Mid-Atlantic Farmers Offer Sweepstakes through April 3 

Report details the agency’s work

The FY 2011 Annual Report for the Maryland Department of Agriculture was released this month. The 92-page report details the work, challenges and accomplishments of all agency functions, from animal health to weights-and-measures. An online version can be viewed here. Print copies are available by contacting the Public Information Office at: 410-841-5889.

“These surveys provide an ideal and timely opportunity for Maryland farmers to showcase the voluntary environmental stewardship practices already in place. I encourage everyone who is contacted to participate in the surveys so we will have the most accurate information as we move forward in developing Phase II of the EPA’s Watershed Implementation Plan.”  

 

The Maryland Agriculture Council‘s annual Taste of Maryland gala – formerly known as the Ag Dinner — will be held Feb 2 at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie. During the evening, a farming family that is active in the community and has demonstrated a commitment to agriculture will be inducted into the Governor’s Agricultural Hall of Fame. The Council will also announce the recipients of its agricultural education and promotion grants. More than 700 people are expected to attend, including federal and state lawmakers. Tickets are $100. For more information. Or call 301-865-1045.

Workshop for Fruit and Vegetable Producers

MDA and the University of Maryland will conduct a food safety training workshop for fruit and vegetable producers on Wednesday, February 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Calvert County Fairgrounds in Prince Frederick. This one-day workshop is important for small- and large- scale producers who want to understand how to meet current and future U.S. Food and Drug Administration food safety requirements and Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) certification. For more information.

Event sponsored by Maryland Jockey Club, American Horse Council

The Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB) presented its December Touch of Class Award to Tiffany McClure, the International

From left: Jim Steele, Chairman, MHIB; Ashley Valis from Governor O’Malley’s office; Tiffany McClure, Touch of Class Award Recipient; Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance; Agriculture Deputy Secretary Mary Ellen Setting; and Congressman Dennis Cardoza of California.

Professional Rodeo Association’s 2010 World Champion Barrel Racer, during a private screening of the new Steven Spielberg movie War Horse in Washington, D.C., Thursday. Tiffany, who grew up in Prince George’s County and graduated from Anne Arundel Community College, was presented with the award by Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance, MHIB Chair Jim Steele, Governor Martin O’Malley’s representative Ashley Valis and California Congressman Dennis Cardoza who co-chairs the Congressional Horse Caucus (and lives in Maryland). The screening was sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club and American Horse Council. All MDA employees were invited to attend the screening. For more information.

MHIB Executive Director Ross Peddicord (fourth from left) meets with BrotherFortune Group

The overall purpose of the trip was to explore partnership possibilities between Maryland and China in both country’s attempts to build state horse parks.

While in China, Ross testified before a 20-member council of local government officials in the city of Dongda about the viability of the park as well as how federal, state and municipal governments in the U.S. subsidize the building of public sports complexes and arenas, including horse parks. At the conclusion of the hearing, the local government committed $30 million to the project. Ross is currently working with BrotherFortune to identify a Maryland company that could design the  project.

Maryland’s 90-Day Legislative Session began this month and MDA follows many bills that may impact the agency and the customers it serves. Almost every day, a synopsis of bills MDA is tracking and a hearing schedule is updated and posted on the MDA website. The agency will present several bills for consideration by the 2012 General Assembly. They are:

• SB 108 – Maryland Horse Industry Board – Licensing. This bill is designed to clear up any ambiguities about the types of equine establishments that the Board licenses and inspects and more clearly defines the penalties of non-compliance.
• SB 112 – Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) – Appraisal Requirement. This bill would require that a MALPF proposal to have two appraisals, instead of one, in the case of a termination of an easement. (Terminations are only allowed if future profitable farming on the land is not feasible.)
• SB 113 – Weights and Measures – Fees (Special Funds). The bill would establish new fees for certain facilities and certain types of scales.
• SB 118 – Agricultural Nutrient and Sediment Credit Certification Program – This bill would give MDA authority to add sediment credits to its existing agricultural nutrient credit certification program.
• SB 129– MALPF – Easements. The bill would provide technical fixes to improve the efficiency of program administration.
• SB 142 – Secretary of Agriculture – Farm Food Safety. This legislation would give the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to develop voluntary on-farm food safety programs to assist Maryland fruit and vegetable producers in meeting new federal standards.
• SB 148 – MALPF – Lot Release. The bill clarifies the administration of family lots in order to prevent misuse of those lots.

 

Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance (center) joins John Griffin, Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, and and Mary Cary, Assistant State Superintendent for Instruction, in signing the partnership agreement.

In a new effort supporting Governor Martin O’Malley’s Children in Nature (CIN) initiative, 16 state, federal, county and private organizations, including MDA, are coming together to improve and expand opportunities for children to learn about, play in and experience our natural world. The new public-private effort ─ which officially re-establishes the Governor’s Partnership for Children in Nature ─ will be responsible for putting the state’s CIN plan into action. For more information.

MDA at MANTS (from left): Russell Noratel, Secretary Hance, Carol Holko, Ed Crow, Dick Bean

Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance this month toured the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS)— one of the largest private trade shows serving the horticulture industry – which was held in Baltimore this month. This show has been held for 41 years and is the premier, private green industry marketplace for finding plants and nursery stock, landscape and garden items, heavy and light duty equipment, tools, furniture and hundreds of other allied industry products. MDA’s Pesticide Regulation section typically staffs a booth during the three-day show. Secretary Hance was accompanied on the tour by Assistant Secretary for Plant Industries and Pest Management Carol Holko and Plant Protection Program Manager Dick Bean.

MNLA Recognizes Three MDA Employees During MANTS
Gaye Williams, Shelley Hicks and Bob Trumbule Honored

MNLA President John Akehurst (left) with MDA Employees Gaye Williams, Shelley Hicks, and Bob Trumbule

Three MDA employees this month received the 2012 Golden Goose Award from the Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association (MLNA) – an award that is given out selectively and periodically for outstanding dedication to the industry.

Recipients were: Gaye Williams, Shelley Hicks, and Bob Trumbule in the Plant Protection and Weed Management Section. The three were recognized for their work in setting up, administering and grading the basic, advanced, and specialist exams for MNLA’s Certified Professional Horticulturist program.

MDA Recognizes Employees of the Quarter

Three MDA employees were recognized for going above and beyond and received the agency’s Employees of the Quarter Award this month. Chad Forgette and David Thompson of I.T. Services and Debra Freburger in Resource Conservation received plaques and a Maryland’s Best T-Shirt.

David Thompson, Chad Forgette

Chad Forgette and David Thompson were recognized as the “Team of the Third Quarter” for their work in ensuring all field offices were put on the network with little monetary cost to MDA. Mary Martin, who nominated them, said, “Chad and Dave are  always willing to go that extra mile in assisting MDA employees to maintain their PC connections.”

Debra Freburger

Debra Freburger was recognized for “Outstanding Customer Service of the Third Quarter.” Debra  was recognized for voluntarily assuming duties left by departed (and unreplaced) employees. Additionally, she embraced learning new software and recently set up a program-wide staff calendar. She was nominated by Dr. Jo Mercer, Program Manager for Nutrient Management.

©Edwin Remsberg/ www.remsberg.com

Serves 6

¾ cup of white rice
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups, milk
½ cup raisins
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
¼ cut Maryland maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Cinnamon (optional)

1.    Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the rice, salt, butter and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

2.    Bring the milk just to the boiling point in a separate small saucepan, and then remove it from the heat. Add the scalded milk and raisins to the rice and stir. Simmer an additional 15 minutes, covered.

3.    Beat together the eggs, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla, and add to the rice mixture, stirring well. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the rice pudding from the heat and cool. Serve with a garnish of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.

Recipes compliments of Dishing Up Maryland by Lucie L. Snodgrass