blog

August 8, 2016

Take the Buy Local Challenge

To be published July 2016 in Lancaster Farming

The Buy Local Pledge
 “I pledge to eat at least one thing from a local farm every day during Buy Local Week, July 23-31, 2016.”

Some of us take the Buy Local Pledge every chance we get, but not everyone does. Governor Larry Hogan has officially declared July 23-31 as Buy Local Challenge Week to raise awareness about the benefits of local farms and food so that Marylanders will become more familiar and more frequent consumers of fresh, local products. I certainly join the Governor in encouraging all Marylanders to take the pledge and eat well the week of July 23.

Buying and eating local is more than just enjoying fresh, delicious, nutritious food that tastes better – although that’s good enough reason for me. Local food is better for the environment. It keeps land open, in production and requires less fuel for transportation and therefore less pollution. Local produce is also better for you since food that travels less time and distance holds more of its nutrients. Eating local food also supports local farm families, local economies and local communities. In addition, buying local helps preserves open space, especially in rural areas where growing development pressures put both the environment and our quality of life at risk.

In its 2010 Policy Choices Survey, the University of Baltimore Schaefer Center for Public Policy found that more than 78 percent of Marylanders said they want to buy produce grown by a Maryland farmer.  The Buy Local Challenge gives them an opportunity to do just that.

The Buy Local Challenge was created by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and has since become a statewide program. The Buy Local Challenge Week is always the last full week of July. Take the Buy Local Pledge here: http://buylocalchallenge.com/

To promote and kick off the Buy Local Challenge Week, Governor Larry Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan hosted the 9^th Annual Buy Local Cookout at Government House on July 21. Recipes for the event showcased the many ways local Maryland ingredients can be used in all kinds of ways. Recipes were submitted by teams of Maryland chefs and producers and selected based on their availability of ingredients, geographic representation, maximum use of local ingredients and creativity. The Buy Local Cookout also featured grocery store chains, distributors, restaurants and institutions that support farmers.

Each year, the department publishes a Maryland Buy Local Cookout cookbook of all the recipes submitted for the cookout. This year’s cookbook – and every other cookbook published since 2009 – can be downloaded for free from our website at: http://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/Buy-Local-Cookout.aspx

All recipes include wine, beer or spirits pairing recommendations from the Maryland Wineries Association, Brewers Association of Maryland and the newly formed Maryland Distillers Guild.

Today, there are 145 farmers markets in Maryland and the demand for local products continues to grow. We are working hard to connect local producers with local consumers, and we invite everyone to check our searchable database at www.marylandsbest.net to find local products and markets nearby.

We also encourage consumers to ask for Maryland-grown products whenever possible – while shopping for weekly groceries, when eating at a Maryland restaurant, when visiting children’s schools and cafeterias, even while visiting someone in the hospital. Ask where the local products are and if there aren’t any, ask them to stock some.

And don’t forget, there are nine dairy farms on Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail. Enjoying a nice scoop of farm fresh ice cream counts as buying local as well!

The Buy Local Challenge and Buy Local Week helps residents – many of whom have had no connection or contact with a real, working farm – realize how delicious local products are. Once they do that, we are certain they will continue to seek out and demand more avenues for obtaining fresh, local food.

So take the pledge, take the challenge, eat well, preserve the environment, and support your local farmers – all at the same time!

June 20, 2016

Maryland Agriculture on Track to Meet Bay Goals

To be published Saturday, June 25, 2016 in Lancaster Farming

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its evaluations of how well the five Chesapeake Bay states and related federal agencies are progressing toward meeting their 2014-2015 milestones and 2016-2017 milestone commitments for restoring the Chesapeake Bay. The milestones are key check-in points on the way to meeting all Bay pollution reduction measures by 2025.

We are pleased that the EPA recognized the significant progress that has been made already and that Maryland agriculture is on track to meet its 2017 goals.

Maryland farmers continue to plant record cover crop acreage, which is one of the most cost-effective ways to keep nitrogen out of ground water and the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, the State invested $31.2 million in grants last year for farmers to install 2,440 conservation projects (including cover crops) that control soil erosion, reduce nutrient runoff and protect water quality in streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. These grants helped Maryland farmers meet or exceed most of the 2014-2015 Bay restoration milestones.

Governor Larry Hogan’s Maryland Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative has also been instrumental in helping farmers reduce agricultural phosphorus and improve water quality. Last year alone, Maryland farmers moved 167,237 tons of manure away from farm fields with high soil phosphorus levels—a 40 percent increase over last year’s transport figures. And since 2014, the State has issued $3.7 million in grants through the Animal Waste Technology Fund to support new on-farm manure management technologies.

Clearly, Maryland farmers are continuing to do more than their part, and I congratulate everyone for their outstanding efforts.

Cover Crop Sign Up June 24-July 15

Let’s keep up the great work on cover crops! The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s 2016-2017 Cover Crop Sign-Up will take place June 24 through July 15 at soil conservation district offices statewide. This popular grant program helps farmers offset seed, labor and equipment costs associate with planting cover crops to control soil erosion, reduce nutrient runoff and protect water quality in streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Governor Hogan has allocated $22.5 million for Maryland’s 2016-2017 Cover Crop Program.

Workshops Planned for Dairy Farmers

Because this has been a financially challenging year for the dairy sector, Maryland is hosting three workshops in July to provide dairy farmers with financial risk management information and updates on manure management requirements that take effect this winter.

I encourage all dairy farmers to take advantage of the information being provided at these workshops and to learn more about the tools available to help them.

Critical information will be provided by presenters from the University of Maryland, Penn State University, Maryland Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Credit, and the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corp.

All meetings will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Lunch is included. The workshops will be held:

• July 11 – Cecil County Extension, 200 Chesapeake Blvd., Suite 1500, Elkton (registration: 410-996-5280)
• July 12 – Washington County Extension, 7303 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro (registration: 301-405-1293)
• July 14 – Garrett County Extension (registration: 301-405-1293).

For more information, call Mark Powell at the department, 410-841-5775, or Paul Goeringer at the University of Maryland, 301-405-3541.

New Pollinator Protection Plan

The department released its Maryland Pollinator Protection Plan last week, which is designed to help various bee-loving populations improve and strengthen pollinator health and habitat. In Maryland, honey bees pollinate crops valued at more than $40 million a year, yet in recent years, honey bee colonies have been experiencing winter losses at a rate of about 30 percent. The plan provides specific information and technical advice to homeowners, beekeepers, farmers, and non-agricultural landowners about how to improve and increase areas where bees can live safely and eat well.  The plan is available online. Public comments will be accepted through July 25, 2016 and can be emailed to pollinator.protection@maryland.gov or call 410-841-5710.

Fight the Bite!

Mosquito season is underway. Mosquitoes that could potentially carry the Zika virus breed in containers. All residents should regularly survey their properties and their communities and eliminate or treat mosquito breeding sites. This includes emptying all containers of water around the home and yard every three or four days.  These mosquitoes fly about 150 yards in their entire lives. If we eliminate all locations where they could breed, the threat of disease transmission and nuisance complaints can be cut substantially.

For more information, including frequently asked questions, 30-second videos about how to control mosquitoes around the home, tips on how to rid your community of mosquito breeding sites, and tips on how to avoid mosquito bites, visit: www.mda.maryland.gov/zika

I encourage all Marylanders to follow the department’s new Twitter feed @MdAgMosquito for information about unscheduled spray events and other timely information about mosquito control and Zika prevention in Maryland.

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April 21, 2016

Impact of the 2016 Legislative Session on Maryland Agriculture

Secretary Joe Bartenfelder

To be Published April 23, 2016, in Lancaster Farming

Throughout the 90-day session as the Maryland General Assembly gathered in Annapolis we focused on educating legislators about Maryland’s number one industry and a number of bills that would have had a direct negative impact on the agriculture industry and the operational and fiscal functions of the department.

We also continued with our outreach to inform legislators about the Department of Agriculture and services we provide to the industry, consumers and the general public. I personally participated in five agricultural briefings to various committees on the status of Maryland’s agricultural community and the department’s function as a state agency, in addition to countless individual meetings with legislators and their staff to ensure they understand the importance of Maryland’s agriculture industry to the economy and rural life.

The General Assembly passed the following bills:

• SB198 – establishes and prohibits a person from selling certain neonicotinoid products at retail in the State after January 1, 2018. This bill also restricts the type of users allowed to apply outdoor neonicotinoid products after January 1, 2018. The Department is also required to make recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on completion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s pollinator risk assessment of four neonicotinoid pesticides and must incorporate pollinator habitat expansion into the state’s managed pollinator protection plan.
• SB526– allows the Department to exempt certain agricultural operations, products, or materials from the Maryland Commercial Feed Law through regulation.
• HB433– allows institutes of higher education and state departments of agriculture to conduct research on industrial hemp as a potential fiber and oilseed crop..  It also requires that sites used for growing or cultivating industrial hemp be certified by, and registered with, the state department of agriculture. The bill also authorizes state departments of agriculture to promulgate regulations to carry out a pilot program.
• HB815– authorizes a licensee at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area to conduct live racing of Arabian breed horses if the purse for an Arabian breed race is funded by the licensee or the sponsor of the race. Specified takeout provisions apply, and the licensee pays specified taxes and fees. The race must also be approved by the Maryland Racing Commission. An Arabian breed horse must have a valid certificate of registry with the Arabian Jockey Club of America.
• HB870 – authorizes the Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to control the spread of black flies in Washington County.

There were three primarily anti-agriculture bills this year and all three measures targeted livestock production and the current way Maryland farmers conduct business. These bills were proposed by out-of-state interest groups, or other environmental groups who would like to see unnecessary changes be made to Maryland’s agriculture industry. The department spent a significant amount of time working to defeat these bills by educating legislators on the negative impact they would have on the industry and the fiscal impact they would place on tax-payers and family farmers. Most notably:

• HB1496 – would have placed requirements for livestock production contracts between contract producers and contractors, as defined in the bill. The bill would also establish specified rights for contract producers and prohibits contractors from engaging in specified practices. Violators are subject to civil and criminal penalties.
• HB599 – would have significantly changed the way poultry companies and growers conduct their voluntary-based contract agreements and business relations. If passed, it would have made the poultry companies responsible for the poultry litter, an organic by-product from poultry house operations. Transferring responsibility of the litter to the poultry companies would take away a valuable nutrient commodity and potential income source from poultry farmers. This bill would require the Maryland Department of Agriculture to inspect and enforce reporting requirements between integrators, manure brokers, manure transport companies, poultry growers, and receiving agricultural operations. Additional general funds would be necessary for new departmental personnel and travel to comply with these added enforcement requirements.
• HB829/SB607 – would have prohibited after January 1, 2018, cattle, swine, or poultry growers  from administrating medically important antimicrobial drugs in feed or water without a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) order (Title 21,Code of Federal Regulations(CFR), §558.6 Veterinary Feed Directive Drugs).

The Maryland Department of Agriculture put forward three departmental bills during the 2016 legislative session that were adopted by the General Assembly.

• SB110 – adds positions to the Maryland Young Farmers Advisory Board: a Maryland State FFA officer, an urban farmer, and six “general public” members.
• SB112– repeals the Maryland Pest Control Compact in its entirety. The Interstate Pest Control Compact governing board voted to dissolve the compact in 2012 and it ceased operations in 2013. With the dissolution of the compact, the Maryland Pest Control Compact Law became obsolete.
• SB113– simplifies the process required to import honey bees and associated equipment into Maryland by eliminating a second step of importation (an entry permit from Maryland), while maintaining assurances that only healthy bees and disease-free equipment are imported into the state.

The department will continue to work with a wide-range of various stakeholders, commissions, and advisory boards, after the session to address any possible legislative issues or policy developments, including an interstate-agency workgroup to study the impact of hauling grain, poultry, and dairy on State highways.

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January 19, 2016

A Look Back at the Progress We Made In 2015

By Secretary Joe Bartenfelder

Published January 16, 2016, in Lancaster Farming

It’s been a busy year since I joined the Maryland Department of Agriculture to serve our agricultural community. As Maryland’s ninth secretary of agriculture, I have strived to accomplish the three goals I announced at the start of my service:

• Diversify and expand agricultural businesses;
• Rebuild farmer trust in the department; and
• Work directly with elected officials and legislators to promote the importance of agriculture.

I’d like to tell you about the progress we have made in meeting these goals.

Diversify and Expand Agricultural Businesses

We are helping farmers diversify their businesses and capitalize on expanding marketing opportunities arising from the growing consumer demand for local products and desire to better understand where their food comes from.

The department launched a revitalized Maryland’s Best logo in May. This on-going campaign emphasizes “Fresh, Local” and develops advertising designed to drive consumers to www.MarylandsBest.net to find local farms.

We also promote Maryland agriculture through a variety of campaigns and events including: Maryland’s Ice Cream Trail, which includes eight farms stretching from Ocean City to Washington County; Governor’s Buy Local Cookout, which kicks off “Buy Local Challenge Week”; and National Farmers Market Week (first week of August), which promotes local markets.

Through the department’s international marketing arm, we are working to open new markets abroad. I participated in Cuba’s International Trade Fair in Havana in November. There, we met with high level Cuban officials to promote Maryland products, especially soybeans, grains and poultry.

Buyer Grower Meeting

Our annual Buyer-Grower meeting, a wholesale local food trade show held in Annapolis, connects Maryland farmers, aquaculturalists, producers, and processors with a variety of buyers.  Last year more than 370 people participated.  Even more are expected on January 20.

Maryland’s Horse Industry

Maryland has more horses per square mile than any other state and are an important part of our cultural heritage and the agriculture economy. Working with the Maryland Horse Industry Board, a program within the department, we have promoted the industry with our “Touch of Class” awards, the Maryland Horse Chase, the 11-day My Maryland Horse Festival at the Maryland State Fair, and the development of the Horse Discovery network. We have also supported a variety of equine events including: the Preakness Stakes, “Racing with the Times” movie premier, Fair Hill International, Maryland High School Rodeo Championship, and the Maryland Million  – to name a few.

Agricultural Education

As our citizens becomes further removed from daily farm life, it is increasingly important to educate people about where their food comes from. Every year, we promote and support Homegrown School Lunch Week through our Farm to School program. During the past year, I participated in the Maryland FFA Convention, read to students at Fullerton Elementary School to celebrate National Ag Day / Read Across Maryland, and also visited Sam Ogle Middle School in Prince George’s County to learn about their garden initiative. We are also working with the State Department of Education and industry representatives to help a Baltimore City school build greenhouses, raised bed gardens, incorporate agriculture into their curriculum, and create internships that could lead to future career opportunities. We hope to have more news about that later in the year.

Rebuilding Farmer Trust

Under the Hogan-Rutherford Administration, Maryland is open for business – and that includes our farm and agricultural-based businesses. The department has been working with farmers to help them see the department as a resource that is here to help them.

As one of his first actions in office, Governor Larry Hogan proposed enhanced Phosphorus Management Tool (PMT) regulations as part of a broader “Maryland Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative.” This initiative is designed to further Maryland’s efforts to improve water quality, strengthen the agricultural industry, and bolster rural economies. The regulations, which went into effect June 8, reflect feedback from the agricultural and environmental communities and are a fair and balanced plan for limiting phosphorus.

The regulations included forming a PMT Advisory Committee and conducting an economic impact study. The committee met for the first time last month and eight farms are now participating in an on-farm economic impact study. Those eight farms are fully implementing the phosphorus management requirements this and next year, which will give us a good idea of how the tool will impact their operations. To help farmers meet the regulations, we have strong funding for the Manure Transport Program, with priority given to farms with high phosphorus soil levels. We are also in a position to assist those who want to start incorporating manure and need equipment in the short term in lieu of using custom applicators.

Animal Waste Technology Fund

Because managing manure will become an even bigger challenge to some farmers in the future, the department has funded five farm-scale projects related to manure to energy and animal waste management through the Animal Waste Technology Fund. Last month, we issued another Request for Proposal for an additional $2.5 million to fund projects that demonstrate new technologies on farms and provide alternate strategies for managing animal manure without impacting water quality. Ultimately, these projects will help farmers meet the requirements of the state’s stringent nutrient management law. Of this new funding, $1 million will be directed at renewable energy or related components of project(s).

Working with Elected Officials

As a former county and state elected official for nearly 30 years, I know first-hand how important it is for officials to understand the real-life impact of laws and regulations. On Monday, we hosted a group of legislators to tour the department, see our labs and hear from our employees about the work they do to protect consumers and the environment and to promote agriculture. This past fall, we hosted tours for legislators on 16 farms in seven counties. In all, 31 lawmakers, plus legislative staffers participated. At the Maryland State Fair, for the first time, we hosted a breakfast and tour of the fairgrounds and had a great response from the two dozen officials who participated.  We will continue working with elected officials, policy makers and the general public to ensure they know about the importance of Maryland agriculture to our quality of life and overall economy.

A Final Note – High Path Avian Influenza

Now that winter temperatures have plummeted, we are starting to see the fall migration of ducks and geese – the primary carriers of high path avian influenza, or bird flu. The risk to flock owners, large and small, is now very high. We have spent the past year coordinating, training and preparing with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, our counterparts in Delaware and Virginia, the poultry industry, and so many others who will be impacted if the disease arrives in our state. Our two internationally accredited animal health diagnostic labs test every flock prior to slaughter, and our inspectors follow up on reports of sick birds. We believe we are as prepared as we can be. We continue to urge all flock owners to practice strict biosecurity.

Looking Ahead

The year ahead will continue to bring more opportunities for Maryland agriculture, and I look forward to continuing to serve Marylanders.

November 5, 2015

Bringing State Lawmakers to the Farm

By Secretary Joe Bartenfelder

With the General Assembly Session right around the corner, state legislators are sure to get an earful from many sources about a wide range of issues. I want to make sure that when bills that impact farmers and the agricultural sector are introduced, our lawmakers understand what the impact will be. In fact, I want them to see, first hand, the impact that current regulations, good and bad, are having on farming operations.

Toward that end, I invited local, state and federal lawmakers to join me on a series of four farm tours across the state during the last two months. Thirty-one lawmakers or their staff members attended at least some of the tours. All together, we visited 16 farms in seven counties. The tours included big, medium and small operations. Those on the tour met and talked with farmers that raised poultry, cows, pigs and horses. We took a tractor tour of a nursery operation, and we walked through farms that produced grain, fruits and vegetables, and value-added agriculture. These are just a few of the more than 12,000 farms in our state that work every day to provide the food and fiber needs of our state and nation – even the world. Together, they are the backbone of our local rural economies.  

I think it is safe to say that everyone who came along not only enjoyed a first-hand look at Maryland farming but also learned more about the difficulties and challenges facing our farmers and the great successes farmers manage to have every day. They understood even more the diversity, the breadth and the critical importance of the agricultural industry to our state’s overall economic health. My only regret is that more lawmakers were not able to join us.

My thanks to all the legislators and staff members, as well as local county representatives who spent their valuable time with us.

And, of course, my deep thanks to the farms who opened their doors to our tours and showed the group how they do business and shared their thoughts about this industry, including: Bell Nurseries in Burtonsville; Boyle Brothers Seed Cleaning in Queen Anne’s; Butlers Orchard in Germantown; Ernst Grain and Livestock in Clear Spring; Lippy Brothers Inc. in Hampstead; Manor View Farm  in Monkton; Misty Meadow Creamery in Smithburg; Nagel Farm Service in Cordova; Richardson’s Farm and Market in White Marsh; Rigbie Farms in Darlington; Rinehardt Orchards in Smithburg; Ruppert Nurseries in Gaithersburg; Stoney Castle Farm in Poolesville; Thanksgiving Farms in Adamstown; Triple Creek Winery in Cordova; and Winterhawk Farm in  Greensboro.

My thanks also to MARBIDCO, Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit and Delmarva’s chicken industry for providing lunch on these tours.

For everyone else who has never been on a farm but also wants to see what they’re like, now is the best time of year to visit one. Many farms are still open for the fall with corn mazes, pumpkin picking and other events. Check out Maryland’s Best website (www.marylandsbest.net) and search for an agri-tourism farm near you.

To see some photos of the tour, visit our Flickr page.

September 15, 2015

Maryland Celebrates Homegrown School Lunch Week

By Joe Bartenfelder, Maryland Agriculture Secretary

Students across Maryland enjoyed lunches full of fresh, local Maryland agricultural products. Governor Larry Hogan officially designated September 14-18, 2015 as Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, a time when schools across the state help students understand that their food comes from farms.

Our goal is to see more local, fresh food in school lunches, not only to improve childhood health but also to help them learn about the importance of our farms to our environment and daily lives. Homegrown School Lunch week not only provides effective learning activities, it can be an economic opportunity for Maryland farmers and it’s fun for students and other participants.

Governor Hogan supports the program, saying “It is essential that students learn and understand where our food comes from, and how vital our agriculture industry is to Maryland’s economy and our quality of life. We are extremely encouraged that nearly all 24 of our public school systems and some private schools are participating in this essential educational program.”

To kick off the week, I had the pleasure of joining educators, farmers, and federal, state and local officials last Thursday with about 400 students from Preston Elementary School in Caroline County.  I would like to thank Beth Brewster, coordinator of food services for Caroline County Public School, who has creatively observed Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week since it began in 2008.

That day, the school held an all-school assembly where students heard from agriculture and education officials more about the connection between farms and food. Principal Dr. Lois McCoy said she and the Preston Elementary School’s staff and students were honored to host the Statewide Farm to School Kick-off Celebration. “What a wonderful educational opportunity for our students to learn about how food is grown in their local communities. On a daily basis, our local farmers provide many of our nutritious produce, fruits and vegetables, for school breakfast and lunch programs. It is my hope that we can continue these programs and sustain the partnerships that we have with our local farmers.”

We enjoyed a delicious lunch featuring local agricultural products including bison burgers (SB Farms, Hurlock); chicken taco salad (Perdue Farms, Salisbury); watermelon slices (Harris Farms, Preston); corn on the cob with cilantro butter (Taylor’s Produce, Preston); and peach cobbler (Blades Orchard, Preston).

Special for the event, Chesapeake Culinary Institute students prepared three different soups that they presented for the elementary students in in tasting stations that featured: watermelon gazpacho (Harris Farms, Preston and Clayton Farms, Denton); Maryland crab soup (Blough’s Seafood, Denton and Clayton Farms, Denton); and cantaloupe soup (Clayton Farms, Denton).

Officials who attended the event also toured two Caroline County farms (Outstanding Dreams Alpaca Farm and Faulkner Branch) while students visited the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation Ag Showcase. Miss Caroline County Farm Bureau Julie Cesarini, Mar-Del Watermelon Queen Courtney Hastings and Apple Annie also visited with students during the day.

We ended the festivities with an official tour of the Chesapeake Culinary Center (CCC) in Denton (Caroline County) and its grand opening of a new restaurant kitchen at the center. CCC is a community driven facility that promotes a positive culinary learning experience for students, and a professionally trained workforce for the hospitality industry.  It provides culinary training to youth, students and adults. CCC also provides a catering service to allow students to have a hands-on learning experience in the industry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is supportive of Maryland’s efforts as well. USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Mid-Atlantic Region Administrator Patricia Dombroski said “We are thrilled and honored to celebrate Maryland’s Homegrown School Lunch Week. Early childhood is the ideal time to establish healthy eating habits. Connecting schools and education settings to local food producers with the objectives of serving locally-grown, healthy foods to children while providing related nutrition education and improving child nutrition is a win-win situation for all.”

The Maryland Farm to School Program is a joint effort supported by MDA and the Maryland State Department of Education. Interim State Superintendent of Schools Jack R. Smith, Ph.D., says “While our students are learning all about the food chain, they are also engaging in lessons that span the curriculum—from science and health to history and economics. These activities are an excellent way to bring learning to life for students across Maryland while also exposing them to potential career paths.”

This year, other county schools are creatively incorporating local protein and developing infrastructure for local farmers into the 2015 Homegrown School Lunch Week. Eight school systems indicated they “buy local when feasible” throughout the school year – up from zero when the program started in 2008. Information about activities in other counties is available www.marylandfarmtoschool.org.

The Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, an element of the Jane Lawton Farm to School Program, was signed into law in 2008. More information about Maryland’s Farm to School program, including educational materials, menus, places to find local products, brief video soundbook with photos and interviews, plus much more for parents, teachers, and food service staff, visit:www.marylandfarmtoschool.org. For information on the school meals programs, visit: www.eatsmartmaryland.org.

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August 25, 2015

Lining up the Defense for Md Ag vs. Bird flu, Palmer amaranth

By Secretary Joe Bartenfelder

As football season gears up and defensive strategies are being practiced on the gridiron, Maryland farmers need to tackle two major opponents on their farms to ensure Maryland Agriculture comes out on top. High Path Avian Influenza has the potential to devastate the poultry industry and Palmer amaranth, a new aggressive weed, threatens Maryland’s cropping systems. Time for farmers to put their game faces on because we cannot afford to lose either of these two battles.

 High Path Avian Influenza

Because High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI) could have a catastrophic impact on our state’s poultry industry, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is taking the threat as seriously as possible. As Secretary of Agriculture, I recently issued an order, effectively immediately, that directly impacts your poultry and/or laying operation. The order and its requirements are designed to limit the risk of any poultry premise from contracting HPAI this fall. The complete order can be read on our website (mda.maryland.gov)

Highlights of the order include the following:

Biosecurity and sanitation requirements governing all growers:

Each grower shall maintain a sanitary, bio-secure premise for poultry. At a minimum, each grower shall:

 Restrict access to poultry by posting a sign stating “Restricted Access,” securing the area with a gate, or both.

• Take steps to ensure that contaminated materials on the ground are not transported into the poultry growing house or area.
• Provide the following items to anyone entering or leaving any area where poultry are kept:
  • Footbaths and foot mats with disinfectant;
  • Boot washing and disinfectant station;
  • Footwear change or foot covers.
• Cover and secure feed to prevent wild birds, rodents or other animals from accessing it.
• Cover and properly contain poultry carcasses, used litter, or other disease-containing organic materials to prevent wild birds, rodents or other animals from accessing it and to keep it from being blown by the wind.
• Allow MDA to enter the premises during normal working hours to inspect biosecurity and sanitation practices.

Importation requirements governing hatching eggs and poultry:

You cannot move poultry into Maryland unless:

 It originates from a clean NPIP flock (or state equivalent), whether or not the poultry is going to immediate slaughter; OR

• The poultry originates from a flock that was tested and found negative for Avian Influenza (HS and H7) within 10 days before entering Maryland.
• For flocks with more than 30 birds – a minimum of 30 birds, three weeks of age or older, must be tested and found negative.

To move poultry into Maryland, you must:

• Include a completed Official Certificate with the shipment and, if applicable, a copy of the laboratory report documenting Avian Influenza testing; OR
• Include a statement that the owner of the flock(s) shipping the poultry participates in and meets the requirements of the NPIP (or state equivalent); AND
• Submit a copy of the Official Certificate to the State Veterinarian within seven days of movement.

If you are in a HPAI Control Zone:

 You must have MDA approval before you can move poultry, baby poultry, or hatching eggs into Maryland.

• The poultry to be moved must meet all additional testing, biosecurity requirements, and epidemiological assessments as determined by MDA

This order has the well-being of poultry operations at heart and has been issued to protect the backyard flock owners, family farms and large integrators from economic hardship. A quarantine order may be imposed on anyone in violation of this order. In addition, violations are subject to criminal and administrative penalties as provided under Maryland law.

New Aggressive Weed

 Palmer amaranth (a member of the “pigweed” family) is now establishing itself more and more in Maryland and has the potential to threaten Maryland’s cropping systems. It is one of the most troublesome weeds that we know in cropping systems all over the South and the Midwest and it is spreading fast throughout the United States. Aggressive steps are necessary to minimize its impact and delay the spread and development of herbicide resistance. No longer can Maryland growers settle for the easiest, least expensive, or short-term (single-season) control strategies. Growers must assume that all Palmer amaranth in Maryland’s fields are resistant against Roundup® and ALS inhibitor herbicides.

This weed can grow vigorously – more than two inches a day – therefore, the window for successful destruction by herbicides is short. Soybean weed management must quickly become a carefully planned and integrated control program that preserves herbicide and genetic (i.e. Roundup Ready®) technologies. According to the University of Maryland, residual herbicide programs (pre- and post-emergence) that keep the weed controlled until the grower has complete canopy closure in the field are crucial for success with Palmer amaranth control. This can also be supported also by planting soybean in narrow rows (up to 15 inches), which cuts down on the period for canopy closure by a few weeks. It has been shown that narrow rows help establish the stand of soybeans as well as shade out germinating weed seedlings.

For effective and long-lasting Palmer amaranth control, one needs to look three to five years into the future and not focus solely on herbicides. Best weed management practices for prevention and control of Palmer amaranth include integrating crop rotation and herbicide site of action rotation, diversifying in-season herbicide sites of action, closely monitor fields before and after herbicide application, using timely herbicide application schedules, completely controlling weeds in non-crop areas, and cleaning harvest and tillage equipment to avoid spread of Palmer amaranth to non-infested fields.

For more information, or assistance with identifying or controlling Palmer amaranth, please contact your local extension agent, or Dr. Burkhard Schulz, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland, bschulz1@umd.edu or 301-405-1317.

I hope you have a safe and profitable harvest season.

Celebrate Maryland Agriculture with fair visit

By JOSEPH BARTENFELDER
Maryland Agriculture Secretary

As secretary of agriculture, I am invited to participate in many of the state’s fine fairs, and I try to attend as many as I can. They are really the culmination of a great deal of hard work, good ideas and a lot of fun.

We as farmers put on our Sunday best and showcase our industry and its value to the public with friendly competition and educational activities.
I have fond memories of participating in agricultural fairs and shows and even fonder memories of my children participating. I look forward to my grandkids doing the same thing.

While there is lots to do at the fair, agriculture is still a large component of what goes on at the fair with young people from all across our great state showing their prize animals, fruits and vegetables.  These young people are our future in agriculture. Their skills and enthusiasm are very encouraging for the future of the industry as a whole.

While you are having a good time exploring the Maryland State Fair, remember that what it really celebrates is all of the success of our state’s agriculture and what it represents to our state economy, environment, culture and quality of life.

And while you are at it, I invite you to see the Maryland Department of Agriculture displays in the Exhibition Hall and the Farm and Garden Building where we are trying to tell agriculture’s story.

MDA does more than just work with farmers to ensure sound farmland management practices. It helps ensure the wise use of fertilizers and pesticides, monitors the accuracy of weights and measures, controls mosquito populations, and protects the health of humans and animals…and much more.

MDA will highlight many of the services it provides to improve the quality of life in Maryland during the 134th Maryland State Fair, Aug. 28 to Sept. 7, in the Farm & Garden Building, at the fairgrounds in Timonium.

This year, the state chemist will show youngsters how to make snow in its creation lab. Stop by and make a bumble bee from pipe cleaners and learn about pollinator habitat. Or play a little mini-golf game while learning about different agricultural commodities. There will also be an agriculture photo booth and interactive agricultural computer games.

The Maryland State Fair will celebrate “Agriculture Day at the Fair” on Thursday, Sept. 3 with a luncheon and tour of the fairgrounds, by invitation.

New this year, is the MY Maryland Horse Festival/Horse Land, in addition to the racing events and shows. The tented Horse Land, located between the carnival Kiddie Land and the Grandstand, will feature a variety of equine demonstrations, children’s activities, and a pony and donkeys. Youth can make stick horses and be able to race them on a kiddie-size racetrack as well as jump over a small obstacle course. And, an Equicizer will be available for folks to get the feel of riding a horse.

Be sure to check out U-Learn Farm in the Cow Palace too. Each day, U-Learn Farm will feature a different agriculture industry with a variety of fun and educational hands-on activities and exhibits to show kids of all ages how agriculture impacts their daily lives.

The 11-day festival will feature thousands of home arts and agricultural exhibits, daily livestock and horse shows, a wide variety of midway rides and games, thoroughbred horse racing and national entertainment. Don’t forget to save room for the great Maryland food at the Maryland Food Pavilion.

Please take time to enjoy the terrific Ag exhibits, from animals to zucchini… as well as the rest of the State Fair. For more State Fair information, visit www.marylandstatefair.com.

August 3, 2015

Celebrating Maryland Farmers’ Market Week

Joe Bartenfelder, Maryland Agriculture Secretary

Governor Larry Hogan has designated Aug. 2-8, Farmers Market Week in Maryland, and we invite you to celebrate local farms and local food with us. During this week, many markets will offer food preparation demonstrations, music and children’s activities along with an assortment of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, wine tastings, and more.

One way to celebrate is to include at least one local farmers market product in your meals each day. Try fresh, local products once and we think you will want to do so more frequently. There are more than 140 farmers markets across the state – at least one in every county and Baltimore City. The markets are filled with a variety of items – from watermelons and peaches to greens, sweet corn and the hottest habanero.

Farmers markets provide an important source of income for farmers, and local economies can improve as consumers seek the freshness, quality, and wide selection of locally grown produce, meats, dairy, eggs and more. Markets also serve as integral links between urban, suburban and rural communities. By talking one-on-one with farmers, you can learn where your food comes from, how to best prepare it, and useful storage and handling tips. You just can’t beat talking with a farmer to understand and appreciate your food.

You can also enter to win a prize by uploading your favorite farmers’ market week photo to Facebook or Twitter with #MdFarmersMarketWeek. At the end of the week, the Maryland Department of Agriculture will enter all the names of people who uploaded a photo into a drawing to win a prize! If you don’t engage with social media, you can submit photos the old fashioned way – by U.S. mail. Include name and contact information, phone number, and send to Shelby Watson Hampton, MDA, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401. All photo submissions must be postmarked by Aug. 8.

A randomly selected participant will win a copy of the local cookbook Dishing up Maryland, a $50 gift certificate to use on Maryland’s Best Ice Cream trail, and a copy of the first season of Maryland Public Television’s award winning series Maryland Farm & Harvest.

For more information on farmers markets in your area, visit www.marylandsbest.net or call 410-841-5770. See you at the market!

June 23, 2015

Take the Buy Local Challenge

By Joe Bartenfelder, MDA Secretary

July is peak season for Maryland produce, plus it’s National Ice Cream Month. We at the Maryland Department of Agriculture will be celebrating, and we hope you will too!

Take the Buy Local Challenge

“Yes, I pledge to eat at least one thing from a local farm every day during Buy Local Week!”

That’s the Buy Local Challenge, which runs from July 18-26, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture (along with Maryland farmers) encourages residents, restaurants, hospitals and others to sign the pledge and take the challenge. What could be more delicious?!

During Buy Local Challenge Week, we encourage everyone to support Maryland’s family farms by purchasing at least one locally grown, made or harvested product each day. After trying it for a week, we hope you will continue that practice every day of the year.

The Buy Local Challenge, created in 2006 by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, has grown into a statewide initiative that has continued to evolve. In its latest Policy Choices Survey, the University of Baltimore Schaefer Center for Public Policy found that more than 78 percent of Marylanders said they want to buy produce grown by a Maryland farmer.

Sign up online at: www.buy-local-challenge.com/

Governor’s Buy Local Cookout

To kick off Buy Local Challenge Week, Governor Larry Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan will host the eighth annual Governor’s Buy Local Cookout on July 16. The cookout features delicious, original dishes made by local chefs with locally grown foods. Earlier this year, Governor Hogan invited teams of chefs and producers to submit original recipes that highlight the diversity of local products. Some 37 recipes were submitted; and 15 were selected. The First Lady and Government House chefs will also provide an entrée and salad for the cookout. All recipe submissions will be published in the 2015 Maryland Buy Local Cookout Recipes, which will include wine, beer or spirits pairing recommendations from the Maryland Wineries Association, Brewers Association of Maryland and the newly formed Maryland Distillers Guild. The cookbook will be available online when completed next month.

MDA has published several cookbooks full of recipes that can be made with local products. Some are simple and quick, others are more complex. Past cookbooks are available free online http://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/Buy-Local-Cookout.aspx.

For many, the buy local movement is about fresh, delicious food, grown by a farmer they may know or whose land they can see from the road. And certainly local food tastes better, holds its nutritional value longer and is less likely to cause foodborne illnesses than food that is shipped. But buying local is more than just good food.

Buying from local farms also promotes cleaner air and water, reduces our carbon footprint on the planet, and strengthens local rural economies while encouraging people to adopt healthier eating habits.

Where can you buy local?

If you want to make sure you are buying local Maryland products, join a CSA or visit a farmers market and talk directly with the farmer. You can also search online at www.marylandsbest.net (now mobile-friendly) to find products by county and/or category. When you visit your favorite grocery store or local produce stand, look for the Maryland’s Best logo, which is the state agriculture branding program. The program started in 2001 to help consumers identify (and purchase) local agricultural products. Clearly, consumers want more local products, and we are stepping up our efforts to emphasize that agricultural products labeled ‘Maryland’s Best’ are local.

Farmers, grocery stores, restaurants and food distributors who would like to use the Maryland’s Best logo and work with MDA to promote their Maryland products should contact our marketing office at (410) 841-5779.

Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail

July is National Ice Cream Month and visiting one of Maryland’s on-farm creameries is a great way to celebrate. We launched the Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail three years ago to promote our dairy farmers and encourage Marylanders to visit a working farm. I have already visited three of the eight farms across the state that produce and sell ice cream directly to consumers, and I plan to visit the rest this summer. I’m impressed with the diversity of what each offers, with their variety of flavors and how each store has its own unique vibe. If you are traveling around Maryland this summer, make a point to visit at least one stop on the trail.

You can pick up an Ice Cream Trail Passport at any of the creameries (or online at www.marylandsbest.net). Complete the Ice Cream Trail passport by visiting every stop on the trail and answering a question from each creamery by September 23. Send it in to us and you will be entered into a drawing to be named the 2015 Ice Cream Trail Blazer.

Happy trails to you and your family! May you make many happy memories this summer. Remember to support local farmers and buy local!

May 30, 2015

Summer Fun on the Farm

By Joe Bartenfelder, Secretary Maryland Department of Agriculture

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer fun season. What better way is there to enjoy it than with friends and family on one of Maryland’s 12,300 farms?  There are several different ways you can visit a farm or enjoy new agricultural experiences.

Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail

June is National Dairy Month and visiting one of Maryland’s on-farm creameries is a great way to celebrate. We launched the Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail three years ago to promote our dairy farmers and encourage Marylanders to visit a working farm. The trail is made up of eight dairy farms across the state that produce and sell ice cream directly to consumer. If you are traveling around Maryland this summer, you have an opportunity to visit at least one stop on the trail.

You will be able to pick up an Ice Cream Trail Passport at any of the creameries (or online at www.marylandsbest.net) by June 15. Completes the Ice Cream Trail passport by visiting every stop on the trail and answering a question from each creamery  by September 23. Send it in to us and you will be entered into a drawing to be named the 2015 Ice Cream Trail Blazer.

We will make an official announcement once the passports are available. In the meantime, you can practice by eating ice cream (and other local products) from Maryland farms now!

Maryland Horse Chase

In April, MDA launched the Maryland Horse Chase, the first-of-its-kind, statewide, equine scavenger hunt sponsored by the Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB), a program within MDA. The chase helped introduce people to the joy of horses and to showcase the state’s new network of 35 Horse Discovery Centers.

More than 130 contestants trotted all across Maryland, completing challenges and earning points that were entered and geo-tracked on their cell phones. At stake, more than $10,000 worth of horse-related prizes and unforgettable experiences visiting some of Maryland’s most beautiful stables and getting to know their owners, trainers and handlers.

Top prize winners Alexandra and Russ Robinson of Anne Arundel County traveled 1,463 miles and visited 33 of the 35 stables and equine businesses to amass 4,980 and 4,840 points, out of a possible 5,000. (Alexandra completed more bonus points to edge out her husband.)

If you have always wanted to be around horses but don’t know enough about them, visit one of the new Horse Discovery Centers this summer. They’re waiting to introduce you to the wonderful world of horses.

Preakness and “Racing with Times”

Earlier this month, I had the honor of attending the sold-out world premier of “Racing the Times,” a Maryland Public Television documentary that tells the epic story of Maryland’s 300-year history with thoroughbred horses. It captures the exciting insights of historians, trainers, owners, jockeys and everyday people on Maryland’s horse racing heritage.  If you missed the show when it aired, you can watch the 90-minute documentary online at: http://video.mpt.tv/video/2365489079/

The 140th running of The Preakness Stakes was one for the history books! Not only did it draw a record crowd of more than 131,000, but by post time, a thunderstorm turned the racing surface into a sea of slop. At one point, the rain was coming down so hard we couldn’t see the horses and their jockeys. But the rain and thunder did not deter a drenched American Pharoah and jockey Victor Espinoza from trouncing the field with a seven-length victory. Now it’s on to the Belmont Stakes and a chance for American Pharoah to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. Once again, the Preakness lived up to its hype as one of America’s greatest horse races and a true Maryland spectacle.

Revamping Maryland’s Best

 This month we revamped the state agriculture branding program, Maryland’s Best. The program started in 2001 to help consumers identify (and purchase) local agricultural products. Clearly, consumers want more local products, and we are stepping up our efforts to emphasize that agricultural products labeled ‘Maryland’s Best’ are local.

MDA has created a family of Maryland’s Best logos, including a new version that adds the words “Fresh” and “Local.” The current Maryland’s Best logo will remain available for use. All are available in color and black and white.

We hope that farmers see the value in using these logos on their produce boxes and in farm stands, and that grocery store chains and other food distributors will ask to use the logos for their Maryland products. There are tremendous opportunities for our farmers to benefit from the growing consumer demand for local agricultural products. We need to do all we can at MDA to help our farmers capture those opportunities.

Farmers, grocery stores, restaurants and food distributors who would like to use the Maryland’s Best logo and work with MDA to promote their Maryland products should contact our Marketing office at (410) 841-5779.

New Fair & Show Policy

 Many Marylanders are preparing to participate in agricultural fairs and shows across the state.  Because of the unprecedented incidences of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) currently in the U.S., we have revised the 2015 Fair and Show Requirements for Poultry. As of May 8, waterfowl will be not allowed to enter Maryland Fairs and Shows. All poultry, both in state and out of state poultry, must be tested for Avian Influenza within 10 days prior to entry, or they must originate from a NPIP Avian Influenza Clean or Monitored flock.

At this time, we are not closing Maryland Fairs and Shows to poultry other than for waterfowl. However, we are constantly monitoring the situation. If HPAI enters our region, we will cancel all poultry fairs and shows in the state.

The AI virus does not survive well in heat so let us all keep our fingers crossed that the dog days of summer will help keep our poultry healthy. And may all of us have a happy and safe summer.

April 24, 2015

Making Progress for Maryland Agriculture

By Joe Bartenfelder, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture

It has been a busy three months since I joined the Maryland Department of Agriculture to serve our agricultural community. I have kept my nose to the grindstone and we have all been working hard. This month, I will give you an update on some of the latest activities of the department. The 2015 General Assembly was already underway when I started. During this legislative session, we spent a significant amount of time working to defeat several anti-agriculture bills. The most notable were:

• HB 381 / SB 257 – would have turned the Phosphorous Management Tool regulations that were submitted in December into law, rather than regulation.
• HB 605 / SB 163 – would have required labeling for any nursery stock sold at either the retail or wholesale level that is treated with neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides, and banned homeowner use of these products.
• HB 928 – would have repealed the current exemption from the sales and use tax for the purchase of inputs for farm operations.
• HB 995 – would have banned the use of lawncare pesticides at child care centers, schools, and on recreations center sand fields used by children under 18.
• SB 463 / HB 701 – would have duplicated FDA regulatory oversight of antibiotic use in animal agriculture and created an unnecessary burden on MDA and Maryland animal producers.

Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative Update

MDA developed proposed Phosphorus Management Tool (PMT) regulations, which were published in the April 3 Maryland Register and are open for public comment until May 4. The administration worked with legislative, environmental and agricultural stakeholders to revise and ultimately achieve consensus on the proposed regulations. For more information and the complete history about the regulations, visit www.mda.maryland.gov/PMT.

The PMT regulations are one part of Governor Hogan’s broader Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative, which also includes an on-farm economic analysis of the PMT. MDA is now recruiting 10 to 12 farm operations to provide a demonstration of implementation of the PMT, including farm-scale economic and operational implications. Farmers will commit to enroll 100 acres each in the analysis, maintain records and provide information to MDA over a two-year period. The intent is to better understand the issues resulting from the PMT and to enable more informed program development and resource allocation. Farmers who are interested in participating in the analysis should contact Dwight Dotterer, Dwight.Dotterer@maryland.gov or 410-841-5959.

High Path Avian Influenza

A new, deadly strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in the United States in December 2014. HPAI is heading east and has been confirmed in the Pacific, Central, and Mississippi flyways, which are migratory bird paths. As of April 20, it has been found in 54 locations in 13 states, affecting nearly 2.7 billion birds. The disease has been found in wild birds, as well as backyard and commercial poultry flocks.

MDA has started an outreach and education campaign to warn poultry flock owners and feed stores about the new strain. Our Animal Health staff has been working with key state agencies – including the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and relevant federal partners – to help ensure the state has the resources to handle the disease should it arrive here. HPAI poses a particularly significant economic threat to Maryland, especially the Eastern Shore. Although, this strain of bird flu is not currently known to be a threat to humans, flu viruses can mutate. If it does, the threat to public health could be significant. For more information on how to protect your flock, visit: http://mda.maryland.gov/AnimalHealth/Pages/poultry.aspx

Pesticide Use Survey

This month, MDA launched the enhanced Pesticide Use Survey, in cooperation with USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. MDA is encouraging farmers to participate in this voluntary survey, which will provide the department with comprehensive information about what pesticides are being used around the state and what trends are developing. The survey was developed, as recommended by the legislature’s Pesticide Use Work Group, in lieu of an expensive pesticide use database. This is the eighth pesticide use survey MDA has conducted since 1985. Maryland is the only state in the Chesapeake Bay region to comprehensively survey pesticide use. Enhancements over previous surveys include collection of intended use and time of year of application.

Maryland Horse Industry News

In horse-related news, the Maryland Horse Industry Board, a program within MDA that is charged with promoting the horse industry and licensing public stables, launched a statewide network of 35 Horse Discovery Centers in 15 counties in March. These centers are carefully selected, licensed stables that are welcoming people of all ages and experience levels into their barns to learn about horses. The designation is designed to bring new customers into these small businesses. The board also launched the Maryland Horse Chase – a statewide scavenger hunt (April 6 through April 26) that encourages people to visit and patronize horse stables and other equine events. As of April 14, nearly 900 people had visited the www.marylandhorsechase.com website and more than 25 percent filled out a form to play, at least in part.

Agricultural Legal Resources Available

I recently met with the University of Maryland Agricultural Law Education Initiative leaders.  We have started working with them to help farmers know about the services, publications and resources available through this program. The Ag Law initiative was created by the General Assembly in 2011 with the goal of preserving Maryland’s family farms; helping their owners address the complicated legal issues associated with agricultural estates and trusts, regulatory compliance, and other public policies that comprise what is known as agriculture law. As an example, this year, MDA working with the University of Maryland and Maryland Farm Bureau, launched a series of webinars for farms operating CSAs to help them develop model contracts and better handle labor and membership issues.

We are certainly working on many more issues as well here at MDA, but this gives you a good idea of the depth and breadth of the work underway. Next month I hope to update you on an exciting branding campaign we are working on to help consumers identify Maryland products in the marketplace. Until then, I hope you have a productive and bountiful planting season.