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 Maryland Department of Agriculture News
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| Celebrating Maryland Agriculture |
April 2009 |
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Secretary’s Corner
Perhaps the timing of the annual legislative session was chosen so that farmers would be able to get back to the fields after making the laws. Back then, many of our legislators owned farms. While there are a very few who own farms today, most appreciate the importance of farmland and all understand that the food they eat comes from farms. No farms – No food, as the saying goes.This legislative session was a busy one for the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The department presented 10 bills to the General Assembly. All passed and Governor O’Malley signed eight into law yesterday. We actively followed a great number of bills that would affect agriculture while others in the farm community took positions and advocated on behalf of the farm community.
Overall, it was a positive session for the agriculture industry in Maryland.
While some of our staff was busy with the Legislature, others were in the field planning our upcoming mosquito and gypsy moth services as well as monitoring nursery stock coming into the region to safeguard our forests, neighborhoods and industry. Perhaps some of the busiest were those working to contain the emerald ash borer. Trees are being cut and chipped, surveillance traps hung, and a public awareness campaign launched. When you go to a Bowie BaySox or a Southern Maryland Blue Crab baseball game this season, look for information about the emerald ash borer. See if any of the players are using bats made from ash wood.
Finally we are getting out on our tractors. Corn planting will soon be underway. USDA Agricultural Statistics Service estimates that Maryland farmers will plant about the same 460,000 acres of corn as last year and about 490,000 acres of soybeans, down 5,000 acres from last year. NASS is a great resource for farmers and other businesses with their various planting reports, crop weather reports and survey results.
Finally, join me in putting up your feet at the end of a hard work day and watch Maryland Public Television’s Chesapeake Bay Week from April 19-26. There is some outstanding programming on Maryland wine, Chesapeake culture and the environment. MDA, with financial help from federal and private partners, is sponsoring Chesapeake Bay Week to raise awareness about Maryland’s Best products, how to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer, and backyard actions that homeowners can take to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.
Through all of this and more MDA is smart, green and growing and putting our families first as we preserve farmland and the environment, promote Maryland agriculture, and protect consumers and our food supply.
Thank you. I wish you all the best,
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 Earth and Arbor Days Highlight that Maryland Farmers are Smart, Green and Growing
Next week’s observances ofEarth Day and Arbor Day are great times to remember all that farmers do for the environment. Agriculture is a leading industry in Maryland and the single largest land use. Maryland farmers play a key role in protecting our state’s natural resources, especially the Chesapeake Bay. During the last two decades, Maryland farmers have spent millions of dollars of their own money and countless hours of labor to install and maintain conservation practices on their farms to protect natural resources and enhance the health and vitality of the Chesapeake Bay. Many of their conservation activities are presented on the BayStat website.
Bolstered by strong state and federal conservation technical and financial support, farmers incorporate soil conservation and water quality measures into their businesses. These conservation practices help farmers balance crop and livestock production with the need to protect natural resources, while confronting two ongoing concerns-the continued availability of farmland and access to markets or profitability. Well-managed agricultural land provides many more environmental benefits than developed land. At a time when development pressure may be at its greatest, it is in the Bay’s best interest for Maryland to look to ways to keep farmers farming the land.
Later this month, Maryland’s CREP agreement will be revised during a public event with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Governor Martin O’Malley in Carroll County. Farmers and landowners will find the details of this program to be very attractive – incentives that will benefit our smart, green and growing and tree planting goals for the Bay, the environment and our families. More information will be available next week.
Anyone with a small patch of ground can take backyard actions for a cleaner Chesapeake Bay that are based on farming practices. Some basics include water conservation, recycling yard and food waste by composting, using fertilizer wisely, trying pesticide alternatives and controlling erosion.
Marylanders all across the state, including First Lady Katie O’Malley, are putting in backyard vegetable gardens at a rate perhaps not seen since World War II. For those who need some guidance, the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center and Master Gardeners are at the ready with their Grow it-Eat it phone lines, website and classes.
Tap into all the resources the state and federal government have to offer for a smart, green and growing future that benefits our families first.
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 Statewide Farm Energy Audit Program Now Available
A new program made available by the Maryland Energy Administration is now available for all agricultural producers in Maryland! The Maryland Statewide Farm Energy Audit Program is a new program based on a successful program run originally for Maryland’s Eastern Shore and western counties. This program will help farmers reduce their energy costs through farm energy audits and incentives for qualifying energy saving projects. A farm energy audit collects and analyzes data about a farm’s energy use and recommends actions to increase the energy efficiency of your farm operation. The process begins when an EnSave representative conducts a phone interview with a farmer to collect basic information about the operation, such as the size of the facility, the current energy use, and any plans for the future. A data collector will then visit the farm to capture energy end-use information. Following the visit, EnSave will generate a customized, multi-page energy audit report which will provide information about energy use and the potential for energy savings. EnSave will follow up to review the report, answer any questions, and discuss next steps.
Farmers will pay $300 for an energy audit, with the cost refunded if they install any of the measures recommended through the audit. The energy efficient equipment incentives will be available whether producers receive an energy audit or not. The program’s equipment incentives will be based on $0.06 per kilowatt hour of electricity saved for any qualifying lighting projects, $0.08 per kilowatt hour saved for all other eligible electric saving projects, and $1.50 per gallon of propane saved for eligible gas saving projects. The incentives cannot exceed 50 percent of the total project cost.
For more information interested producers can visit www.ensave.com/
call Corey Conant, EnSave’s Program Manager, at (800) 732-1399, or e-mail Corey at coreyc@ensave.com
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Maryland Vineyards and Wineries are Open to Visitors
Spring is here, and Maryland’s 28 wineries invite visitors to venture outside and enjoy the warm weather, beautiful scenery and superior vintages they have to offer. April is the perfect time to begin exploring the state’s five wine regions with their distinctive products and properties.
Maryland’s two established wine trails, the Frederick and Mason-Dixon trails make it easy to visit a number of vineyards and wineries in a day or to spend an extra day taking in the history, culture, restaurants and scenic byways. This year, the Patuxent and Chesapeake wine trails will be coming on line in May for visitors to explore more of the sights, sounds and tastes of Maryland. To find a listing of Maryland wineries, visit www.marylandsbest.net. Read more here. |
 Maryland Seafood Festival List Available
Dozens of seafood festivals will be held throughout Maryland beginning in May and continuing through October. Festivals range in size and diversity from St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival in Leonardtown to the 32nd Annual Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield. Festivals can be found from Annapolis to Leonardtown, from Havre De Grace to Solomon’s Island and many places in between. Included in the list is a directory of fee fishing farms so anglers can catch their own fish and have their own festivals!
Festivals include entertainment and educational activities for the entire family.
For the cooking enthusiast, certain festivals are host to cooking contests.
The 2008 Maryland Seafood Festival List is available online at www.marylandseafood.org or by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to 2009 Seafood Festival List, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Seafood Marketing Program, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, Maryland 21401. Please call festival contacts directly for information on individual events.
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It’s Farmers’ Market Season!
Maryland’s farmers markets will begin opening this month and next. This season’s produce features kale, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, early lettuces, and perhaps some early tomatoes in the next few months. About 93 farmers markets will open this year with at least one in every county and Baltimore City. The 2009 Maryland Farmers’ Market Directory will be available soon. The directory lists the locations and hours of each market. The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides qualified senior citizens and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program participants with checks that they can use at farmers’ markets to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables and cut herbs. About 270 farmers will participate in the FMNP initiative and more than $600,000 in checks will be available to provide fresh, nutritious food to those in the program and povides an additional source of income to farmers. Farmers’ markets can also be located on the Maryland’s Best website. |
Plant and Flower Auction to Begin April 22 in Cheltenham
Get geared up for spring planting and Mother’s Day as the Southern Maryland Regional Farmers’ Market begins its seasonal plant and flower auction. Held indoors, the auctions will take place rain or shine every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. from April 22 through June 10. Click here for more information. |
Gypsy Moth Spray Activities
The gypsy mothis by far the most destructive pest of forest and shade trees in Maryland. MDA is planning to spray about 38,454 acres in 14 counties and Baltimore City this year. The majority of the acreage to be treated is in Western Maryland. Frederick, Washington, Baltimore, Cecil and Allegany are the counties with most proposed acreage to be sprayed. Spraying will begin around the last weekend in April and go through the end of May. The spray activities get underway in the early morning, around dawn. Private, state and federal land will be sprayed, and written notifications were sent to property owners in and near spray blocks.The toll free numbers will be updated as new information becomes available: Baltimore County and east, 800-492-2105; Carroll Co. and west, 800-492-2106. More information on MDA’s gypsy moth program. Click here for a UMD Home and Garden Information Center fact sheet. |
Maryland Ag Commission Spring Tour
The Maryland Agricultural Commission had its annual spring tour this past Wednesday, April 8th. The Ag Commission visited four farms to learn more about the different types of agricultural operations in Maryland. At Serenity Farms Inc, the commission learned about greenhouses, agritourism and direct farm marketing. The commission then visited the Cockburn Tree Farm in Hughesville. Gleaning, the Southern Maryland Regional Farmers’ Market’s wholesale auction market, and the amerald ash borer were the topics of discussion at Cheltenham Warehouse. At the Montpelier Farm in Upper Marlboro, the commission learned about the farm’s conservation efforts as well as it’s grain and hay operation.
In addition to the tours, the commission sponsored a public meeting at which local farmers, citizens and elected officials are given the opportunity to express their concerns about agriculture issues impacting the industry. All 23 counties host the commission every five years. |
People Profile: Michael Pennington 
Michael Pennington is the chairman of the Rural Maryland Council and is the first and only executive director of the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland since its establishment in 2002. He previously worked for the lower shore private industry council, a non-profit organization which is now part of the council.
Michael’s agricultural background and activity in various councils in the state have prepared him for the role of chairman of the Rural Maryland Council. He is very excited to be chairman this year, saying “The Rural Maryland Council provides a great opportunity for a number of rural issues to be discussed, and for solutions to arise. There is really no other organization in the state that addresses all of these issues.” The main focus of the council is regional economic development and planning, work force training, the One Stop Job Market and managing Run Shore Transit. The council hopes to obtain a central facility this year.
Mike grew up on a small farm outside of Berlin, Maryland and still resides there today with his family. His father owned the farm, and Mike still grows Christmas trees there. He is very involved in the state’s rural affairs, and is on the council for the Rural Maryland Broadband Coordination Board, which aims to provide high- speed Internet all over the State of Maryland. |
 Featured Recipe: Penne with Chicken and Asparagus
(allrecipes.com)
Asparagus will soon begin to flourish in Maryland. Here is a fresh and easy pasta dish that is sure to highlight spring produce and our leading agricultural product, poultry. This is a versatile recipe in which you can add in any other ingredients you might like. Pair with a Maryland wine, like Bordeleau Winery Pinot Grigio or Deep Creek Cellars Glade Run Dry Rosé, and you are sure to have a fabulous dinner!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready in: 35 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels.
Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through.
Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
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We invite your feedback.
Thank you for reading our latest publication. We are always looking for ways to improve how we serve our constituents. Please send your comments, suggestions and ideas to mdanews@mda.state.md.us or call 410-841-5881.
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Contact Info
Sue duPont, Communications Director, 410-841-5889, dupontsk@mda.state.md.us
Julie Oberg, Public Information Officer, 410-841-5888, obergja@mda.state.md.us |
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Try Maryland’s Best Wine in April!
Maryland’s Best makes it easy for consumers to identify and locate top-quality Maryland products! From produce, seafood, and specialty foods to grains, nursery items, and ag-recreational activities. Click here to find a local vineyard or winery.
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